ACT Guide60

User’s Guide
V E R S I O N 6.0
User’s Guide
Interact Commerce Corporation would like to thank the following individuals for contributing examples
of customizations that have been included in whole or modified form in ACT! 6.0 for Windows: Susan
Clark, Brad Crumpecker, Michelle Crumpler, Brenda Dixon, Edward Kachinske, Terry Kasper, Bevan
Wistar.
ACT! User’s Guide

The software described in this book is furnished under a license agreement and may be used only in accordance with
the terms of the agreement.
Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2002 Interact Commerce Corporation, a Division of Best Software. All Rights Reserved.
Released: 7/2002 for ACT! version 6.0 for Windows.
This document may not, in whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any
electronic medium or machine-readable form without prior consent in writing from Interact Commerce
Corporation, 8800 North Gainey Center Dr., Suite 200, Scottsdale, Arizona, 85258.
ALL EXAMPLES WITH NAMES, COMPANY NAMES, OR COMPANIES THAT APPEAR IN THIS
MANUAL ARE IMAGINARY AND DO NOT REFER TO, OR PORTRAY, IN NAME OR SUBSTANCE,
ANY ACTUAL NAMES, COMPANIES, ENTITIES, OR INSTITUTIONS. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ANY
REAL PERSON, COMPANY, ENTITY, OR INSTITUTION IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this manual. However, Interact Commerce makes no
warranties with respect to this documentation and disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for
a particular purpose. Interact Commerce shall not be liable for any errors or for incidental or consequential damages
in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this manual or the examples herein. The information in
this document is subject to change without notice
Trademarks
ACT! is a registered trademark in the United States and throughout the world, exclusively owned or controlled by
Interact Commerce Corporation, a Division of Best Software, Scottsdale, AZ, USA. All other trademarks are the
property of their owners.
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
INTERACT COMMERCE CORPORATION
ACT! LICENSE AND WARRANTY
NOTICE: INTERACT COMMERCE CORPORATION, A (iv) reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, modify, translate, make any
DIVISION OF BEST SOFTWARE (“INTERACT COMMERCE”) attempt to discover the source code of the Software or create derivative
LICENSES THIS SOFTWARE TO YOU ONLY UPON THE works from the Software; or
CONDITION THAT YOU ACCEPT ALL OF THE TERMS (v) use a previous version or copy of the Software after you have received
CONTAINED IN THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT. PLEASE a disk replacement set or an upgraded version as a replacement of the prior
READ THE TERMS CAREFULLY BEFORE CONTINUING version, unless you donate a previous version of an upgraded version to a
THE INSTALLATION PROCESS, AS PRESSING THE charity of your choice, and such charity agrees in writing that it will be the
“ACCEPT TERMS” BUTTON WILL INDICATE YOUR ASSENT sole end user of the product, and that it will abide by the terms of this
TO THEM. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, Agreement. Unless you so donate a previous version of an upgraded
PLEASE PRESS THE “NO” BUTTON DURING version, upon upgrading the Software, all copies of the prior version must
INSTALLATION TO CANCEL THE INSTALLATION AS be destroyed.
INTERACT COMMERCE IS UNWILLING TO LICENSE THE
SOFTWARE TO YOU. (vi) use the ACT! or ACT! trademarks as part of a product name, trademark
or business name without prior written approval from Interact Commerce.
IF YOU ARE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT THE TERMS AND YOU
PURCHASED THE SOFWARE FROM A RESELLER, YOU SHOULD (vii) create, market or distribute add-ons or enhancements to the Software
RETURN THE FULL PRODUCT WITH YOUR RECEIPT TO THE without the prior written consent of Interact Commerce.
RESELLER FROM WHOM IT WAS ACQUIRED WITHIN, THIRTY (viii)copy any portion of the ACT! product graphical user interface for
(30) DAYS OF PURCHASE AS SPECIFIED BY THE THIRTY (30) incorporation into or use for any software or other product without the
DAY GUARANTEE. prior written consent of Interact Commerce.
THIRTY (30) DAY GUARANTEE: You acknowledge and agree that:
If you purchased the Software from a reseller and you are the original
(i) Interact Commerce or its licensor are the exclusive owners of all rights
licensee of the Software and you are dissatisfied with it for any reason, you
in the Software, including all intellectual property rights now in existence or
may return the complete product, together with your receipt, to the place
which come into existence,
of purchase, postage prepaid (if applicable), for a full refund at any time
during the thirty (30) day period following the date of purchase. (ii) you will comply with all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
THERE IS NO THIRTY (30) DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE (iii)Any violation by you of this Agreement will cause Interact Commerce
WITH SOFTWARE THAT IS DOWNLOADED FROM THE ACT! or its Licensor irreparable harm entitling Interact Commerce to immediate
ONLINE STORE. and permanent injunctive relief in addition to all other available remedies.
USE OF SOFTWARE: (iv) Any claim or dispute relating to this Agreement must be brought in the
appropriate state or federal court located in Phoenix Arizona. You agree to
The software that accompanies this license (the “Software”) is the property
the assertion of personal jurisdiction over you by the State of Arizona and
of Interact Commerce or its licensors and is protected by copyright law and
the Arizona federal court, and you waive the right to challenge personal
international treaty. While Interact Commerce and its licensors continue to
jurisdiction.
own the Software, you will have certain rights to use the Software after your
acceptance of this license. Except only as may be modified by a written You have had a complete opportunity to review and understand this
license addendum which accompanies this license, your rights and Agreement before using the Software.
obligations with respect to the use of this Software are as follows:
LIMITED WARRANTY:
You may:
Interact Commerce warrants that the media on which the Software is
(i) use only one copy of the Software on a single computer; distributed will be free from defects for a period of thirty (30) days from the
date of delivery of the Software to you. Your sole remedy in the event of a
(ii) make one copy of the Software for archival purposes, or copy the
breach of this warranty will be that Interact Commerce will, at its option,
software onto the hard disk of your computer and retain the original for
replace any defective media returned to Interact Commerce within the
archival purposes;
warranty period or refund the money you paid for the Software. Interact
(iii) use the Software on a network, provided that you have a licensed copy Commerce does not warrant that the Software will meet your requirements
of the Software for each computer that can access the Software over that or that operation of the Software will be uninterrupted or that the Software
network; will be error-free.
(iv) after written notice to Interact Commerce, transfer the Software on a THE ABOVE WARRANTY IS EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL
permanent basis to another person or entity, provided that you retain no OTHER WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED OR
copies of the Software and the transferee agrees to the terms of this STATUTORY, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
Agreement; and MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
AND NONINFRINGEMENT. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU
(v) if a single person uses the computer on which the Software is installed
SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS. YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS,
at least 80% of the time, then after registering the product, that person may
WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.
also use the Software on a single home computer.
DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES:
You may not:
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANY REMEDY SET FORTH
(i) copy the documentation which accompanies the Software;
HEREIN FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE, IN NO EVENT
(ii) make any copies of all or part of the Software other than as expressly WILL INTERACT COMMERCE OR ITS LICENSOR BE LIABLE TO
permitted in this Agreement; YOU OR ANY THRID PARTY FOR ANY SPECIAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT OR SIMILAR DAMAGES,
(iii) sublicense, rent or lease any portion of the Software or host the
INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS OR LOST DATA ARISING OUT
Software on your computer for others to use;
OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE EVEN IF
INTERACT COMMERCE OR ITS LICENSOR HAS BEEN ADVISED
OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO
NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY
FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES SO THE
ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
IN NO CASE SHALL INTERACT COMMERCE’S LIABILITY
EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE FOR THE SOFTWARE. The
disclaimers and limitations set forth above will apply regardless of whether
you accept the Software.
U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS:
RESTRICTED RIGHTS LEGEND. All Interact Commerce software and
documentation are commercial in nature. The Software and Software
documentation are “Commercial Items”, as that term is defined in 48 C.F.R.
§2.101, consisting of “Commercial Computer Software” and “Commercial
Computer Software Documentation”, as such terms are defined in 48 C.F.R.
§252.227-7014(a)(5) and 48 C.F.R. §252.227-7014(a)(1), and used in 48
C.F.R. §12.212 and 48 C.F.R. 227.7202, as applicable. Consistent with 48
C.F.R. §12.212, 48 C.F.R. §252.227-7015, 48 C.F.R. §227.7202 through
227.7202-4, 48 C.F.R. §52.227-14, and other relevant sections of the Code
of Federal Regulations, as applicable. Interact Commerce ‘s computer
software and computer software documentation are licensed to United
States Government end users with only those rights as granted to all other
end users, according to the terms and conditions contained in this license
agreement. Manufacturer is Interact Commerce Corporation, 8800 North
Gainey Center Drive, Suite 200, Scottsdale, Arizona, 85258, USA.
GENERAL:
This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, U.S.A.
relating to contracts made there. The U.N. Convention on the International
Sale of Goods is expressly excluded. This Agreement may only be modified
by a license addendum which accompanies this license or by a written
document which has been signed by both you and Interact Commerce.
Should you have any questions concerning this Agreement, or if you desire
to contact Interact Commerce for any reason, please write: Interact
Commerce Corporation, Customer Sales and Service, 8800 North Gainey
Center Drive, Suite 200, Scottsdale, Arizona, 85258, USA.
Contents
Managing Contacts with ACT!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Using ACT! on a daily basis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii
Chapter 1 Installing and Starting ACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

System requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Installing ACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Uninstalling ACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Getting assistance with ACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Using the online Help system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Using other resources for information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Starting to use ACT!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Creating a new database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Converting a database from an earlier version of ACT! . . . . . . . . . .7
Chapter 2 Working with Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Looking at the Contact window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Entering contact information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Entering contacts in the Contact window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Entering contacts in the Contact List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Entering notes about contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Attaching files to contact records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Finding and sorting contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Finding contacts and information using lookups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Looking up contact activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Looking up annual events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Finding contacts and information using keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Finding contacts using queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Sorting contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Printing contact and group information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Getting contact information from the Internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Chapter 3 Working with Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Advantages and uses of groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Creating and duplicating groups and subgroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Adding contacts to a group or subgroup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Entering group notes, histories, and attachments . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Assigning and viewing group activities and sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Finding groups and group information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Reorganizing groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Chapter 4 Scheduling Activities and Managing Your Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Setting up scheduling and calendar preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Viewing and printing calendars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Scheduling activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Scheduling activities from a contact record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Scheduling activities from a calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Scheduling recurring activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Creating an activity series. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Viewing and managing your activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Working with the Task List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Keeping track of annual events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Recording completed activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Synchronizing Outlook and ACT! calendars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Viewing Outlook activities in ACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Chapter 5 Managing Sales Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Understanding the sales development cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Creating a sales opportunity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Forecasting sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Using the sales pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Using sales graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Recording the outcome of a sales opportunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Chapter 6 Using the Telephone and Fax with ACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Using the ACT! Dialer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Dialer system requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Setting up the Dialer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Making telephone calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Managing your calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Using Caller ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Sending faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Specifying your fax software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Sending a Quick Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Faxing word-processing documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Faxing reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Faxing address books and calendars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Using WinFax PRO with ACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Chapter 7 Using e-mail with ACT!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Setting up your e-mail system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Setting up multiple e-mail accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Looking at the E-mail window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Working with e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Writing and sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Receiving and reading e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Managing e-mail addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Using folders to organize e-mail messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Using ACT! with Outlook e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Chapter 8 Working with Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Specifying your word processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Using the ACT! word processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Creating letters and memos to a single contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Editing documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Formatting documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Adjusting page margins, headers, and footers . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Changing font attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Formatting a paragraph. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Setting page breaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Changing display options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Working with templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Modifying letter, memo, and fax templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Creating letter, memo, and fax templates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Creating and sending documents to multiple contacts . . . . . . . . . .72
Modifying and creating label and envelope templates . . . . . . . . . .73
Learning more about modifying templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Using the Library tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Chapter 9 Producing Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Running a report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Customizing reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Understanding the sections of a report template . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Creating and modifying a report template. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Specifying data to appear in a report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Chapter 10 Synchronizing Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Understanding synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Synchronizing with another database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Synchronizing with other users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Synchronizing using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Synchronizing using shared folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Synchronizing using a modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Comparing synchronization methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Planning for synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Setting up synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Setting synchronization preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Setting up synchronization with another database . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Setting up synchronization with other users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Synchronizing data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Sending and applying synchronization updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
What happens when you synchronize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Scheduling automatic synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Chapter 11 Performing Database Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Using a password to protect your data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Setting up a database for multiple users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Adding users to a database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Checking for duplicate records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Performing database maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Backing up your ACT! data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Performing a backup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Saving a copy of your database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Restoring a database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Chapter 12 Importing and Exporting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Importing ACT! data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Importing data from other programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Exporting data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Chapter 13 Customizing ACT!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Customizing Contact and Group windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Creating and modifying fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Creating and changing layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Customizing columns in list views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Customizing ACT! for efficiency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Using macros to automate tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Running a macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Making the startup process more efficient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Speeding up lookups, queries, and data sorting. . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Customizing the menu bar, menus, and toolbar actions. . . . . . . .113
Using the View bar display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Customizing the menu bar and menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Customizing the toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Creating and modifying keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Running or launching other applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Chapter 14 Using SideACT!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Starting SideACT!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Setting preferences for SideACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Working in SideACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Recording information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Marking items as completed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Moving or copying items to ACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Appendix A Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Appendix B Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Managing Contacts with ACT!
Welcome to ACT!™ version 6.0 for Windows—the only software
application you need to manage your personal and business
relationships.
With ACT!, you can keep track of information about the people you
do business with and provide them with personal attention, while
you efficiently manage and increase your business.
You can keep track of addresses, phone numbers, e-mail,
appointments, birthdays, and more. With ACT!, you can write or fax
letters or send e-mail, and have those activities recorded in the
contact’s record.
Throughout this guide, you will learn how to use the features of ACT!
to help you plan your day and keep up with contacts. This guide
uses real-world scenarios to help you understand how ACT! can
increase your productivity. (Scenarios are indicated in gray
shading.) This guide also directs you to the online Help and other
resources for more detailed information.
For a list of new features available in this version of ACT!, see the
online Help.
i
Using ACT! on a daily basis
The following scenario is the basis for examples throughout the guide that will
help you understand how ACT! can assist you in performing your day-to-day
tasks.
Chris Huffman is the owner and operator of a small wholesale coffee

