Storing contact categories, mailings & employment information and subscribing a contact to a list

Owned by Fiona Wilson, created
Last updated: Nov 10, 2023
6 min read

This guide has been reviewed against our global client base and classed as relevant to all regions

A contact record provides the ability to store client details such as property interests, business sector and social/sporting interests - this can be done individually or in bulk

Once this information is stored, a list of contacts can be generated according to the category and/or events/mailings they are subscribed to - and subsequently letters/e-mails can be created for them or the list can be exported to Microsoft Excel

It is also possible to store employment details for a contact, including their current employment, business interests and contact relationships

Subscribing an individual contact to mailings/events (& opting out)

1. Access contact record

  • Search for and open the required contact record

  • Click Categories & Mailings (top left) - see next step

For more information on contacts, click here:

2. Categories & Mailings screen

The content of this screen is dependent on your company's configuration

  • Tick the Categories the contact falls into
    For Mailing & Event Subscriptions, see steps 3 & 4

3. Mailings

From the Mailing Subscriptions panel:

  • Tick options to subscribe the contact to relevant mailings

  • After selecting an option, a prompt is displayed - click Yes

  • Hovering over any subscription shows when/who subscribed the contact

4. Events

From the Event Subscriptions panel:

  • Tick options to subscribe the contact to relevant events
    After selecting an option, a prompt is displayed, as shown in step 3

  • Click Address to choose which of the contact addresses to send to, including E-mail

5. Opting a contact out

Opting a contact out of a mailing or event should be done as follows

Hover over the relevant mailing/event:  

  • Click Opt out

  • A prompt is displayed, click Yes

  • The date the contact was opted out is displayed on screen, hovering over it shows when/who did this action

Adding employment details

The Employment screen allows you to store information on a contact’s current employment, business interests and contact relationships

Current Employment & Employment Notes panels

Displays details of the contact’s current employment

  • When no details have been added, click Enter employer details and select Pick company record
    This allows the company to be selected from the companies list (or a new one added)

  • Complete all other known details, such as job title

  • Enter any Employment Notes in the panel below

  • If the client’s employment details change, click the company name and select Clear company record
    This allows a new company record to be added (as shown above) along with the option to store the previous details as employment history in the contact journal

Business Interests

If the contact has business interests with any other company stored in your database, this can be recorded here

  • Click then search for the required company

  • Double-click to add the company as a business interest
    If the company isn’t in the list, they need to be added to your database
    To do this, click Universal Search, then Advanced Search then Company Search - search for the required company and click Add (if not found)

  • Click Select and pick the appropriate type from the list

  • Hovering over the icon to the right of the company allows you to view company details (and remove the company as an interest)

Contact Relationships

If the contact has relationships with any other contact stored in your database, this can be recorded here

  • Click then search for the required contact

  • Double-click to add the contact as a relationship
    If the contact isn’t in the list, they need to be added to your database
    To do this, click Universal Search, then Advanced Search then Contact Search - search for the required contact and click Add (if not found)

  • Click Select and pick the appropriate type from the list

  • Hovering over the icon to the right of the contact allows you to view contact details (and remove the contact relationship)

Subscribing contacts to mailings/events in bulk

1. Accessing Advanced Search

Subscribing contacts in bulk is done from the contact Advanced Search screen

From the main menu

  • Click Universal Search icon (top left)

  • Click Advanced Search (bottom of screen) and select Contact Search

 

2. Create list of contacts

Filter options are used to get the list of contacts required

  • Use the filter options at the left of the screen to generate list of contacts
    e.g. filter by Manager to get a list of contacts registered to a particular user
    OR filter by Categories to generate a list according to the contact category 

  • Click Search

  • Click Mailing Options (top left) and select Subscribe to mailings / events
    The list of mailings/events is shown - see step 3

The Mailing Options menu also offers the option to Unsubscribe contacts

3. Select mailings / events

  • Tick the required mailings or events

  • Click Accept

 

4. Contacts subscribed

All contacts in the list are now subscribed to the selected mailing/event

  • Click OK

Creating a mailing list

Once contacts have been categorised or subscribed to mailings/events, mailing lists can be created

1. Access Advanced Search & filter list

  • Access contact Advanced Search (as outlined in step 1 of the previous section)

  • Use the filter options at the left of the screen to filter the list for your mailing or event
    In this example, all contacts subscribed to the London Business Seminar event are displayed 

 

2. Export the list

Use the print options to generate letters/emails for the selected contacts or to export to Excel

  • Click Print

  • Select required option
    e.g. Letters, E-mail

  • Click Proceed

To export to Excel:

  • Select MS Excel and click Proceed