Introduction: ACT CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software is an invaluable tool for managing contacts and interactions efficiently. One common question that arises is how to set up reminders for upcoming birthdays of contacts. In this tutorial, Tony Holowitz, an experienced ACT teacher and consultant, provides insights into different methods to ensure you never miss a client’s special day.

Step 1: Locating the Birthday Field To start setting up birthday reminders, it’s essential to know where to find the birthday field in ACT CRM. Follow these steps:

1. Access the “Personal Info” tab for a specific contact.
2. Look for the “Birthday” field, where you can enter the contact’s birth date.

Step 2: Observing Upcoming Birthdays For users who prefer manual reminders, Tony demonstrates a simple way to observe upcoming birthdays:

1. Right-click on the “Birthday” field of a contact.
2. Select “Lookup Birthday” from the context menu.
3. In the Lookup box, choose “Contains Data” to filter contacts with a recorded birth date.
4. Click “OK” to generate a list of contacts with birthdays.

Step 3: Customizing Columns for Better Visibility To enhance visibility, you can customize columns to include the “Birthday” field in the list view:

1. Right-click in the contact list area.
2. Choose “Customize Columns” to open the customization window.
3. Add the “Birthday” field to the list of columns and arrange it for easier viewing.
4. Click “OK” to apply the changes and view the contact list with upcoming birthdays.

Step 4: Utilizing Groups for Birthday Reminders Another method involves creating groups to gather contacts with upcoming birthdays:

1. Go to the “Groups” section in ACT CRM.
2. Create a new group and define the criteria to include contacts with birthdays within the next 30 days.
3. Save the group, and it will automatically update as the dates approach.

Step 5: Creating Smart Tasks for Automated Reminders For users who prefer automation and proactive reminders, Tony introduces the concept of “Smart Tasks”:

1. Smart Tasks are automated sequences that can be created to handle various tasks in ACT CRM.
2. In the next tutorial, Tony promises to demonstrate how to set up a Smart Task for receiving automated birthday reminders.

Conclusion: Staying on top of important dates like birthdays is crucial for nurturing strong relationships with clients. ACT CRM offers multiple ways to manage birthday reminders based on individual preferences. Whether you prefer manual observation, group creation, or automated Smart Tasks, ACT has you covered.