The Difference Between Selling and Marketing When Using Act Software

Let me state right up front that I believe the ID Status field is the most important field in Act.

Last week I worked with a client advising them how to better use Act software (CRM).  I was working with the person in charge of marketing and emails.  The first thing we determined was that they did not have a good understanding of who was in their database.  They were using the ID status field in Act to organize their contacts.  However, they had so many different options and variations of the same ID Status that it was very difficult to find the contacts they were trying to work with.

At this point I sent all their contacts to Excel and created a quick Pivot Table to show them how all the contacts were broken down by ID Status.

My first suggestion was that they had to simplify the ID Status field.  If you require more detail create a second field to break down your prospects.  Create a second ID Status field: ID Status 2. 

These are the ID Statuses I use and suggest:

Prospect
New Lead
Key Client
Secondary Client
InActive Client
Employee
Tony
Vendor

I believe all your contacts can fall under one of these categories.

A few Items: notice every item has a unique first letter for easy mistake proof one-touch data entry.  I use my name for any contact that is personal.  For example, doctor, lawyer, cable company, friends, and family.  I use delete for all contacts that I want to delete and will periodically delete all those contacts only after I have made a backup.  This strategy avoids accidentally deleting the wrong contacts.  Believe me I have seen this mistake made many times.

I suggest that you do not send email marketing to clients.  Clients are more important than that and they deserve to be contacted one-by-one.  It is very easy to use Act and Microsoft Outlook to communicate with these contacts.

I fully recognize the fact that we have different types of clients.  I recommend three types of clients to be used in the ID status field.  Key Client, Secondary Client, and Inactive Client.  A key client is a client that you pay regular attention to, for example, weekly, monthly, or quarterly.  A secondary client is someone that you believe you are likely to do more business with you and is worth reaching out to on a regular basis.  And inactive client is just a step above a prospect.

A prospect is any contact in your database you have never done business with.  To double back for a moment an inactive client is a client that you suspect may never do business with you again or is a very small client.

I typically suggest that clients come up with a 90-day plan.  The 90-day plan is how often you expect to reach out to prospects and clients alike.  Maybe you decide you want to call prospects twice a year.  Maybe you decide you want to call customers quarterly if they are key clients, every six months if they are secondary clients, and every year if they are inactive clients.  Having stated that, you might also determine that you want to reach out to key clients by email monthly, secondary clients every quarter and inactive clients every six months.  Obviously, it is easier to send an email than it is to make all those phone calls.

The bottom line is to stay in touch with your customers one-on-one.  In my training I offer suggestions and tools you can use to make corresponding via email much easier.

Selling is taking the time one-on-one with Prospects and Clients, while marketing is a blanket approach to reach out to as many contacts at one time.  There is a case to be made for both approaches.  Selling is closing, marketing is asking meekly for the contact to buy your product or service.  Selling is picking up the phone and calling.  Selling is sending a personal email.  Marketing is throwing a lot up against the wall and seeing what sticks.

Getting back to the client I was advising for a moment; they did not have a plan or goals for what they were willing to do and they need to come up with specific goals outlined and written down on paper.  Without that outline, it is difficult to advise them.

Here is a sample set of selling goals you could potentially use:

– Key Clients: Email every 30 days and call every 90 Days
– Secondary Clients: Call every 180 days and email every 90 days
– Inactive Clients: Call every 365 days and email every 90 days

Allow me to clarify something here.  When I say email, it could be something as simple as an email asking them if they need help with anything.  Marketing professionals spend tons of time trying to figure out the perfect message to send to their prospects and clients and in most cases, it will miss the mark for 80% of the people you send that message to.  Instead of figuring out the perfect message, I suggest using the perfect question(s).  For example:

May I help you with anything today?  Do you have any questions I can answer for you or do you need anything today?

In Conclusion

First, to make the most out of your Act database you need to be able to find the relevant contacts for your sales and marketing plans quickly and easily.  Second, have a plan and write it down and share it with all those involved in sales and marketing at your company.  A clear path to moving forward in Act needs to be clearly communicated.

Then, and only then, will you be able to make the most out of Act CRM software.

Since late December 2021 I have been using Act’s new SaaS offering.  SaaS is short for Software as a Service.  What does that mean for Act software users?