company. Business is growing and Chris needs a better way to manage his
day-to-day tasks, customer and vendor information, and sales opportunities.
On a typical day, Chris reviews products with vendors, places customer
orders, and makes sales appointments with potential buyers.
Chris wants to have one place to view all of his contacts, keep a history of
their orders, and record price quotes from his vendors so that he can easily
monitor his contacts’ activities. He also needs a system that allows him to
organize and sort his contacts into groups, such as vendors, clients, or even
golf partners.
Chris wants a tool that will allow him to:
• view all information about the people he does business with—their
names, phone numbers, addresses, and so on.
• schedule appointments with people, whether it is for a business lunch or
meeting, to call his suppliers, or to see his dentist.
• keep a history of orders each customer has placed.
• organize his contacts in different ways so he can send personalized
letters and promotions.
He currently uses his Day Timer and Microsoft Outlook for scheduling, but
has to copy information between the two. He keeps track of sales information
using Microsoft Excel, but would like to have this integrated with his contact
and scheduling information.
Chris knows that in order to do more business, and do it efficiently, he needs
to use several methods of communicating with his contacts. He is looking for
a program to handle his Internet, e-mail, fax, and telephone needs, so that he
can reach more people, in more ways, to increase sales and improve
customer relations.
Most importantly, Chris wants a tool that will grow with his business needs.
As he hires more employees, he will want them to have access to the same
contact information that he has. He may want to create special reports or new
form letters, or work with customers in groups rather than individually.
Chris needs an all-in-one system to manage his business and improve his
customer relations. Chris needs ACT!.
ii ACT! User’s Guide

1
Installing and Starting ACT!
Before you install ACT!™ version 6.0 for Windows, make sure that
you have the required system hardware and software. Once
installed on your computer, ACT! will automatically convert your
database from an earlier version. You can also create a new
database.
During installation, you can easily import data from other programs,
such as Microsoft Outlook, Palm Desktop, and more, as described
in Chapter 12, “Importing and Exporting Data”.
At anytime while using ACT!, you can get assistance by using one
or more references described in this chapter.
1
System requirements
To use ACT! version 6.0 for Windows, you need the following hardware and
software:
• An IBM PC or equivalent computer with a Pentium 133 MHz or higher
processor
• VGA or higher resolution monitor
• At least 64 MB of RAM (more memory increases performance)
• At least 50 MB of free disk space on your hard disk for installation
Note In addition to the disk space required to install ACT!, you need enough
disk space to accommodate twice the size of your database when you
perform certain functions, such as backing up your database. For
example, if your database is 10 MB, you need 20 MB of free disk
space.
• CD-ROM drive
• A mouse or other pointing device supported by Windows
• Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows NT version 4.0, or
Windows XP
• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5 or 6.0
The following hardware is recommended, but is not required:
• Windows-compatible modem (for automatic dialing or modem-based
synchronization)
• Printer supported by Windows
ACT! also supports the following hardware and software:
• Lotus Notes Mail 5.0; Microsoft Outlook 2000 or 2002, Outlook Express
5.5 or 6.0; and Internet e-mail (SMTP/POP3)
• Microsoft Word 2000 or Word 2002
• WinFax PRO 9.0 or 10.0
• Microsoft TAPI-enabled telephone hardware and Caller ID support
The following networks are supported:
• Novell NetWare version 3.12 through 5.0
• Microsoft Networks
• Synchronization to Palm OS handhelds 3.0 or later
2 ACT! User’s Guide

Installing ACT!
You can install a single-user copy of ACT! on your computer for your own use,
or you can share a database on a network if several users need to access the
same data. (Users can share one or more databases, but each person must
have a separate, legally licensed copy of ACT!. For information about using
ACT! in a network environment, see “About multiuser databases” in Help.)
You can share data using a process called synchronization. Synchronization
ensures that all users have access to the most current data at all times. For
more information about synchronization, see Chapter 10, “Synchronizing
Data”.
Note If your database was created in a previous version of ACT!, reindex

the database before installing ACT! version 6.0 for Windows. For more
information, see “Compressing and reindexing a database” in your
current version of ACT! Help.
To install ACT!
1 Insert the ACT! CD into the CD-ROM drive.
The installation program starts automatically. From the installation screen,
you can install ACT! and other related software programs.
Note If the installation program does not start automatically, double-click

the My Computer icon on your Windows desktop. Locate the CD-ROM
drive in the window, double-click the drive letter to display the contents
of the CD, and then double-click SETUP.EXE.
2 Click Install ACT!.

3 Follow the instructions on the screen.
During installation, you are prompted to enter the serial number printed on
the ACT! CD sleeve.
Note You must register ACT! before you can create or open a database.
Registering ACT! allows you to access information about ACT!
updates.
Installing and Starting ACT! 3

Uninstalling ACT!
If necessary, you can easily remove ACT! from your computer.
To uninstall ACT!
• Click the Windows Start button, point to Programs, point to ACT!, and
then click Uninstall.
Getting assistance with ACT!

This guide will help you get started with ACT!. It provides an overview of
features and procedures for the basic tasks you can perform. Throughout this
guide, you will be directed to the Help system for more information about
features and functionality.
In this guide and in Help, you are instructed to click View bar or toolbar buttons,
or to choose menu commands to perform a task. In many cases, you can
create shortcuts or commands to access data and complete procedures. You
can experiment with those options to find the one that works best for you.
Using the online Help system

The User’s Guide directs you to Help topics in the Help Index to find more
information about ACT! features. For example, you may need more information
about viewing activity details in the Task List. The User’s Guide would display
the following table:
For more information or procedures, see the following topic in the Help index or press F1.
activities: details: Viewing activity details in the Task List
In this example, you would type “activities” in the Help Index tab. Under the
“activities” heading, scroll to locate “details”. Click “details”, and then click the
“Viewing activity details in the Task List” topic.
In some cases, you will be directed to a general index topic, such as “fax
software” that covers many subjects related to the topic.
You might also see text surrounded by brackets ([ ]) in the Help reference table,
such as “Sorting groups [subgroups]”. This indicates there are two separate
Help topics, “Sorting groups” and “Sorting subgroups.”

You can also find information about features in the Help Contents or Find tabs.
You may discover that you prefer one method of using Help to another,
depending on the information you need. For example:
• The Contents tab lists topics as if they were chapters in a book. You can
search for topics or subject matter by title.
• The Index tab lets you search topics or subtopics using keywords or
phrases, as in a book index.
• If you have difficulty finding information, the Find tab offers you a way to
search for all occurrences of a word, in every topic in the Help system.
• Many topics have a Related Topics button that displays a list of topics that
may provide additional information.
• You can find troubleshooting information related to various features by
searching “troubleshooting” in the Index.
To access the online Help system

• From the Help menu, click Help Topics.
- or -
From most windows or dialog boxes, press F1 on your keyboard.
help: About online Help
Using other resources for information

If you do not find what you need in Help, you can access the Knowledge Base
on the ACT! Web site at http://service.act.com. You can also contact Technical
Support as described on the back cover of this guide.

Starting to use ACT!
You enter information about your contacts, such as addresses, activities, and
notes, in an ACT! database. This information becomes a person’s contact
record. If you are using ACT! for the first time, and you are not converting a
database created in a previous version of ACT!, you must create a new
database.
Creating a new database

You can create a database using the New command from the menu bar or
using the ACT! QuickStart Wizard. The QuickStart Wizard displays step-by-
step instructions on the screen. For more information, see “QuickStart Wizard”
in Help.
The first time you create a database, you must enter information about you or
your company. Information such as your name, address, and telephone
number becomes a part of your database called My Record. My Record is the
contact record for the owner of a database. In a multiuser database, each user
has a My Record. Your My Record is used as the source of your information
when addressing mail merges and for scheduling activities or tasks for
yourself.
To create a database using the New command

1 From the File menu, click New.
2 In the New dialog box, select ACT! Database, and then click OK.
3 In the New Database dialog box, enter a name for the new database, and
then click Save.
4 In the My Record dialog box that appears, enter your information, click
OK, and then click Yes to confirm that your information is correct.
Note My Record becomes a contact record in your database. You can

update My Record information at any time.

Converting a database from an earlier version of ACT!
ACT! automatically converts a database that was created in an earlier version
of ACT! when you open the database in ACT! version 6.0 for Windows. You
should compress, reindex, and back up your previous database first.
Consider the following before you convert your database to ACT! 6.0:
• You cannot share databases between ACT! 6.0 and an earlier version.
• Groups that you convert from ACT! 2.0 are automatically marked as
private in ACT! 6.0.
• Groups that you convert from 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0 do not change.
• If you customized the menus, toolbars, or shortcut keys in an earlier
version of ACT!, the customizations are not available when you convert
your database to ACT! 6.0.
• You cannot open an ACT! 6.0 database in an earlier version, although you
can convert an ACT! 6.0 database to 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0.
For more information or procedures, see the following topics in the Help index or press F1.
databases: About converting databases

databases: creating
troubleshooting: installation

2
Working with Contacts
The central element of ACT! is the contact. A contact is a customer,
business associate, friend, or anyone that you need to keep track of.
All contact information—name, address, phone number, employer,
and so on—makes up the contact record, which is stored in the
ACT! database. Everything you do in ACT! relates to a contact.
For example, you can enter all of the information you normally keep
in files into ACT! so that you can access it easily. In addition to
names, addresses, and phone numbers, you might want to add
notes and sales data, and attach documents to a contact’s record.
In the following sections, you will learn how to enter contact data,
attach word-processing documents to contact records, and quickly
find and print contact information.
9
Looking at the Contact window
When you first start ACT!, you see the Contact window, which displays
information about one contact.
The Contact window is divided into two sections and has a View bar, toolbar,
and tabs, as shown in the following illustration.
5 6
What’s in the Contact window?
Feature Function
1 Toolbar Includes tools to access features, such as the ACT! word

processor or reports.
2 View bar Contains buttons you can use to change views, for example, to
view a list of contacts.
3 Top portion of window Includes information on a typical business card, such as name,
address, and telephone number.
4 Bottom portion of window Displays information relative to the tab selected.
5 Tabs Allow you to view sales opportunities, notes, or activities, and

to perform related tasks.
6 Contact Layout button Changes how the window looks and the fields it contains.

The toolbar and tabs display in all ACT! windows and views, although there
may be some differences depending on the particular window or view that you
display.
Entering contact information

You can add contacts in either the Contact window or the Contact List. ACT!
automatically saves new contacts to your database as soon as you move to
another record or perform another action.
You can also make a contact “private,” which means that no one, including the
Database Administrator, can view the contact information.
Entering contacts in the Contact window

You can add contacts in the Contact window, and then speed up data entry by
duplicating information from one record to another.
To add a contact in the Contact window

1 On the toolbar, click the New Contact tool.
A blank contact record appears.
2 Complete the fields, pressing TAB to move between fields.
Note Make sure that ACT! correctly identifies the contact’s first and last
name, as well as any title. ACT! uses the title and names in the
salutation when you write letters or memos. You can edit name
prefixes and suffixes on the Names tab in the General Preferences
dialog box.
3 (Optional) Click in the Contact field, and then click the Browse (...) button
to edit contact name details.
4 (Optional) Click in the Phone or Fax fields, and then click the Browse (...)
button to display a dialog box where you can format telephone numbers.
Working with Contacts 11

Note When you click in a field that shows a button with an arrow, the field
contains a drop-down list. You can click on the arrow and select an
item from the list, or you can type one or two letters in the field and
ACT! will fill in the field from the list. If you enter text in the, Title,
Department, City, or Country fields, ACT! automatically adds the text
to the drop-down lists.
To duplicate contact information

1 Select the contact with the information you want to copy.
2 From the Contact menu, click Duplicate Contact, and then click either
Duplicate data from primary fields or Duplicate data from all fields.
For more information about primary fields, see Chapter 13, “Customizing
ACT!”.
3 Click OK.
contact information
contact name: salutations
contacts: private
entering: Entering basic contact information
entering: international phone numbers
entering: speeding up entry
printing: contact information
deleting: contact records: About changing contact records
Entering contacts in the Contact List

Once you have entered contacts and contact information, ACT! creates a
Contact List. In the Contact List, you can enter or change contact information,
and add or sort contacts.
To add a contact in the Contact List

1 On the View bar, click Contact List.
2 When the Contact List appears, select Edit Mode from the drop-down list,
above the first column in the Contact List.

