One of the great things about ACT! is its ability to be customized – you can easily add fields that are meaningful to your company. Every field you enter, you can ‘look up’ by. This can be important when you narrow your database to a specific targeted search, such as all Prospects in the state of KS who purchased our drip marketing system:
However, as you build your layout, ACT! automatically numbers these fields in the order of creation in your layout.
Although many of us are mouse-oriented, when we navigate our database, the easiest method is to tab through the fields or hit the ‘Enter’ key to jump through fields to the ones used most frequently.
If your layout has fields added and they have not been re-tabbed in consecutive order, you can be jumping all over the place, creating a chaotic data-entry process.
To organize your layout data entry, within the Design Layout screen click View, Tab Stops and show your Tab Stop Order.
If they are not in a logical data entry order, you will need to clear the tab stops and reorder them:
Make sure all your fields are built before you re-tab them. Depending on the number of fields, you only want to do this once! After you re-tab, click View/Tab Stops and uncheck Show Tab Stops and that will close this window. Save as you go!
To organize your layout a bit more, click on View/Enter Stops/Show Enter Stops and put a Green Number by those ‘non-negotiable fields’ for data entry.
At Synthesis, we have a hard and fast rule on contacts – don’t enter partial data. Company, Contact, ID Status, Address, Decision Maker – those are a few of the fields we consider critical to populate as you enter in a contact. To remind our team, they simply hit the ‘Enter’ key to determine what our non-negotiable fields are.
Consider your layout a marketing tool and build the fields that will help you target markets. Layouts are organic – they will change as your business changes. Make data entry as painless as possible by organizing your layout for maximum convenience.
If you would like help customizing your layout or suggestions on fields that will help you become more productive, give us a call – 913.897.7250. Gary is the ‘King” of layout design.
Barbara Rogoff opened the doors of Synthesis in 1994 with one client and a great idea: give high-touch detailed service with integrity and consistency. After spending 20+ years in corporate as right-hand to three different CEOs, Barbara learned the importance of organization and keeping a sense of humor!
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