In the past you could use Act in a web browser.  However, you typically had to get setting it up from someone like me, an Act Certified Consultant (ACC), or from Act directly.  My experience has been that most people do not like using Act software in a web browser.  It could be a web browser of your choice: Google Chrome, Microsoft edge or Firefox.  Long time users of Act software are used to having software that is physically installed on their computers and I get that. 

Many of my Act clients have access to their database in the web environment but they never use it.  It is merely a conduit to helping them synchronize all their data on multiple computers.  For example, they might have a laptop computer and a desktop computer and they want to keep all the information the same on both.  The process of doing this Act synchronization creates an option to view all your data in a web browser as well.  However, I would say 95% of my clients either do not know this fact, have forgotten about it, or just do not bother looking at the data in the cloud.  That is 100% okay.  The goal was to help them synchronize their data in this is a byproduct of that effort.

What is different about the SAAS environment?

On Christmas day in the early afternoon, I decided to make a backup of my Act data and uploaded into a free trial of Act SaaS.  The backup took about five minutes to create, creating the free trial took about five minutes and uploading it took another five minutes.  Once I completed those steps, I waited the automated system put all my data in the cloud via Act’s new SAAS environment and it was live in about 60 minutes.  I did the same thing for a client last week and his data was available after about 10 minutes

How do you have a good Act SaaS experience

First and foremost, I tell my clients that the Act cloud web-based environment is about 80% of what you are used to using Act on the desktop.  The other 20% are the differences between using traditional Act and using Act in a web browser.  My experience has been that with a little bit of education and by enhancing your knowledge of how to work in a web browser you can eliminate the issues of using Act in a web browser.Frankly, the knowledge you need to gain to have a good experience with Act has nothing to do with Act. It comes with understanding the tips and tricks of working in a web browser, regardless of which web browser you choose.

Why am I such a fan of Act SAAS CRM?

It is the way of the future.  I have had virtually no issues using this software in a web browser.  No compatibility issues.  No issues with the underlying engine that runs Act (called SQL) starting or stopping.  Nothing.  In fact, my greatest concern about the web based SAAS version of Act is that it will put many of my fellow consultants out of business.  Why?  Because there are so few issues working with the software.

Act SAAS offers monthly and yearly subscription plans.

Typically, I tell my clients to pay for the software monthly to start.  Why?  It allows them to get comfortable with the different levels of Act SAAS CRM.  The first level is $180 a year and is a glorified Act Rolodex.  It is also good for retired Acters.

The second level is $360 per year and is what most of you would want to use.  The third level as offerings that most people will not take advantage of.  That is my opinion and based on my experience.  So having stated all of that, please consider the fact that Act CRM SAAS will cost $360 per year when paid for annually.  This is the program I recommend and suggest to my clients.

Why do I suggest the $360 Act SAAS program?

As an Act CRM SAAS subscriber, you get free technical support on Act related matters.  It also works with Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word.  You also get access to Act via their app called Act companion.  It can work with outside sources by connecting to them via an API.

I miss right clicking in a web browser with Act

I am one of those computer users that likes to right-click a lot.  There are great shortcuts for doing things by right clicking when you use Act on your computer.  I have become accustomed over the years to doing that when using Act.  In a web browser it is different.  Right clicking brings up other options: some that you will love and some that are irrelevant.  I can get by this issue.  It really is not that big a deal.  The beauty of the SAAS version is I can use it on any computer that has a web browser.  I can connect to outside software such as Microsoft Outlook in the cloud.

So, will this version of the software work for you?

I believe you will have success with this version of Act if you approach it with a positive attitude knowing that it will not be exactly like the Act you have used for years but a close cousin.  If you are willing to focus your learning attention on those 20% differences and learn how to use Act in a web browser, I think you can have a great experience with Act.  Start with a two-week trial and use Act as a Rolodex.  If you do not like the web version you can always go to Act subscription model which is approximately the same price on a yearly basis.

One of the things the pandemic has taught me is how strongly people can disagree on matters that seem obvious.  I like this new version of Act and I think it is the future.  Act users of gotten old and not as willing to change in my opinion.  You know what, your competitors will and they will take advantage of this and you will lose out. 

Open your mind and convert to SaaS Act.  I will teach you how to make the most out of it.