3 On the toolbar, click the New Contact tool.
A blank line appears.
4 Complete the fields, pressing TAB to move between fields.
To sort the Contact List

• Click on a column heading.
Contact List
Contact List: finding contacts in
Entering notes about contacts

You can create a note to attach to a contact record. A note can be any
information that does not fit into a field on the Contact window.
To enter a note in a contact record

1 Display the contact record in the Contact window, and then click the
Notes/History tab.
2 Click Insert Note, and then type the note in the Regarding field.
The note is saved when you click outside of the Regarding field.
Note You can type as much information as you want in the Regarding field.

You can delete notes you no longer want, as described in Help.
notes: entering in contact records
Attaching files to contact records

To keep track of all documents associated with your contacts, you can attach
documents, such as spreadsheets, reports, letters, memos, or e-mail
messages, to the contact record. You can also scan documents, such as
receipts and invoices, and attach the scanned versions to the contact record.
Note From the Library tab, you can link documents to the contact record so
that you can edit them from within ACT!. For more information, see
“About the Library tab” in Help.
To attach a file to a contact record

1 Display the contact record in the Contact window.
2 From the Contact menu, click Attach File.
3 In the Attach File dialog box, locate the file to be attached, and then click
Open.
Note An attached file is not stored in the ACT! database. Therefore, it is not
sent with ACT! data when you synchronize with another user or
another database, and is not backed up when you back up your
database.
files: deleting from contacts

e-mail: attaching to contacts

Finding and sorting contacts
You can find and sort your contacts in the Contact window or in the Contact List
using lookups, keywords, and queries, or by using criteria that you specify. You
can also use the Look for feature to quickly find a contact in the Contact List.
To find a contact using the Look for feature

1 On the Contact List, click the column heading in which you want to
search. For example, Company.
2 Although no field appears, start typing the contact information you want to
find.
As soon as you begin typing, the Look for field appears above the column
heading, and the closest match is located. The Look for field closes when
you select a contact or click anywhere on the screen.
Finding contacts and information using lookups

You can use a lookup to find contacts. A lookup is a selection of contact records
based on specified criteria. For example, you might create a lookup of all
contacts who work at the same company so that you can produce a phone list
for that company.
To find contacts using a single search criterion

1 From the Lookup menu, click a Lookup command.
The Lookup dialog box appears.
Note The Lookup dialog box does not display if you select these
commands: My Record, All Contacts, Keyword Search, Previous, By
Example, Internet Directory, or Synchronized Records.
2 In the Search For box, type a word to search for or select a word from the
list, and then click OK.
When the results of the lookup appear, a record counter at the top of the
Contact window shows the total number of records found for that lookup and
which record number is displaying.

If the results are not what you need, you can create more sophisticated
lookups, and you can broaden or narrow a lookup. If you want to create a
lookup of contacts who do not share all of the same information required to
generate the lookup, you can “tag” contacts in the Contact List, and then create
a lookup of the tagged contacts.
Looking up contact activity

You can monitor a contact’s activities based on the last time you modified their
record, such as an address change. ACT! identifies these contacts based on
the last time you modified data in contact or group fields, in the Notes/History
or Sales Opportunities tabs, in E-mail addresses, or in attachments.
You can look up contact activity by date range, activity type, and history type.
Chris wants to know which of his customers he has had the least contact with
since he opened his business in 1999. He is looking for contacts with whom
he had scheduled an activity, such as a call, and generated a history, such as
a sales opportunity, but then had no further contact with them. Chris wants to
determine which relationships to re-establish in order to generate more
business.
To look up contact activity

1 From the Lookup menu, click Contact Activity.
2 In the Search For list, select either Modified or Not Modified contacts,
and then select a date range to search.
3 Check one or more of the Search in check boxes, and then click Find
Now.
4 You can further refine your search by selecting one or more History
Types.
Looking up annual events

You can create a lookup of upcoming annual events for the current week, the
current month, or a specified date range. For information about entering
annual event dates, see “Keeping track of annual events” in Chapter 4.

To look up annual events
1 From the Lookup menu, click Annual Events.
2 From the Annual Events Search dialog box, select an event from the
Search for list.
3 In the Time Range box, select a set of dates, or date range, in which to
search for events, and then click Find Now.
A list of contact names and dates appear.
4 Click Create Lookup to create a lookup of the contacts.
- or -
Click Print List to print a list of the contact names.
5 (Optional) To display a specific contact record, select the contact from the
list, and then click Go To Contact.
6 (Optional) To schedule a recurring to-do for the event, select a contact
from the list, and then click Schedule To-do.
The Schedule Activity dialog box appears where you can schedule the
activity. All activities scheduled for an annual event appear as to-do
activities on your calendars.
7 Click Close to exit, or click New Search to find other annual events.
finding: contacts using lookups

finding: contacts in Contact List
lookups: contact activity
lookups: broadening [narrowing]
tagging
annual events: creating lookups for
Finding contacts and information using keywords

Another way to find contacts is by searching for keywords. A keyword is a word
that appears anywhere in an ACT! database. It is the most powerful way to find
information about your contacts. You can start a keyword search from the
Lookup menu.
keywords: finding contacts using

keywords: using the results of

Finding contacts using queries
A query is a search that compares all contacts in the open database with
multiple criteria that you specify. All contacts that match those criteria are listed
in the resulting lookup. Queries allow you to find contacts that you cannot find
using the commands in the Lookup menu.
For example, you can create a query to find all contacts who work in a specific
city; who you last contacted after January 1, 1999; and who work for two (out
of the six) companies with whom you do business.
queries: creating
queries: creating advanced
Sorting contacts
ACT! automatically sorts contacts alphabetically by company name in the
Contact window and Contact List. You can use the Sort feature to sort your
contacts by last name, city, area code, and so on.
You can also sort contacts based on more than one criterion. For example, you
can sort by city first, and then by last name.
For more information, see the following topic in the Help index or press F1.
sorting: contacts
Printing contact and group information

You can print contact information from the list views and tabs. The following list
explains what will print when you click on the Printing tool in the toolbar.
• Contact List—prints a list of your contacts.
• Task List—prints a list of your activities.
• Notes/History tab in the Contact or Groups window—prints notes,
histories, and attachments for a contact or group.
• Activities tab in the Contact or Groups window—prints activities scheduled
with a particular contact or activities associated with a group.
• Sales/Opportunities tab in the Contact or Groups window—prints sales
opportunities, closed/won sales, and lost sales for a particular contact or
group.

• Groups tab in the Contact window—prints groups to which the contact
belongs. For more information about Groups, see Chapter 4, “Working
with Groups”.
• Contacts tab in the Groups window—prints contacts in a selected group.
For more information about Groups, see Chapter 4, “Working with
Groups”.
To print contact information

1 Display the window or tab you want to print.
2 From the File menu, click Print or Print <window or tab name>, as
appropriate.
You can print additional group information and address books, as described in
Help.
Getting contact information from the Internet

You can access ACT! Internet Services to view a company’s Web site or to get
contact information from the Internet and add it to your database. Using the
ACT! Web browser, you can go to Web sites and attach Web pages to contact
records, access your Favorites list, or save Web pages for offline use. To use
ACT! Internet Services, you need an Internet account, an Internet Service
Provider, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6.0.
To access Internet Services

• On the View bar, click Internet Services.
Internet services
Internet services: enabling or disabling
Internet directory services
Internet: accessing Internet links
Web pages: adding to Favorites
Web pages: attaching to contact records
Web pages: saving

3
Working with Groups
To simplify managing contacts with similar information, you can
organize your contacts into groups. A group is a collection of
contacts that have something in common, such as working for the
same company or being involved on the same project.
Once contacts are organized into groups and subgroups, you can
view activities or sales associated with the groups. You can also
attach notes, histories, and files to groups, just as you can with
contacts.
21
Advantages and uses of groups
You can organize contacts into groups so you can work with them more
efficiently. You can also designate some groups as private, such as family and
friends, so no one else can view them.
Note ACT! uses the terms contact and member interchangeably when
referring to a contact within a group.
Following are a few examples of how you can use groups.

• Create a group as a company record, then use subgroups to organize your
contacts in the company by region, department, or function.
• Create a group as an account record, then keep track of account

information such as revenue forecasts or sales opportunities.
• Use groups as a collection of contacts that have something in common,
such as golf partners, prospective customers, or personal contacts.
• Use groups to identify projects or committees. For example, you can group
vendors and sales associates working on a common project under one
group heading.
To work with groups

• On the View bar, click the Groups button.
The Groups window has most of the same features as the Contact window
and shares many of the same tabs, such as Notes/History, Activities, and
Sales/Opportunities.

The following illustration shows the Groups window. Notice the list of groups
on the left.
To display subgroups
• Click the plus sign next to a group name. To hide subgroups, click the
minus sign.
ACT! includes special layouts for groups, which you can choose from the
Group Layout button.
Groups window
groups: private
printing: group information
Working with Groups 23

Creating and duplicating groups and subgroups
You can create a group and subgroups, and then create new groups or
subgroups by duplicating the existing group. If you delete a group or subgroup
that you no longer need, this only deletes the group, not the contacts.
To create a new group

1 On the View bar, click Groups.
2 On the toolbar, click the New Group tool.
A blank group record appears.
3 In the Group Name field, enter a name for the group. Continue entering
information, pressing TAB to move between fields.
ACT! automatically saves the new group, and adds the group name to the
list of names on the left, when you select or create another group.
Once you have set up a group, you can add contacts to it. See “Adding
contacts to a group or subgroup” in this chapter.
Chris wants to create a subgroup called “Marketing” within a group that

already exists in his database. He can speed up the process by duplicating
the group record that holds all of the address and contact information. When
he duplicates a group record, he has the option to duplicate data from the
record’s primary fields or from all fields.
To duplicate a group
1 Select a group with the information you want to copy.
2 From the Group menu, click Duplicate Group, and then click either
Duplicate data from primary fields or Duplicate data from all fields.
For more information about primary fields, see Chapter 13, “Customizing
ACT!”.
3 Click OK.
groups: deleting
subgroups: creating

Adding contacts to a group or subgroup
When you create a group or subgroup, you must specify the contacts to add to
the group or subgroup. You can also add contacts to multiple groups. For
example, if you play golf with some of your distributors, you can add them to
your “Distributors” group as well as to your personal “Golf” group.
You can add contacts to a group or subgroup from the Contact window or
Contact List, or you can set up group membership rules for adding members.
A group membership rule defines the conditions under which contacts are
assigned to a group. Contacts matching the criteria in a rule are added to the
group when you run the rule. A rule can be as simple as specifying that all
companies with an ID/Status of “suppliers” belong to a group. You can easily
define membership rules with the Group Membership Rules wizard.
To add a contact to a group

1 From the Groups window, click the Add/Remove tool.
2 In the Add/Remove Contacts dialog box, select the name of the contact
to add to a group, and then click Add. Repeat to add more contacts.
The contact names are moved to the Group membership list box.
Tip You can select multiple contacts at one time. Select adjacent names
by holding down the SHIFT key as you click each name; select non-
adjacent names by holding down the CTRL key as you click each
name.
3 When you are finished, click OK.
groups: adding contacts to

groups: removing contacts from
group membership rules
subgroups: adding contacts to

Entering group notes, histories, and attachments
You can add notes and histories to a group or subgroup using the
Notes/History tab. You can also attach files and e-mail messages to group
records just as you can to contact records. This is useful if you want each
contact in the group to share the same information.
For example, if you have a group of contacts and want to keep a history of their
special requests in one location, you can enter their requests as notes and
attach them to the group.
To enter a note for a group or subgroup

1 On the View bar, click Groups, and then select the group for which you
want to enter a note.
2 Click the Notes/History tab, and then click the Insert Note button.
3 In the Regarding field, type the note.
For information about attaching e-mail messages, see Chapter 7, “Using e-
mail with ACT!”.
files: attaching to groups

filtering: Notes tab in Groups window
e-mail: attaching to groups
notes: assigning to groups
Assigning and viewing group activities and sales

When you schedule an activity or record a sales opportunity with a contact, you
can link, or assign, that activity to a group or subgroup. Then you can view all
activities or sales opportunities for all contacts associated with a group.
Scheduling activities and recording sales opportunities are discussed later in
this guide.
Note You cannot directly schedule an activity or record a sales opportunity

with a group or subgroup.

To assign an activity to a group
1 From the Contact window, click the Activities tab, and then double-click
the activity you want to attach to the group.
The General tab in the Schedule Activity dialog box appears.
2 From the Associate with group list, select the group to which you want to
assign the activity, and then click OK.
groups: assigning activities to

groups: filtering activities [sales] for
groups: viewing activities for
viewing: sales assigned to groups
Finding groups and group information

As your list of groups, subgroups, and members grows, you can easily locate
groups and group information in several ways.
• You can create a lookup of the members of a group so that you can
perform functions such as creating letters for each member.
• You can use the Keyword Search to find a group record based on a
keyword.
• You can search for groups and subgroups with specific criteria, such as all
groups within the same industry and located in Central America.
• You can search for groups with a selected field that is blank. For example,
you might want to find all groups with a blank telephone number field so
you can update that information.
When ACT! finds one or more groups, it creates a group lookup. Only the
groups in the lookup will display in the group list.
To find groups using a lookup

1 From the Groups window, click the Lookup menu, and then click Other
fields.
2 In the Lookup dialog box, select the field on which to search from the
Lookup list.

