Introduction
Hi, ladies and gentlemen! This tutorial by Tony Holowitz will walk you through three different ways to search for a contact in Act Premium Cloud. In particular, we will focus on searching for a name, such as “John,” in both the desktop and SAS versions of Act.
1. Traditional Lookup Method
In Act’s previous versions, searching for a contact required the following steps:
- Navigate to Lookup.
- Select First Name.
- Type in the name (e.g., “John”).
- Click OK.
However, this method has evolved in the web-based version of Act, as we’ll see below.
2. Quick Contact Field Search
In the SAS version of Act, you can quickly search for a contact by:
- Choosing the Contact Field called “Contact.”
- Typing in any portion of the name (first or last) in the available space.
- Initiating the search.
Here’s a comparison of this method with the traditional one:
| Traditional Lookup | Quick Contact Field Search |
|---|---|
| More steps | Faster and more convenient |
| Specific to first name | Can use any portion of the name (first or last) |
| Located at the top | Located at the bottom left (in SAS version) |
One limitation of this method is that the contact field might change inexplicably (e.g., to “City” instead of “Contact”). The cause of this behavior remains unknown, even to technical support.
3. Universal Search
The Universal Search is a powerful tool in Act’s web-based version, offering the following advantages:
- Location: Conveniently placed (in the web-based version) at the top center instead of the right-hand side (in the desktop version).
- Versatility: Searches across contacts, notes, histories, and more.
- Broad Scope: Returns any mention of the searched term (e.g., “John”) in the database.
Here’s how to use the Universal Search:
- Type the desired name (e.g., “John”) in the Universal Search box.
- Press Enter.
- Filter results as needed (e.g., click on Notes or Histories to narrow down the search).
Note: The Universal Search is more extensive than the other methods, akin to a Google search within your Act database.
Conclusion
Searching for contacts in Act Premium Cloud offers several methods, each with unique characteristics:
- Traditional Lookup: A familiar but more involved process.
- Quick Contact Field Search: A convenient but sometimes quirky option.
- Universal Search: A comprehensive tool providing wide-ranging search capabilities.
Understanding these methods helps users efficiently navigate Act’s database, allowing for quick access to essential information.
Thank you very much for your time, and have a great day! Bye now.