CONTACT INFO/DATA ENTRY SCREEN v5

OVERVIEW

Use List Master CRM'S CONTACT INFO/DATA ENTRY SCREEN to create new records or to modify contact information for existing records.

Getting there: One way to reach the Contact Info screen is to locate a record using the Search screen, then double-click the record. (Or choose “Account Details” from the output options and hit “Do It.”)

Alternately, choose the Data Entry screen from the Main Menu; this will take you to a blank data entry screen, where you can start a new search or create a new record.

Record types: All List Master records are one of two types: individual or organization. Individual-type records contain information for just one person. Each member of a household is given a separate record, with records linked together for mailing labels, searches by household, etc. Organization-type records do not contain the names of employees or other contacts. Employees and other people affiliated with an organization are assigned their own individual-type records, which can be linked to organization records.

Formal or informal greetings: List Master output options (labels, merge files, e-mail merges, etc.) generate both informal and formal styles for all addresses and salutations. Individual records linked together will generate the appropriate household addresses and salutations.

Formal: Dear Mr. and Mrs. Walker

Informal: Dear Peggy and Sam

MODIFY A RECORD

Finding a record: The Contact Info/Data Entry screen provides basic look-up capabilities so that you don’t have to go back to the Search screen each time you want to find a record. Simply enter what you are looking for and hit the "Search" button. You will be taken to the Search Results screen and can double-click on a record to open it. (Or choose “Account Details” from the output options menu and hit “Do It.”)

Make changes or add information, then hit "Update Account" to save.

When searching to see if someone is in the database before creating a new record, if the contact is not found, hit the "Start New Account" button to create the new record. The terms of your search will remain in the new record as a starting point for your data entry.

When viewing a record, hit the "Clear Form" button to start a new search or create a new record.

CREATE A RECORD

When creating a new List Master record, use the following conventions for contact info fields:

Record type: First select “Individual” or “Organization” for the type of record you want to create, then hit “Start New Account.” Input fields relevant to the type of record you created will be displayed. Not every field listed below appears in both record types.  

Special Sal: This optional field is used for special informal salutations, primarily nicknames, and will override the informal salutation generated by the first name fields.

This affects greetings but not addresses.

Example: If Richard Jones goes by “Skip,” type “Skip” into the Special Sal. field.

If other people in the household should be included in the special salutation, don’t forget to include them all here.

Joined: Optional field for agencies with membership programs. Shows when the individual became a member. (This is different from the date the record was created, which appears automatically as the “Entered” date at the top of the screen, under the record account number and name. “Modified,” also at the top, is the date the record was last changed in any way.)

Expires: Field for noting the date a contact’s membership expires. One highly recommended optional feature is automatic updating of expiration dates based on Transaction codes. List Master staff can set this up for you.

Ask Amount: Commonly used to note recommended solicitation amounts for specific donors. Use this field to merge dollar amounts into appeal letters, etc. This field appears on the Transaction screen, too, but can’t be changed from there.

Sal: Choose from the drop-down list, or type in your own salutation. Common salutations include Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Reverend or Rev., The Honorable, Congressman, Senator or Sen.

First: Enter contact’s first name.

MI: Enter contact’s middle initial, whole middle name, or leave the field blank.

Last: Enter contact’s last name. If the person uses two last names, enter both here.

Example: For Jenny Smith Pearson
First name: Jenny
Last name: Smith Pearson

Suffix: Enter any appropriate suffix, such as Jr., Sr., M.A. or MSW.

E-Mail fields: Enter al e-mail addresses associated with this record. Individual-type records provide fields for work and home addresses. Organization-type records have a “Main Email” field. Both record types also provide an “Eblast Email” field. Please enter into the “Eblast Email” field all email addresses, separated by commas, to be used for e-newsletters and other email blasts. Please note that if this field is blank, the individual or organization will not receive e-blasted communications.

Primary Phone (individual-type records): The best number to call. This field can contain only one phone number.

Home Phone (individual-type records): Home phone number

Work Phone (individual-type records): Work phone number

Work Cell (individual-type records): Work cell phone number

Personal Cell (individual-type records): Personal cell phone number

Main Phone (organization-type records): Organization or business’ main phone number

Fax (individual and organization-type records): Fax number associated with this record. This field can contain only one number.

Bus. Name: Mandatory field for organization-type records. Enter the organization or business name.

Job Title: Optional field for individual-type records.

Publish Name: This field appears on the spreadsheet created by the “Merge File” output option. It’s used to specify how an individual’s name should appear in publications such as annual reports.

Web Site: Enter the URLs of any web sites, separated by commas, associated with this record. Don’t include “http://.”  Use the format “www.domain-name.com.”

Address fields: You can enter up to three addresses per record.

Choose an address type from the drop-down menu.

Check the box to indicate which is the primary address. The primary address will be used everywhere an address is needed: all reports, e-blast merges, Word merges, etc.

Most List Master output options use only the primary address fields. The one exception is the spreadsheet created by the “Merge File” option, which also includes the second set of address fields, “Work Address.”

Multiple addresses: For an individual-type record, the first/primary address is usually the home address. The other address fields can be used for work addresses, P.O. boxes, or even vacation home addresses. For organization-type records, the first/primary address should be the Org Address.

Address 2: Only the first address in the record includes an Address 2 line. For the other two addresses, enter any Address 2 information on the main Address line, separated with a comma.

Don’t forget to fill in the County field, often very useful for searches.
List Master staff can update county fields, based on zip codes, if you need it.

OUTPUT STYLES

Addresses and greetings: List Master produces greetings and addresses for labels, merge files and mail-house files differently depending on the record type.

Type

Example

Formal Greeting Output

(using the Merge File report)

Individuals, single

Shirley Jones

2222 SE 22nd Ave

Kelso, WA 98777

Dear Ms. Jones

Individuals, household, same last name

Bob & Shirley Jones

2222 SE 22nd Ave

Kelso, WA 98777

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Jones

Individuals, household, different last name

Bob Smith & Shirley Jones

2222 SE 22nd Ave

Kelso, WA 98777

Dear Mr. Smith and Mrs. Jones

Organization/Business

ACME Widget Company

5555 SW 55th St.

Seattle WA, 98555

Dear Friends

The following applies to columns/fields on the “Merge File” report, HTML e-mail merges and other output options:

Organization-type records have one output form:

  • For the label or inside address, the organization name appears on the name line.
  • If there is a contact linked to the organization, the first address line will read: “Attn: Contact Name.” If there is no contact linked to the record, this line will remain blank and not be printed.
  • The greeting will read “Dear (Standard Greeting).” The default standard greeting is “Friends,” but you can specify something different (e.g. To Whom it may Concern, Friend of Oregon, etc.).

Individual output forms: Output styles for individuals are a little more complex, depending on the number of people in the household and the salutation style selected. Both formal (Mr. and Mrs. Baker) and informal (Bob and Shirley) versions of the greeting are provided for all output options.

  • Married with the same last name: Choose “Mr.”, and “Mrs.” or “Ms.”, for the respective salutation fields. In a case where only the husband’s name is known, or both last names are the same, the label will appear as “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith.”
  • Household members with different last names: Choose “Mr.” and “Ms.” for the respective salutations. The greeting will appear as “Ms. Smith and Mr. Jones” (formal) or “Sue and Bob” (informal).