3 In the Search for box, type or select the word or phrase to search for.
4 (Optional) Select Replace lookup, Add to lookup, or Narrow lookup,
and then click OK.
Tip Press F1 from any dialog box for field or terminology definitions.
groups: finding
groups: lookups
groups: sorting
Reorganizing groups
You can reorganize your groups to suit your needs. You might want to
reorganize groups to:
• “promote” a subgroup to a group when it has grown large enough to merit
its own group.
• move a subgroup to another group.
• “demote” a group to a subgroup when it is no longer large enough to be its
own group.
groups: reorganizing

4
Scheduling Activities and
Managing Your Calendar
ACT! makes it easy to schedule activities, such as telephone calls,
meetings, and to-do items, and to keep track of annual events, such
as birthdays or anniversaries. If you schedule activities using both
Microsoft Outlook and ACT!, you can display those activities on
either calendar.
29
Setting up scheduling and calendar preferences
You can set options for scheduling and calendar preferences that make it
easier for you to manage your activities and speed up the scheduling process.
For example, you can set a default duration for activities or specify to have your
system automatically check for scheduling conflicts.
preferences: calendars
preferences: scheduling
Viewing and printing calendars

ACT! includes Daily, Weekly, and Monthly calendars that you can use to
schedule your activities or to display information about an activity. The number
of scheduled activities appears in the status bar at the bottom of the calendar.
You can display basic activity information using calendar pop-ups, or you can
select an activity from a calendar to view its details. You can also view the Mini-
Calendar that shows three months at a time.
The following illustration shows the various types of ACT! calendars.
1
2

What’s in the calendars?
Feature Function
1 Daily Calendar Displays activities scheduled on any single day. The day is
divided into time intervals. Vertical bars indicate activities that
span more than one time interval.
2 Weekly Calendar Displays seven days of scheduled activities. Each day is

divided into time intervals. Vertical bars indicate activities that
span more than one time interval.
3 Monthly Calendar Displays a full month’s scheduled activities. Horizontal bars, or

Banners, indicate activities that span several days.
When you view a calendar, you can display the previous or next day, month, or
year (as applicable) using the Move Back or Move Forward tools in the toolbar.
You can designate some of your activities as “private”. This way, if others can
view your calendar, no one, including the Database Administrator, can view
those activities.
You can print your calendars, choosing from several formats, such as Avery,
Day Runner, and Day Timer, and you can specify the information you want to
print. For example, you may want to print only meetings with a high priority.
To display basic activity information

• Using your mouse, hold the pointer over an activity on your Daily or
Weekly calendars.
Basic activity details appear including whether the activity is recurring, has
an alarm attached, is private, has been cleared, or was scheduled from
Outlook. Ellipses indicate that there are more details about the activity
than what appears in the calendar pop-up. You can view the full details by
double-clicking on the activity.
To display and print a calendar

1 On the View bar, select any calendar, and then click the Printer tool.
2 In the Print dialog box, select the calendar type from the Printout type
list.
3 Select a calendar format from the list box on the left.
Scheduling Activities and Managing Your Calendar 31

4 To specify what prints on the calendar, click Options.
5 In the Calendar Options dialog box, select items to print in the Print box.
6 (Optional) To filter the calendar printout, click Filter, then specify the type,
priority, date, and so on.
7 Click OK to close each dialog box.
8 When the Windows Print dialog box appears, click Print.
calendars: Displaying calendar information

calendars: printing
calendars: sharing
calendars: pop-ups
calendars: Mini-calendar
Daily [Weekly] [Monthly] calendar
viewing: calendars
Scheduling activities
You can use ACT! to schedule meetings, calls, or to-do’s (tasks) with contacts.
You can also schedule personal activities in your My Record, such as a
reminder to make a doctor’s appointment.
You can schedule activities from a contact record or from your calendars, and
include detailed descriptions of the activities. You can also set alarms to
remind you of upcoming activities.
Note ACT! can remind you of activities even when the program is not open.
For more information, see Chapter 14, “Using SideACT!”.
Scheduling activities from a contact record

All activities must be scheduled with a contact. For example, you can schedule
a telephone call with your contact by entering the time and date that the call is
scheduled for, and the details about what is to be discussed.

To schedule an activity from the contact record
1 From the Contact window, click the Schedule Call, Meeting, or To-do
tool on the toolbar.
2 On the General tab of the Schedule Activity dialog box, enter the
information to schedule, such as:
• Select or type the time. In the Time list, select Timeless to schedule
an activity that you want to occur on a specific day, but at an unspecified
time.
Note Timeless activities appear in the daily recap area of Daily, Weekly, and
Monthly calendars.
• Specify with whom the activity is scheduled (the current contact is the
default). Schedule personal activities by clicking My Record in the
Contact list.
• Select or type a description in the Regarding field. If you need more
space, use the Details tab.
• To be reminded of the activity, select the Ring Alarm check box.
• To schedule this activity for another user, click the Schedule For/By
button.
3 Click OK.
When you schedule an activity with a contact or group, you can attach the
activity to an e-mail message to notify them. This way, they can add the activity
to their calendars. You can also change, reschedule, and delete activities.
scheduling: preferences for

scheduling: private activities
scheduling: activities: Scheduling activities for other users
scheduling: activities: Adding contacts when scheduling activities
clearing: activities
alarms for activities
rescheduling activities
activities: e-mail reminders for
activities: conflict checking for
activities: deleting

Scheduling activities from a calendar
You can schedule a meeting from the Daily calendar, specify when it will start
and how long it will last, and then select the people with whom you will meet.
You can set up calendar preferences to notify you of any scheduling conflicts.
Note From a calendar, you can schedule an activity with a new contact and
add the contact to your database at that time.
To schedule an activity from a Daily or Weekly calendar

1 On the View bar, click the Daily or Weekly calendar.
A calendar with time slots and a small monthly calendar appear. The Daily
calendar displays today’s date, and the Weekly calendar displays this
week’s dates.
2 On the small calendar, click the date on which you want to schedule an
activity.
3 On the calendar, double-click the time you want to schedule the activity.
- or -
Place the pointer on the time the activity will start, hold down your left
mouse button, and then drag the pointer to the time the activity will end.
The General tab of the Schedule Activity dialog box appears.
4 Enter the information to schedule the activity.
• Select or type the date.
• Select or type the time. In the Time list, select Timeless to schedule
an activity that you want to occur on a specific day, but at an unspecified
time.
Note Timeless activities appear in the daily recap area of Daily, Weekly, and
Monthly calendars.
• Select or type the duration.

• Specify with whom the activity is scheduled (the current contact is listed
automatically). Schedule personal activities by clicking My Record in
the Contact list.
• Select or type a description in the Regarding field. If you need more
space, use the Description tab.
• Select the group with whom to associate the activity.

• Select the activity’s priority and the color in which the activity displays
in your Task List.
• To be reminded of the activity, select the Ring Alarms check box.
Note ACT! can remind you of activities even when the program is not open.
For more information, see Chapter 14, “Using SideACT!”.
5 Click OK.
scheduling: preferences for

scheduling: private activities
scheduling: activities: Scheduling activities for other users
scheduling: activities: Scheduling activities from the Daily or Weekly calendar
scheduling: activities: Adding contacts when scheduling activities
clearing: activities
alarms for activities
rescheduling activities
activities: e-mail reminders for
activities: conflict checking for
activities: deleting
Scheduling recurring activities

Chris meets with his vendors each Monday, sends invoices to his accountant
every other Friday, and picks up his daughter from piano lessons the last
Saturday of each month. With ACT!, Chris can enter these periodic activities
once, specify them as recurring, and then specify when and how often they
occur.
To create a recurring activity

1 From the Schedule Activity dialog box, click the Recurring Settings tab.
2 Select a Frequency. The default is Once.
The information in the Activity Occurs box changes depending on the
frequency selected.
3 Complete the fields as necessary, and then click OK.

Creating an activity series
You can schedule a series of tasks that are date-dependent. For example,
three days after a contact becomes a customer, you mail a brochure, and then
mail a follow-up letter ten days later. With ACT!, you can schedule these tasks
as an activity series; a series of tasks that are task and date dependent. Each
task can be scheduled based on either the start or due date of another activity.
scheduling: activity series
Viewing and managing your activities

With ACT!, you can view all of your activities in one list so you can easily
manage your day. When an activity is complete, you can record its outcome
and ACT! automatically creates a history of it, attached to the appropriate
contact.
Working with the Task List

You can view all of your activities from the Task List. Activities can also be
viewed in the Activity tab of a contact’s record. You can select a specific task
to view its details or to make changes. You can also print your activities for a
particular contact or print your entire Task List.
The following illustration shows all tasks for today and future dates, including
completed tasks (displayed with a line through them).

You can filter the Task List by type, priority, and date. For example, you can
view only your high-priority meetings for next week. The number of scheduled
tasks appears in the status bar at the bottom of the window.
To view and print your Task List

1 On the View bar, click Task List.
The Task List appears.
2 (Optional) Filter the list by Type, Priority, or Date.
3 On the toolbar, click the Print tool.
Note If no tasks appear in the list, the Print Task List command will not
display.
Task list: using

Task list: filtering activities in
Task list: displaying contact records from
Keeping track of annual events

You can enter annual event dates on contact records to keep track of important
yearly events, such as birthdays or anniversaries. When you create a new
database, ACT! includes a birth date annual event field by default, but you can
add as many annual event fields as you like.
When you enter an annual event date, ACT! keeps track of the event from year
to year so that you can perform a lookup of annual events for the current week,
the current month, or a specified date range. For information about looking up
annual events, see Chapter 2, “Working with Contacts”.
Annual events do not display on your calendars, but you can create a to-do
activity associated with an annual event. For example, you may want to remind
yourself to purchase a birthday gift one week before a contact’s birthday.
Note To enter an annual event, you must first define the annual event field,
and then add the field to a contact or group layout, as described in
Help.

To enter annual event dates
1 Display the contact record for whom you want to enter a date.
2 In an annual event field, type a date (for example, 01/01/2003) or use the
drop-down calendar to select a date.
If you do not enter a year, ACT! automatically enters the current year date.
Caution Annual event fields accept only date formats, such as 01/01/2002.
If you want to replace a current date field that accepts characters as
dates, such as January 1, 2002, with an annual event field, first,
change all of the dates to MM/DD/YYYY format, and then perform a
copy and replace of the field content. If you simply change the type
format from “character” to “date” in the Define Field dialog box and
do not copy and replace the data, you may lose data.
annual events: creating

annual events: creating lookups for
annual events: copying fields for
Recording completed activities

When you clear an activity from your schedule, you can record the outcome of
the activity, and ACT! automatically creates a history for it. This way, you can
view the details of any activity, at any time, for all of your contacts.
To clear an activity and schedule a follow-up activity

1 Display the activity you want to clear, from either the Activity tab of the
Contact or Group window, the Task List, or a calendar that displays the
activity.
2 Select the activity you want to clear by clicking in the check mark column
next to the activity.
The Clear Activity dialog box appears.
3 Enter the activity details and result of the activity.
4 (Optional) To schedule a follow-up activity:
a Click Follow-Up Activity.
b Enter information in the General tab of the Schedule Activity dialog
box, and then click OK.

5 Click OK to close the Clear Activity dialog box.
Note Clearing an activity does not delete information about the activity, it
simply marks it as completed and changes the display on calendars
and in the Task List.
activities: clearing
activities: recording histories for
Synchronizing Outlook and ACT! calendars

If you schedule some appointments and tasks in ACT! and some in Outlook,
you may find it helpful to view all of your calls, meetings, and to-do’s on a single
calendar in either ACT! or Outlook.
Note To share information between ACT! and Outlook calendars, you must
be using Outlook 2000 or later.
You can synchronize, or update, your ACT! calendar with Outlook activities,
update your Outlook calendar with ACT! activities, or do both in a single
operation. Outlook does not have to be running for you to update your ACT! or
Outlook calendar.
Note If you use a multiuser database, only your activities are updated in
ACT!. Every user must update his or her own calendars.
To update your ACT! or Outlook calendar

1 From the ACT! Tools menu, point to Outlook Activities, and then click
Update.
2 In the Update Calendars dialog box, select the option that describes what
you want to update in the Update box.
3 In the For these dates box, select a date or date range to synchronize.
Note If you are updating your ACT! calendar with Outlook activities and a
recurring Outlook activity falls within the date or dates you select, your
ACT! calendar will include all occurrences of the Outlook activity.
4 Click Update.

Viewing Outlook activities in ACT!
You can view Outlook activities on ACT! calendars, in the Task List, or in the
Activities tab. You can identify an Outlook activity by the following Outlook
activity icon.
Note You can view Outlook activities in ACT!, but you cannot change them
in ACT!.
If you prefer to view all of your Outlook contact records and activities in ACT!,
you can import the Outlook data. For more information about importing, see
Chapter 12, “Importing and Exporting Data”.
Microsoft Outlook: About scheduling with Outlook in ACT!
For more information about how you can use Microsoft Outlook with ACT!, see
Chapter 7, “Using e-mail with ACT!”.

5
Managing Sales Opportunities
ACT! has powerful tools that you can use to record sales
opportunities and track the progress of sales throughout the sales
process, so that you can reach your sales goals.
41
Understanding the sales development cycle
A sales opportunity is a potential sale to a contact. You can use ACT! to
monitor your sales opportunities throughout each stage of the sales
development cycle. ACT! identifies 11 stages in the development cycle to track
sales progress. You can modify or add stages to suit your needs.
Sales Stages
Stage Description
New Opportunity Potential sales opportunity.
Pre-Approach Gather information on potential opportunity.
Initial Communication First contact with the prospect (fax, e-mail, letter, brochure, call, etc.).
First Interview First discussion with the prospect.
Opportunity Analysis Gather and analyze information in order to understand the opportunity.
Solution Development Creating focused solution(s) to meet prospect’s need(s).
Solution Presentation Presentation of proposed solution(s).
Customer Evaluation Customer evaluation of the proposed solution(s).
Negotiation Negotiate acceptable terms (price, delivery, quantity, etc.).
Commitment to Buy Customer has agreed to move the sale to a level of closure.
Follow-up Follow-up with customer. Opportunity to maintain a sales relationship.
When you create a new sales opportunity, you can forecast its potential
earnings, enter the probability of closing the sale, and include information
about your contact’s buying decisions. You can track progress through each
stage of the sale and record its outcome.
ACT! provides reports and graphical representations of your sales stages so
you can easily plan the appropriate actions to meet your goals.
sales stages
sales stages: adding
sales stages: finding contacts at
sales stages: deleting

Creating a sales opportunity
You can create sales opportunities, maintain lists of products and competitors,
and enter the sales stages within the Sales/Opportunities tab of your contacts’
records.
Note Each sales opportunity must be associated with a contact.
To create a sales opportunity

1 From the Contact or Groups window, click the Sales/Opportunities tab,
and then click New Opportunity.
2 On the General tab of the Sales Opportunity dialog box, enter the
information about the sales opportunity as described below.
• Select or type the Product, sales Type, Units, Unit Price, and
Amount.
• Select or type the date that you expect to close the sale in the
Forecasted close date field.
• Type a percentage indicating the probability of closing the sale in the
Probability field.
• Select a sales stage from the Sales stage list.
• Modify the contact information and creation date if necessary.
• Associate the sales opportunity with a group, if appropriate.
3 Click OK.
You can also add information about the sale or about your competitor, and you
can import product lists from another application or from another ACT!
database, as described in Help.
sales opportunities: changing

sales opportunities: importing [exporting] lists for
sales opportunities: viewing
sales opportunities: printing
Managing Sales Opportunities 43

Forecasting sales
With ACT!, you can forecast your sales by using the sales pipeline or sales
graphs. For example, if you want to know how many sales opportunities you
have in the Initial Communication and Negotiation stages, use the sales
pipeline or sales graphs to quickly calculate that information.
Using the sales pipeline

The sales pipeline is a graphical representation you can use to monitor and
forecast your sales opportunities. It shows the number of sales opportunities
you have at each stage of the sales development cycle. The sales pipeline
indicates only open sales opportunities, not won/closed or lost sales.
To produce a sales pipeline

1 From the Contact or Groups window, click the Sales menu, and then click
Sales Pipeline.
2 In the Create graph for box of the Sales Pipeline Options dialog box,
select Current contact, Current lookup, or All contacts.

3 In the Display Data For Sales Managed By box, select All users or
Selected users. If you chose Selected users, select users from the list
box.
4 Click the Graph button.
The Sales Pipeline appears.
You can change the display by assigning different colors to the sales stages or
display data for only selected users. You can also print the pipeline, save it as
a bitmap file, or copy it to the clipboard so that you can paste it into another
document.
Using sales graphs

You can use graphs or reports to show sales opportunities, forecasted sales,
or closed/won sales for specified time periods.
When you create a sales graph, you specify the data that you want the graph
to use and how it should appear.
For information about sales reports, see Chapter 9, “Producing Reports”.
sales pipeline
sales graphs
Managing Sales Opportunities 45

Recording the outcome of a sales opportunity
When you complete a sales opportunity, you can record the outcome of the
sale, and ACT! automatically creates a history of the results in a contact’s or
group’s Notes/History tab.
To record a completed sale

1 From the Contact window, click the Sales/Opportunities tab, and then
click the check mark column of the sale you want to close.
2 In the Complete Sale dialog box, enter the information about the sale.
• In the Result box, select Closed/Won Sale or Lost Sale.
• In the Reason box, select or type the reason.
• Change data in the Product information and Sales information
boxes, as necessary.
3 Click OK.
To reopen a completed sale

1 Find the contact for whom you are reopening the sale.
2 In the Sales/Opportunities tab, double-click the Selection button for the
sales opportunity.
3 In the Completed Sale dialog box, click Reopen Sale, and then click OK.
sales opportunities: completing

sales opportunities: reopening
sales opportunities: deleting

6
Using the Telephone and Fax
with ACT!
You can use ACT! to manage telephone calls and record them to a
contact’s history. This allows you to easily and efficiently track your
communication with contacts. For example, you can have ACT! dial
the contact’s number, then time the duration of the call as you talk.
You can continue making notes in the contact’s record during the
conversation, and then record the call to the contact’s history when
you are finished.
Some systems allow you to use the Caller ID feature. Caller ID lets
you identify your contacts by their contact record when they call you.
You can also fax documents to contacts from ACT!, such as letters,
reports, and your calendars and address book.
47
Using the ACT! Dialer
The ACT! Dialer works as an extension of a phone or modem. Using the Dialer,
you can place and manage telephone calls to contacts. However, your system
must support call-management features, such as Call Forward or Call Transfer.
If you have the appropriate equipment, you can also use the Caller ID feature,
which displays the contact’s record when a contact calls you.
You can continue to schedule activities or other tasks while you talk to your
contacts, and then record the history of the call when it is completed.
Dialer system requirements

To use the ACT! Dialer, you must have at least one of the following:
• A modem that shares the same line as your telephone.
• A telephone equipped with Telephony Application Programming Interface
(TAPI) hardware 1.0 or later and the appropriate telephone driver software
installed on your computer. TAPI operates as a link between your
computer and your modem or phone.
Note For assistance with modem features or using your telephone with the
ACT! Dialer, contact your telephone administrator or telephone
system vendor, or refer to your modem documentation.
Setting up the Dialer

Before you can use the ACT! Dialer to place telephone calls, you must turn it
on and set user preferences. User preferences tell the Dialer how to work with
your telephone or modem. For example, you can specify how area codes are
handled or specify calling card features.
To set up the Dialer

1 From the Edit menu, click Preferences.
2 In the Preferences dialog box, click the Dialer tab.
3 Select the Use Dialer option to turn on the Dialer.
4 Choose your modem or telephone line from the drop-down list, click
Setup, and then complete the fields to configure the line.
5 Choose a location from the drop-down list, click Properties, and set the
location options in the dialog box that appears.

6 Choose the telephone extension or modem address from the Address list.
7 Click OK.
You can also customize dialing options, as described in Help.
For more information or procedures, see the following topics in the Help index, or press F1.
Dialer
Dialer: setting up
Making telephone calls

You can place calls to contacts from the Contact window or Task List, and you
can record the time of each call. When you complete a call and hang up, you
can record the outcome of the call in the Notes/History tab.
To make a telephone call from the Contact window

1 Display the contact you want to call.
2 On the toolbar, click the Dial Phone tool.
3 In the Dialer dialog box, double-click the telephone number, and then click
Dial.
You can also dial a toll call, as described in Help.
telephone calls: placing

telephone calls: recording histories for
telephone calls: timing
telephone calls: conference calls
Using the Telephone and Fax with ACT! 49

Managing your calls
You can place calls on hold, forward or transfer calls, and perform three-way
calling (also referred to as conference calling). The Mute and Speaker
telephone features are available if your modem has speaker telephone
capabilities.
calls: About call management

calls: putting on hold
calls: forwarding
calls: transferring
Using Caller ID
The Caller ID feature displays the contact record of the person who is calling.
With this feature, you can be reminded of your last conversation, the
customer’s last order, and so on, before you answer the call. Using ACT!, you
can determine if your telephone systems or modems support call-
management features.
Caller ID: verifying support of

Caller ID: setting up
Sending faxes
You can fax any item that you can print in ACT!, including documents, letters,
reports, calendars, and address books. You can fax documents that you create
using a word processor or use the Quick Fax tool to create and fax a document
without using a word processor. You can use the ACT! fax cover page template
to create a cover page, and if you use WinFax PRO with ACT!, you can record
a history of sending the fax.
To send faxes, you must have a fax modem installed and configured to work
with your fax software.

Specifying your fax software
You must specify your fax software before you can send faxes. You can specify
the software in the QuickStart Wizard or in the General tab of the Preferences
dialog box. If you use WinFax PRO, you can take advantage of special features
in both ACT! and WinFax PRO that simplify sending faxes. See “Using WinFax
PRO with ACT!” in this chapter.
faxing: About faxing from ACT!

faxing: specifying fax software
Sending a Quick Fax

You can use the Quick Fax tool to create faxes without using a word processor.
With this tool, you can create and send a fax directly from the Contact window
or Contact List. This is useful if you want to send a fax without attached
documents. You can also record a history of sending the fax.
To send a Quick Fax

1 From the Contact window or Contact List, select the contact(s) to whom
you want to send the fax.
2 On the toolbar, click the Quick Fax tool.
3 In the Quick Fax dialog box, compose and send your fax, following the
instructions for your fax software.
faxing: documents
faxing: About fax cover pages
faxing: cover pages, faxing

Faxing word-processing documents
Once you create a letter or memo, you can fax it to contacts. If you use WinFax
PRO, you can use mail merge to fax a document to several contacts and
include each contact’s name and address in the document. For more
information about creating letters or mail merges, see Chapter 8, “Working
with Documents”.
To fax a document from the ACT! word processor

1 Select a contact, or create a lookup of contacts to whom you want to send
a fax.
2 In the ACT! word processor, create or open the document to be faxed.
3 From the File menu, point to Send, and then click Fax.
4 In the Send dialog box, type the subject of the fax, and then click Send.
Depending on your fax software, a dialog box may appear.
5 If necessary, select options in the dialog box.
faxing: documents
faxing: mail merge documents
Faxing reports
You can run various reports on contacts and sales using ACT!, and then fax
them to one or more contacts or to a group.
For example, you may want to fax to your contact a record of all requests made
by the contact’s company and the status of those requests.
faxing: reports
reports: running

Faxing address books and calendars
In addition to documents and reports, you can send other items as faxes. For
example, if you are travelling, you may want to fax a page from your calendar
or send contact information from your address book to your assistant at your
office.
faxing: address books
Using WinFax PRO with ACT!

When you use ACT! with WinFax PRO, you can take advantage of several
unique features. For example, you can specify that a particular WinFax PRO
cover page be used, and you can set up a delivery schedule for documents
produced with mail merge. When you send a fax, WinFax PRO records the
event in the Notes/History tab. After WinFax PRO records a history, you can
link from the tab to that fax. WinFax PRO can also remind you to resend a fax
if it was not successfully sent.
To use the WinFax PRO features with ACT!, you must set up preferences that
specify how faxes are sent from each ACT! database. You can also select the
ACT! databases that you want WinFax to use as phonebooks. A WinFax
phonebook is a directory in WinFax that contains your contacts’ names,
telephone and fax numbers, and other information that makes it easy for you
to fax your contacts.
Tip If you send mail merge faxes, you may want to turn off the Display Call
Status option so that dialog boxes do not display for every merged
document.
faxing: About WinFax PRO

faxing: using WinFax

7
Using e-mail with ACT!
With ACT!’s e-mail features, you can easily manage messages that
you send or receive. ACT! integrates with many e-mail systems and
works with most Internet Service Providers so that you can continue
using your e-mail system with ACT!.
You can send e-mail messages to one or more of your contacts and
attach contact records, group records, or files to your messages. If
you receive messages with contact record or activity attachments,
you can merge them into your database.
If you use Microsoft Outlook to send some of your messages, you
can access your ACT! address books from Outlook. Whether you
send a message from Outlook or ACT!, you can record a history of
the e-mail messages you send and of those you receive, and easily
organize those messages using e-mail folders.
Using HTML format, you can customize the look of e-mail messages
and create templates for mail merge.
55
Setting up your e-mail system
Before you can use e-mail within ACT!, you must select an e-mail system, set
up your e-mail preferences using the QuickStart Wizard or in the Preferences
dialog box, and enter your e-mail address in your My Record.
To set up your e-mail in ACT!, you need to install one of the following programs:
• Microsoft Outlook 2000, Outlook 2002, or Outlook Express 5.5 or 6.0
• Lotus Notes Mail version 5.0
• Internet e-mail (SMTP/POP3). You do not need e-mail software in
addition to ACT!, however, you do need an Internet account with an
Internet Service Provider (ISP). ACT! includes a POP3 e-mail client
that can be used for Internet e-mail.
Note If you are using Outlook Express 6, you may receive a virus protection
error message each time you send or receive e-mail using ACT!. You
can disable the message in Outlook Express.
To set up your e-mail system using Preferences

1 From the File menu, click Preferences, and then click the E-mail tab in
the Preferences dialog box.
When you set up e-mail preferences, you specify how your e-mail system
will operate. For example, you can create signature text (such as your
name, title, and address) that appears at the end of your messages,
specify whether messages are kept in the Notes/History tab for each
contact, or specify how attached documents will be saved.
2 In the E-mail system box, click E-mail System Setup, and follow the
instructions on the E-mail Setup Wizard. Press Next to advance through
the wizard.
When you finish setting up your e-mail system, check your My Record to make
sure you have entered an e-mail address.
You can override some preferences when sending specific e-mail messages.
e-mail: selecting systems for

e-mail: preferences for: About e-mail preferences

Setting up multiple e-mail accounts
If you use more than one e-mail software or system, you can set up multiple
e-mail accounts in ACT!. You may do this, for example, if you use different
systems at work and at home.
You set one account as your default account, however, you can change the
account you use to send e-mail when you create a new message.
e-mail: changing default e-mail systems
Looking at the E-mail window

When you open the E-mail window, you can view messages in your Inbox,
display messages in other folders, access your address books, or quickly reply
to or forward e-mail.
The E-mail window is divided into three sections and has a menu bar, a toolbar,
and a status bar as shown in the following illustration.
2 4
Using e-mail with ACT! 57

What’s in the E-mail window?
Feature Function
1 Tool and menu bars Displays menu items and tools to perform actions in e-mail.
Tooltips display for each tool on the toolbar.
2 Folder List Displays e-mail folders for storing messages. ACT! includes
five default folders: Inbox, Outbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items,
and Drafts.
3 Message list Displays read or unread messages for the selected folder.
4 Splitter bars Use to adjust the size of each section in the window.
5 Preview pane Displays the content of the message selected in the message
list.
6 Status bar Displays the number of read and unread messages for the
selected folder.
To display a message in the preview pane

• Select a message from the message list.
To display a message in another folder

1 In the Folder List, click a folder.
2 Select a message from the message list.
For more information about reading e-mail or opening attachments, see
“Receiving and reading e-mail” in this chapter.
e-mail: displaying: Displaying or hiding the preview pane

e-mail: changing pane size

Working with e-mail
You can compose and send e-mail to one or more contacts or groups and save
e-mail to your contacts’ history. You can also work with e-mail offline and save
messages to folders to easily manage and organize your e-mail.
Using ACT!, you can create or modify special e-mail templates to run mail
merges or use HTML to format your e-mail text, add background colors, or
insert pictures or hyperlinks. For more information about document templates
used for e-mail mail merges, see Chapter 8, “Working with Documents”.
You can create multiple e-mail accounts for yourself and store multiple e-mail
addresses for you and your contacts.
Writing and sending e-mail

In addition to sending e-mail messages, you can send letters, memos, reports,
contact and group records, and scheduled activities as attachments to your
message. You can send messages immediately or store them to deliver at
another time. Before sending your e-mail, you can check your spelling with the
ACT! spelling checker, set the e-mail’s priority, or request a return receipt from
the recipients.
To send an e-mail message from the E-mail window

1 On the View bar, click E-mail.
2 From the E-mail window, click the File menu, and then click New.
The New E-mail Message window appears.
3 In the To, Cc, and/or Bcc fields, type one or more e-mail addresses or the
names of contacts in your open database.
- or -
Click the To, Cc, and/or Bcc buttons to select names from one or more
Address books.
4 In the Subject field, type a subject.
5 In the text box, type the message.
Before sending your e-mail, you can select other options, as described in
Help.
6 Click Send, or if you want to store the e-mail in your Drafts folder and send
it later, click the Save tool on the toolbar.

To attach a file to an e-mail message
1 Open the New Message window, address and type your message as
described in the previous procedure.
2 From the Insert menu, click File.
3 In the Insert File Attachment dialog box, locate the file to insert and then
click Open.
The file displays in the Attach field.
4 Send your e-mail.
You can also attach ACT! contact or group records to an e-mail message so
recipients can merge the attached records into their ACT! databases, as
described in Help.
e-mail: creating
e-mail: attaching files to messages
e-mail: working offline
e-mail: sending stored messages
e-mail: mail merge
e-mail: formatting text in
e-mail: HTML format
e-mail: attaching contacts [groups] to
e-mail: attaching activities to
e-mail: spell checking
documents: graphical HTML templates
mail merges
Receiving and reading e-mail

When you receive an e-mail message, it appears in your Inbox. You can open
the message to read it or read it in the preview pane on the E-mail window. You
can also open and read saved messages stored in folders in the Folder list.
After reading a message, you can reply to it or forward it to others.
If you receive an e-mail message with an ACT! contact or group record
attached, you can merge the record into the open ACT! database. If you
receive an e-mail reminder for an activity, you can merge the activity into your
database so it appears on your calendar. You can also attach a message you
have received to a contact or group record, so that you have a history it.
Additionally, you can create a contact record from an e-mail message.

To read and reply to e-mail messages
1 From the View bar, click E-mail.
2 In the E-mail window, locate the message to which you want to reply.
3 Select the e-mail in the message list, and then click the Reply tool on the
toolbar.
- or -
Double-click the e-mail in the message list and when the message opens,
click the Reply tool on the toolbar.
4 Type your reply in the text box, and then click Send.
To open an e-mail attachment

1 In the E-mail window, double-click the message with the attachment.
2 Double-click the attachment in the Attach list.
The appropriate application for the attachment is launched, and the
attachment appears.
To attach an e-mail to a contact record

1 From the View bar, click E-mail.
2 In the Folder List on the E-mail window, click the folder where your e-mail
is stored.
3 When the list of e-mail messages appears, click the message you want to
attach.
4 From the Actions menu, click Attach to Contact.
5 In the Attach E-Mail to Contacts dialog box, select a contact name to
attach the e-mail to, and then click Add.
You can add more than one name or all contact names. You can also
attach an e-mail to a group record, as described in Help.

e-mail: reading
e-mail: forwarding
e-mail: saving to a file
e-mail: deleting
e-mail: creating folders
e-mail: creating contact records from
e-mail: opening attachments
e-mail: attaching to groups
e-mail: merging attachments
Managing e-mail addresses

You can enter one or more e-mail address for each contact. You can enter
addresses in a contact record or in the ACT! Address Book. If you enter more
than one address, you must designate one as the primary address. ACT!
sends your e-mail messages to the primary address by default, but you can
choose a different address before sending the e-mail.
When you send an e-mail, ACT! compares the address to the information in
the open database, but you can also manually check addresses.
e-mail: addressing
e-mail: entering addresses
e-mail: checking names
contacts: entering e-mail addresses for
Using folders to organize e-mail messages

You can easily organize and manage your messages using folders in the
Folder List. Messages you send are automatically stored in your Sent Items
folder by default, however, you can turn off that option in E-mail Preferences.
Messages you save to send later are automatically stored in your Drafts folder.
Note If you set up more than one e-mail account, the messages will be
stored in the folders for the account in which they were created.

You can create new folders in which to save messages, and then move or copy
messages from one folder to another. For example, you can create work-
related and personal folders in which to categorize and store your messages.
You can also move a folder into another folder.
To move an e-mail message into a folder

• In the E-mail window, select the message in the message list, and drag it
to a folder in the Folder list.
To create a new folder

1 In the E-mail window, click the File menu, point to New, and then click
Folder.
2 In the Create Folder dialog box, type the Folder name in the field.
3 From the list box, select the folder in which to create the new folder, and
then click OK.
e-mail: moving messages

e-mail: moving folders
e-mail: copying folders
e-mail: deleting folders
e-mail: renaming folders
Using ACT! with Outlook e-mail

If you use Microsoft Outlook to send and receive e-mail messages, you can
add address books for multiple ACT! databases to Outlook. Then, from
Outlook, you can select ACT! contacts to send e-mail messages to, record
those messages to the contact’s history, or attach Outlook e-mail messages to
a contact’s record.
Microsoft Outlook: adding ACT! address books

Microsoft Outlook: setting history options for ACT!
Microsoft Outlook: attaching e-mail to contact records
e-mail: sending messages from Outlook

8
Working with Documents
With ACT!, you can use a word processor to write letters and
memos to your contacts, and to create faxes, labels, and envelopes.
You can use templates, which are forms or outlines for documents
that you create often, and ACT! will automatically add contact
information from the contact record, such as name and address, to
the document template.
You can choose to use the ACT! word processor or Microsoft Word
2000 or Word 2002.
Note For instructions on using Microsoft Word to write letters and

other documents, refer to that program’s online Help
system.
Using the Library tab, you can view and edit documents created in
other programs, such as Microsoft Excel, and attach them to your
contact’s record.
65
Specifying your word processor
Before you can write letters and memos, you must specify whether you want
to use the ACT! word processor or Microsoft Word. You can specify your word
processor in the QuickStart Wizard or in the Preferences dialog box.
Note If you choose Microsoft Word for word-processing in ACT!, you may
need to change the macros security levels in Word. See “Microsoft
Word” in Help.
To select your word processor in Preferences

2 In the General tab of the Preferences dialog box, select the word
processor you want to use from the Word processor list, and then click
OK.
Using the ACT! word processor

You can use ACT! to create and edit letters, memos, labels, and envelopes, or
to create and edit templates, just as you would with any word processor. You
can format documents, check spelling, and set tab stops and page breaks.
When your document is complete, you can edit, save, print, fax, or e-mail it
using features provided in ACT!.
Creating letters and memos to a single contact

You can easily write and print letters and memos to a single contact.
To write and save a letter or memo

1 Select the contact to whom you want to write a letter.
2 From the Write menu, click Letter or Memorandum.
The word processor starts and displays a blank letter or memo form with
the current contact’s information.
3 Type the letter or memo.
You can change display options, format, and edit the contents of the letter,
as described later in this chapter.
4 From the File menu, click Save.

5 In the Save As dialog box, type the File name you want to save the
document as, and then click Save.
6 To close the document, click the Close button in the upper right corner.
You can also open an existing document, print or modify it, and save it with a
different name, as described in Help. In addition, you can insert RTF or plain
text files, bitmaps, or an existing ACT! word-processing document into any
ACT! document.
To print a letter or memo

1 Open the document if it is not already displayed.
2 On the toolbar, click the Print tool.
3 In the Print dialog box, select your preferred printer, and then click OK.
4 (Optional) In the Create History dialog box, type a description of the
document in the Regarding field, and then click Create.
A dialog box appears, asking if you want to print an envelope.
5 Click Cancel if you want to print only a letter.
- or -
Click OK to print an envelope, select the envelope size in the list box, and
then click OK.
6 In the Windows Print dialog box, click OK.
You can also fax or e-mail a document and attach it to history, or print mailing
labels or envelopes for your contacts without creating letters or memos, as
described in Help.
documents: About creating documents

documents: opening
documents: creating: Creating a document
documents: creating: Creating and sending documents to a single contact
documents: inserting files in
documents: printing
documents: saving
documents: selecting templates
labels for mailing
envelope templates
printing: envelopes [labels]
Working with Documents 67

Editing documents
ACT! includes commands on the Edit menu, and equivalent tools in the toolbar,
so you can edit your document, find and replace words or phrases, insert a
time and date stamp, and check your spelling. You can also copy or move text
to other locations.
documents: spell checking

word processor: editing documents
Formatting documents
As with any word processor, you can modify the format of your document even
if you choose to use a template. Templates are discussed later in this chapter.
Adjusting page margins, headers, and footers

You can change your page margins to adjust the amount of space in the top,
bottom, left, or right margins of the page. You can also create a page header
or footer. For example, if you want your company logo to print on each page,
you would place the logo in the header or footer of the first page.
Changing font attributes

You can change the font, font style, font size, or color of the text in order to
emphasize words, phrases, or paragraphs.
Formatting a paragraph
You can change a paragraph format when you create a document or modify a
template. For example, you can indent paragraphs, align paragraphs to the left
or right margin, or double-space lines.
Setting page breaks

The ACT! word processor automatically inserts page breaks when a page is
full, but you can manually insert a new page. For example, you can insert a
page break when you want to start a new topic.
documents: formatting

Changing display options
You can change your ACT! word processor display options to display a ruler
and page guides, and you can change a ruler’s units of measurements. You
can specify whether to use inches, centimeters, points, or picas.
You can use rulers to change the paragraph format, such as to change margins
and indentations, or to add or change tab stops.
Page guides mark the boundaries of a page; they show where your text will be
placed on the page.
word processor: changing units of measurement

word processor: displaying the ruler for
word processor: displaying page guides
Working with templates

ACT! includes templates for letters, memos, faxes, labels, and envelopes. You
can modify templates or create your own. (It is generally easier to modify a
template than to create a new one.) You can save and reuse templates and
share them with others.
Letter, memo, and fax templates are word-processing documents with special
characteristics, as shown in the following illustration.
1
2
ACT! Template
Microsoft Word Template

What’s in a letter or memo template?
Feature Function
1 Identification Text This text identifies certain contact information and is required
in ACT! templates. The text is usually hidden, but you can
display it. DO NOT DELETE THIS REQUIRED TEXT.
2 Brackets Square brackets identify fields in a Microsoft Word template.

Angled brackets identify fields in an ACT! word-processing
template.
3 Fields Contact fields, such as name and address. (Any field in ACT!
can be imported into a template.)
4 Body Text you write for this document.
Modifying letter, memo, and fax templates

ACT! includes standard templates that you can modify or format to suit your
needs. For example, you can design a custom letterhead for your company by
modifying an existing letter template. You can also modify a special graphical,
or HTML template that is used for sending documents to multiple contacts
through e-mail. ACT! includes several HTML templates from which you can
choose. For more information, see “Creating and sending documents to
multiple contacts” in this chapter.
To modify an existing document template

1 From the Write menu, click Edit Document Template.
- or -
Click Edit Graphical (HTML) E-mail Template to edit a template for
e-mail mail merges.
2 In the Open dialog box, select the template you want to modify, and then
click Open.
3 Modify the template:
• Add fields by selecting each from the list, and then clicking Insert. For
HTML templates, you can also insert images.
• Delete fields by selecting the text, and then pressing DELETE.
• Add text by placing the cursor where you want, and then begin typing.
You can format text as you like.

4 Save the template with a different name (using the File, Save As
command) or save the new information in the original template.
5 To close the template, click the Close button in the upper right corner.
Note You can import templates that were created in an earlier version of
ACT!. You can also create a template based on a Microsoft Word
document, but you cannot import a template created in Word.
Creating letter, memo, and fax templates

Using ACT!, you can create a new template.
To create a new document template

2 In the New dialog box, select the template file type for your word
processor, or select Graphical (HTML) E-mail Template if you are
creating a template to be used for e-mail mail merges, and then click OK.
3 In the Mail Merge Fields dialog box, select the Field Type you are adding
to the template.
4 Select the field name, and then click Insert.
Continue to select field names that you want in your template. Click Insert
after each selection. (Make sure you change field types as necessary.)
ACT! enters the fields you select into the template in a single line. For
example:
<Contact><L:Contact><My:Company><My:Phone><My:Contact>
Note “My” denotes fields from My Record, and “L” denotes field labels.
5 Arrange the fields as you want them to display on your document and
include the necessary spaces and punctuation.
6 Type the body of the letter.

For example, after adding text and arranging the fields as described in
step 4, the template could appear as follows:
Dear Ms. Harper,
CONTACT: The XYZ Company at (800)-555-1000 to receive a free gift.
Sincerely,
Chris Huffman
Note If you create an HTML template, you can also insert images from the
Insert menu.
7 From the File menu, click Save As, and then type the name of the
template in the File name field. Click Save.
word-processing templates
word-processing templates: creating for Word documents
Creating and sending documents to multiple contacts

Chris wants to send a welcome letter to several new contacts, but wants each
letter to be addressed individually. To accomplish this, he can create a bulk
mailing through a process called mail merge.
You can send a document to multiple contacts via fax or e-mail, or you can
send the document to your word processor so that you can modify it or print it.
To write a letter or memo to multiple contacts using mail merge

1 Create or modify a template to contain the information, text, and formatting
you want. Then save and close the template.
2 From the Contact List, find contacts to whom you want to send a letter or
memo.
You can create a lookup, select contacts by clicking on them, or tag
contacts (using Tag mode) to select them.

3 From the Write menu, click Mail Merge.
4 Follow the instructions on the Mail Merge Wizard, pressing Next to
advance through the wizard. On any panel, Press F1 for more help.
When you press Finish, your document is immediately sent to the output
chosen.
documents: About writing to multiple contacts

documents: opening
documents: creating: Sending documents to multiple contacts
documents: inserting files in
documents: printing
documents: saving
Modifying and creating label and envelope templates

Using templates, you can change the size and style of envelopes and create
address labels. (It is generally easier to modify a template than to create a new
one.)
Note In label and envelope templates, you can only change fields and the
appearance of objects.
To modify a label or envelope template

1 On the toolbar, click the Open tool.
2 In the Open dialog box, click the Files of type list, and then select either
Label Template or Envelope Template.
3 Select the template you want to modify from the list of templates, and then
click Open.
4 Modify the template by using the tool palette or by double-clicking on a
field and choosing options in the Object Properties dialog box.
5 From the File menu, click Save As.
6 In the Save As dialog box, type the name of the template in the File name
field, and then click Save.

To create a new label template
2 In the New dialog box, select Label Template, and then click OK.
3 In the New Label dialog box, select a label type from the Choose a label
layout list, and then change Page margins, Space between Labels,
Label Size, or Number of Labels, as needed.
A blank label template and the tool palette appear.
5 To add a field, click the Field tool on the tool palette, and then position your
cursor on the template where you want the field.
6 Hold down the left mouse button, and then drag the pointer to define the
field’s size.
When you release the mouse button, the Field List box appears.
7 Select a field to add, and then click Add.
Continue adding fields as needed. You can change the font and color of
the field label, as described in Help.
To create a new envelope template

2 In the New dialog box, select Envelope Template, and then click OK.
3 In the New Envelope dialog box, select an envelope size from the
Choose envelope size drop-down list, and then modify the Width or
Height, as needed.
A blank envelope template and the tool palette displays.
5 To add a field, click the Field tool on the tool palette, and then position your
cursor on the template where you want the field.
6 Hold down the left mouse button, and then drag the pointer to define the
field’s size.
When you release the mouse button, the Field List box appears.

7 Select a field to add, click Add, and then you can either:
• Close the Field List dialog box, draw the field using the tools, and pick
the fields from the dialog box for each field you want to add.
- or -
• Draw one field and then add all the fields you want from the dialog box
(they will all be sized the same as the first one). Then close the dialog
box and resize or rearrange fields as necessary.
You can change the font and color of the field text, as described in Help.
envelope templates
label templates
labels for mailing
tool palette
Learning more about modifying templates

When you modify a letter, memo, or fax template, you can change virtually
every feature of the template including appearance, field labels and fields, or
field properties. For more information about modifying templates, access the
Knowledge Base articles available on the ACT! Service and Support Web site
at http://act.service.com.

Using the Library tab
The Library tab allows you to view and edit documents within ACT! that were
created in other programs. When you add a document to the Library tab, you
attach it to a specific contact. This allows you to easily locate or update the
document without opening the program in which it was created.
You can access documents from the following programs:
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft MapPoint
• Adobe Acrobat
You can also access BMP and JPEG images.
Note To add a document to the Library tab, the program in which it was
created must be installed on your computer.
Library tab: adding documents into

Library tab: editing documents in
Library tab: saving documents in
Library tab: printing documents from

9
Producing Reports
ACT! provides several reports comprised of information from your
database. (You can view a list of ACT! reports and a description of
each in the Help system.) You can generate reports for your
contacts, or for other user’s contacts if you are running a multiuser
database.
ACT! generates reports from report templates. You can modify
report templates to suit your needs, or you can create new report
templates.
77
Running a report
When you run a report, you can include data for any of the following:
• the current contact record
• all contacts
• the current group record
• all groups
• the current lookup
• the current group lookup
For example, you could run a History Summary report for a single contact or a
Contact report listing all contacts in a state or region.
To run a report
1 Select a contact or group record, or perform a lookup to find the records
that you want to include in the report.
Note If you want contacts in the report to appear in a particular order, such
as alphabetically, sort the contacts before running the report.
2 From the Reports menu, click the report that you want to run, or click
Other Report if you do not see the report in the list.
3 On the General tab of the Run Report dialog box, specify the contacts or
groups to include in the report from the Create report for box.
Note If you sorted contacts, select the Current lookup option, even if you
sorted all contacts in the database. If you do not select this option, the
contacts in the report do not display in the sort order you specified.
4 Check Exclude “My Record” if you do not want information from your My
Record in the report. For example, if you run a Phone List report, you may
not want to include your company information in the list.
5 In the Send output to list, select one of the following:
• Printer—Sends the report to the default printer.
• Preview—Displays a preview of the report on-screen.
• Fax—Sends the report using your selected fax software.

• E-Mail—Sends the report as an attachment to an e-mail message.
• File ACT! Report—Saves the report as an ACT! report (.RPT) file that
you can open, view, or print at another time.
• File Editable Text—Saves the report in a .RPT, .RTF, or .TXT format
that you can open, view, or print at another time.
6 In the Include data for contacts managed by box, select one of the
following:
• All Users—Includes contact records managed by all users of the
database.
• Select Users—Includes contact records managed by other users of
the database (for multiuser databases only). Select the users from the
list.
7 (Optional) Click the Activities/Notes/Histories tab and specify the data
to include in the report.
• Select a date range for Notes/History and for Activities, or click Custom
and specify a date range.
• Specify whether to run the report for all users or selected users. If you
specify selected users, select user names from the list.
8 (Optional) Click the Sales/Opportunities tab.
• In the Sales box, select the type of sale you want to include in the
report. Select a date range or click Custom and specify a range.
• In the Sort sales by list, select a sort order for the report.
• In the Include data for contacts managed by box, select one of the
following:
All Users—Includes sales managed by all users of the database.
Select Users—Includes contact records managed by other users of
the database (for multiuser databases only). Select the users from the
list.
Depending on the output you selected, the report will appear or be printed,
the New E-mail window will appear so that you can e-mail the report, or a
dialog box will appear so you can save the report.
9 To close the report, click the Close button in the upper right corner.
reports: summary of
reports: filtering data in
Producing Reports 79
Customizing reports
You can modify a report’s layout, appearance, or data to provide a report that
is more useful for your specific needs. You can add or delete fields, modify field
values, or create a new template and then save it for others to use.
Understanding the sections of a report template

Sections separate the information in reports into logical groupings. You can
add or remove sections from the report template, such as headers, but you
cannot change the order of sections. Also, the template must have at least one
section in which to store information. You can set options that determine how
sections work in a report, such as:
• specifying that sections or blank lines collapse, that is, they do not display
if they contain no data.
• specifying a particular field for sorting data in a Summary section.
• indicating whether page breaks occur before or after each section and
whether sections can break across multiple pages.
Templates are displayed in the report designer window, as shown in the
following illustration.
3
2

What’s in the report designer window?
Feature Function
1 Menu bar/Toolbar Includes tools to access features in the designer window.
2 Sections A header section that usually includes the report name; a

contact section that includes information from a contact or
group record; a footer section that can contain information
such as the date and time a report is run.
3 Tool palette Used to change the appearance of your report layout.
Creating and modifying a report template

When you create a report template, the template will initially display the three
sections, all blank, which are identified by headings. When you open an
existing template to modify it, the sections will contain field labels and fields, as
shown in the following illustration.
2 3
What’s in a report template?
Feature Function
1 Field labels Used to identify information in a field.
2 Fields Place holders for information extracted from contact or group

records.
3 Summary fields Used to calculate values for a set of records.
You can use rulers and grid displays to make it easier to place field labels and
fields in a report template. You can create or rearrange objects such as
graphics; change the appearance of objects using colors or borders; or change
an object’s properties, such as specifying that duplicate fields do not print.
Tip When you create or modify a template, you should preview it

frequently to make sure the results are what you want.
Producing Reports 81
To modify a report template
1 From the Reports menu, click Edit Report Template.
2 In the Open dialog box, select a template, click Open, and then modify the
template using the tool palette or by double-clicking on a field and
choosing options in the Object Properties dialog box.
You can also share your templates with others, as described in Help.
report designer
report designer: previewing templates in
report templates: creating
report templates: sections in
report templates: removing sections from
report templates: fields in
report templates: saving
tool palette
Specifying data to appear in a report

When you create a report template, you can set filters to determine the data
that appears in a report each time you run it. For example, you can set a report
filter to display information about a contact’s activities in the last quarter.
Setting filters in the template saves you time if you frequently run the same
report with the same filter settings.
report templates: filtering data in

10
Synchronizing Data
Using data synchronization, you can share information between two
databases or with others, so that the contacts and activities in your
database match those in other databases.
Synchronizing is a way to keep your master database and local or
remote databases current.
83
Understanding synchronization
You can synchronize data with another database or with other users. During
synchronization, you can choose to send and receive updates.
When you synchronize, your database receives and applies updates,
consolidates all changes into an update file, and then sends the update file to
another user or another database.
synchronizing data
Chris wants all of his employees to have the most up-to-date contact and
group information, including notes, histories, activities, and sales data. He
would also like to have the same data on his laptop computer as he does on
his desktop computer. With ACT!, Chris can use one of several methods to
synchronize contact data with his employees and between his two
computers.
Synchronizing with another database

Synchronizing with another database, also called direct synchronization, is the
most useful way to synchronize data between your computers, such as your
desktop and laptop computers. Both computers must be connected on a
network to perform direct synchronization.
During direct synchronization, ACT! checks the records in the sending and
receiving databases. For all changed records, ACT! determines which
contains the latest information and updates each database accordingly.
To use direct synchronization, your situation must meet the following:
• You are synchronizing only two databases. For example, you can
synchronize one ACT! database with another, or one ACT! database to
one handheld device.
• You have a security level of Administrator and exclusive access to both
databases.
• You are synchronizing on a Local Area Network (LAN) or the same
computer.

To synchronize as a remote user on a Wide Area Network (WAN) or via a
modem, see “Synchronizing with other users” in this chapter.
synchronizing data: with another database
Synchronizing with other users

When you synchronize data with another user, you can share information
using e-mail, a shared folder on a network, or a modem.
Note If you and users with whom you want to share data have access to a
network drive, you may prefer to set up a multiuser database, rather
than synchronizing data. See “Multiuser Databases” in Help.
Synchronizing using e-mail

When you synchronize by e-mail, updates are sent as e-mail attachments.
ACT! uses the primary e-mail address from My Record to determine which
e-mail Inbox to check for updates.
To synchronize data using e-mail, your e-mail system must be supported by
ACT!, and each user who is synchronizing must have a separate e-mail
account.
Synchronizing using shared folders

You and other users can also exchange synchronization updates using a
shared folder on a networked computer or server. The shared folder acts as an
“Inbox” for receiving updates.
Both you and others user must have a shared folder before you can begin
synchronizing data. Each user has a folder called Sync located in the ACT!
folder on each person’s hard drive, however, you can change the name and
location of your folder.
Note You must know the name and location of the other user’s folder before
synchronizing data.
Synchronizing Data 85
Synchronizing using a modem
In modem-to-modem synchronization, one person places a call from his or her
computer, while the other person’s computer receives the call. The recipient’s
modem must be in Wait For Calls mode to receive updates.
Comparing synchronization methods

The following table describes the differences between synchronization
methods so you can choose the method best suited to your needs.
Synchronization Most
Method Easiest Secure Reliable Fastest Best suited for
E-mail X X Small user base

Private information
Shared Folder X X Work groups

Remote staff
Modem-to-Modem X Small user base

Users without e-mail
Now that you understand synchronization types, you can plan for
synchronization.
synchronize data: with other users

synchronize data: using e-mail
synchronize data: using shared folders
synchronize data: using modems

Planning for synchronization
Planning before you synchronize data helps ensure a smooth process.
First, determine your needs. Ask yourself the following questions:
• What types of data will I need to share? For example, will I need to share
field definitions? Groups? Activities? Notes/Histories?
• How many people will need to synchronize data?
• Will everyone need the same data?
• When should I perform the synchronization? (What time of day?)
• What method should I use?
Next, you need to set up your database for synchronization.
synchronize data: planning for

synchronize data: step-by-step
Setting up synchronization
Before synchronizing data for the first time, you must set up Data
Synchronization preferences. For example, you can specify that a
synchronization report generates each time you synchronize, or you can
schedule synchronizations to occur automatically.
Tip To assist you with synchronization, use the step-by-step method

described in Help.
Setting synchronization preferences

You must first set up data synchronization preferences which apply to both
direct synchronization and synchronization with other users.
You will not need to perform the setup procedure again unless you want to
change the synchronization settings for a database or user.
To set synchronization preferences

2 In the Preferences dialog box, click the Synchronization tab.
3 In the When synchronizing box, select whether you want to send or
receive updates, or check both options to send and receive updates.
Note It is recommended that you select both options to ensure data is

synchronized for all databases and users.
4 In the Data to synchronize box, select the types of data to synchronize.

5 In the Location for received synchronizations box, select the location
to receive synchronization updates.
6 In the Modem settings box, select the modem to use if you will use a
modem for synchronization.
7 (Optional) Select Generate synchronization report to generate a
detailed report each time you synchronize data.
Note Generally, you only need a synchronization report to help you

diagnose a synchronization problem.
8 (Optional) Select the Display reminder if you have not synchronized in

___day(s) to remind you to perform synchronization.
9 In the Purge transaction log and synchronization reports after
___day(s) field, select when you want to ACT! to purge the transaction log
and synchronization reports.
Note Purging data that is no longer required improves database efficiency.
10 Click Schedule to set up a schedule for automatic synchronization.
Caution Do not set up automatic synchronization until you have successfully

completed synchronization at least once.
11 If you will be sending and receiving synchronization updates via modem,

and you will receive the call on this computer, complete the Wait for and
Answer modem after ___ rings fields.
Note Do not click the Wait for Calls button until you have set up
synchronization and are ready to receive updates.
synchronize data: preferences for

Setting up synchronization with another database
To synchronize two databases, such as your computer at work and your laptop
computer at home, you must be sure of the following:
• You have an Administrator security level for both databases.
• No other user is logged on either database.
• The target database is closed.
• The database you will perform the synchronization from is locked.
To set up direct data synchronization with another database

1 From the File menu, click Synchronize Setup.
2 Follow the instructions in the Synchronization Wizard to specify options,
including:
• the name and location of the database with which to synchronize.
• the types of data to include.
• the groups to include.
• whether or not to include field definitions or private data.
• whether you want to set up a synchronization schedule.
• whether to send all records or only changed records.
3 Press Finish. You can now choose to synchronize data or cancel out of
the wizard and synchronize later.
databases: locking
synchronize data: with another database
synchronize data: tips for
security levels: checking
Setting up synchronization with other users

You can share the most current contact and group information with other
synchronization users. A synchronization user is a person with whom you send
and receive updates. You can set up users of your database as
synchronization users, or you can create synchronization users who have no
access to your database.
To set up synchronization with one or more users
1 From the File menu, click Synchronize Setup.
2 Follow the instructions in the Synchronization Wizard to specify options,
including:
• the types of data you want to synchronize.
• the users with whom you want to synchronize.
• the method you want to use for synchronizing.
• the specific data you want to send and receive from each user.
• whether you want to set up a synchronization schedule.
3 Press Finish. You can now choose to synchronize data or cancel out of
the wizard.
synchronize data: with other users

synchronize data: settings for multiple users
synchronize data: tips for
Synchronizing data
After completing the setup process, you are ready to synchronize data with
another database or user.
Sending and applying synchronization updates

You can send and receive information at the same time, or perform either task
separately. If you want to change your preferences, you can do so at this time.
To send and receive synchronization updates

1 From the File menu, click Synchronize.
2 In the Choose an action box, within the Synchronize dialog box, select
either or both of the Send updates and Receive updates options.
Note It is recommended that you select both options to ensure data is

synchronized for all databases and users.
3 In the Select type of synchronization box, specify how you will be

synchronizing.

4 (Optional) Select the Lock database upon synchronizing option to lock
the database before synchronizing.
If you select this option, anyone using the database is notified that the
database will be locked in a specified amount of time. Users still logged on
at that time, are automatically logged off.
5 (Optional) Select the Prompt to receive previously unapplied
synchronizations option. You will be notified every time you receive a
synchronization update from a user.
6 (Optional) Click the Wait For Calls button if your modem will receive the
synchronization call.
7 Click Synchronize.
Caution Some data in ACT! will not synchronize. For a list of data that does
not synchronize, see “About synchronization” in Help.
What happens when you synchronize

The following table shows the results of synchronization updates depending
upon the synchronization method you have chosen.
Synchronization Setup Results
Direct synchronization with ACT! opens the other database and applies the synchronization
another database updates.
Synchronization with other ACT! attaches your synchronization update file to an e-mail
users via e-mail message and sends the update file using the specified e-mail
system. If you use a remote e-mail system, the synchronization
updates are not sent until you connect to your e-mail system.
Synchronization with other ACT! places your synchronization update file in the
users via shared folder synchronization folder you specified for each user.
Synchronization with other ACT! first applies any synchronization updates that you have
users via modem received, then creates a synchronization update from your
database, dials the modem number that you specified for the
user, and sends your updates over the modem line.
synchronizing data: sending updates

synchronizing data: restoring deleted records
synchronizing data: blocking field updates
synchronizing data: verifying updates
Scheduling automatic synchronization
You can schedule data synchronization to occur automatically, so that you can
leave your computer unattended and still send and receive updates.
Caution Do not set up automatic synchronization until you have successfully

completed synchronization at least once.
The database must be open at the scheduled times so that synchronization

updates can be sent and received. If you synchronize using e-mail, you must
log on to your e-mail system through ACT! and remain logged on during the
scheduled synchronization times.
To set up automatic synchronization

1 Open the database that you want to set up for automatic synchronization.
3 In the Preferences dialog box, click the Synchronization tab, and then
click Schedule.
4 In the Synchronization Schedule dialog box, select the day(s) on which
you want to synchronize data.
5 Select the times at which you want to synchronize data, click Add, and
then click OK.
Note If you synchronize via modem, select the Wait for Calls option.
If you use a remote e-mail system, ACT! puts outgoing updates in your outbox
and sends them the next time you connect to your e-mail system.
synchronize data: automatic synchronization

synchronize data: reminders for
troubleshooting: synchronization

11
Performing Database
Administration
The person who creates an ACT! database is automatically the
administrator of that database. The administrator can set up
passwords and add users to the system. The administrator can also
check the system for duplicate records, perform database
maintenance, and back up all data in the system.
93
Using a password to protect your data
Even though you may be the only user of your database, you can set up a
password for yourself. You may eventually add users to your system, and
passwords ensure that no one else can view or change your private data.
In a multiuser database, all users should have unique passwords. If you forget
your password, you cannot open your database until the Administrator resets
it.
To set a password for your database

1 From the File menu, click Administration, and then click Set Password.
The Set Password dialog box appears.
2 If this is the first time you are setting a password, type your password in
the New password field.
3 In the Retype new password field, type your password again, and then
click OK.
To change a previously set password

1 From the File menu, click Administration, and then click Set Password.
2 In the dialog box, type the old password in the Old password field.
3 Type the new password in the New password field.
4 In the Retype new password field, type your password again, and then
click OK.
To reset a password
1 From the File menu, point to Administration, and then click Define
Users.
2 Select the user whose password you must reset, and then type the new
password in the Password field on the User Settings tab.
3 Click OK.

Setting up a database for multiple users
You can set up an ACT! database on a network so that other ACT! users have
access to it. The shared database must be on a networked computer that other
users have access to. When setting up a multiuser database, you can specify
the location of the shared database in each user’s copy of ACT! (you do this
from the General tab of the Preferences dialog box), and then add users to the
shared database, as described in the next section.
databases: About multiuser databases

databases: specifying locations of shared
Adding users to a database

Chris needs to give his assistant access to his calendars so she can schedule
appointments for him. He would like to set her up as a user on his database,
but limit her access and the tasks she can perform.
Chris would also like to share contact information with his employees through
synchronization, but does not want them to use some of the features in the
database. With ACT!, Chris can set up users for different purposes.
To add users to a database

1 From the File menu, click Administration, and then click Define Users.
2 In the Define Users dialog box, click Add User.
3 On the User Settings tab, type the user name and password for the new
user.
4 From the Security Level list, select one of the following security levels for
the user.
• Browse—Users can see the records in the database, but cannot add,
modify, or delete records.
• Standard—Users can see the records in the database; add, delete,
and modify records; and synchronize with another database or user.
They cannot add users, perform maintenance on the database, or
modify fields.
• Administrator—Users can perform all standard functions, add users
to the database, perform maintenance, and modify fields.
Performing Database Administration 95

5 (Optional) Select the Enable Logon or Enable Synchronization options.
Enable Logon allows the user access to the database to which you are
adding them.
Note Do not select this option if you are setting up this user for
synchronization purposes only.
6 Repeat steps 2-5 to add more users, and then click OK.
7 In the Assign My Records dialog box, assign a My Record for each user
who will log on to the database by selecting the user, and then click
Assign Now or Assign Later.
Note Users who only send or receive synchronizations do not need a My

Record. For information about synchronizing, see Chapter 10,
“Synchronizing Data”.
8 If you chose Assign Now, in the Enter “My Record” Information dialog
box, complete the fields, and then click OK.
If you chose Assign Later, the user is prompted to create a My Record the
first time he or she logs on to your database.
databases
databases: deleting users from
databases: removing access privileges
Checking for duplicate records

In your database, you may find two or more records for the same person or
group. This is especially common in a multiuser database where users
inadvertently add a contact record that another user has already entered. You
can scan a database for duplicate contact or group records and create a
lookup of duplicates. Then, you can view the duplicates and delete them as
appropriate.
databases: duplicate records in

duplicate records: changing settings for

Performing database maintenance
Regular maintenance keeps your database running efficiently, and it is
recommended that you routinely perform database maintenance. ACT! lets
you set a reminder to do so.
One type of database maintenance is reindexing. Whenever you delete a
record or information you no longer need, such as transaction logs or cleared
activities, the disk space that holds the information becomes fragmented and
cannot be used again. When you compress and reindex your database, you
make the space available so that your database operates smoothly.
To perform any type of database maintenance, you must be the only user
logged on to the database, and you must have an Administrator security level.
If you are performing maintenance on a multiuser database, you must lock out
the other users.
To check your security level

• From the Help menu, click About ACT!.
The General tab of the About ACT! dialog box displays your user name
and security level.
databases: About database maintenance

databases: compressing [reindexing]
databases: locking
databases: deleting obsolete data from
databases: reminders for
Backing up your ACT! data

You should back up your data frequently so you can recover from unexpected
system failures with minimal data loss. You can back up all data files
associated with a database and restore the backup, if necessary.
Tip It is recommended that you back up your database to external media,

such as a Zip disk, at least once a week.

Performing a backup
You can back up some or all of your ACT! data, such as contact records,
templates, layouts, documents, or reports. You must lock users out of the
database to perform a backup. Only users with an Administrator security level
can perform a backup.
To back up an open ACT! database

1 From the File menu, click Backup.
The Backup dialog box appears displaying the General tab. The name of
the current database is displayed, and a name and location is assigned for
the backup database.
2 (Optional) Click the Browse button to select a different location in which
to back up the database.
3 Click the Options tab, and then select the items to back up.
4 (Optional) To be reminded to back up data, select the Remind me to back
up every __days, and then select a time interval.
5 Click Start to begin the backup process.
ACT! compresses the data into a .zip file.
Saving a copy of your database

You can also back up an ACT! database using the Save Copy As command.
To save a copy of an ACT! database

1 From the File menu, click Save Copy As.
The Save Copy As dialog box displays with the Copy database option
selected by default.
2 Click OK.
3 In the Save As dialog box, select a location and type a new file name for
the copied database, and then click Save.
databases: copying
databases: reminders for

Restoring a database
You can restore contact records that you have deleted using the backup copy
of your database. You can also restore a backup of your database if a hardware
or software problem corrupts the data.
Note If you backed up the data to multiple disks, make sure you have all the
disks before you begin restoring your backup file. ACT! asks you to
insert each disk during the restoration process.
To restore a backup
1 From the File menu, click Restore.
2 In the Restore dialog box, type the name of the file to restore, or click the
Browse button to locate the file.
3 Type the location to restore the file to, or click the Browse button to select
a location.
4 If you backed up your data to removable media, such as a Zip disk, insert
the disk into the appropriate drive.
5 Click Start.
troubleshooting: database administration

12
Importing and Exporting Data
You can import data from an ACT! database or another program,
and you can import an electronic mailing list into an open ACT!
database. For example, you may want to import records from one
ACT! database into another, or from Microsoft Outlook to an ACT!
database to consolidate all of your records.
You can also export data from one ACT! database to another or to
a text file for use in another program.
101
Importing ACT! data
If you created more than one ACT! database, you can consolidate them into
one.
Note If the database you are consolidating is from an earlier version of

ACT!, you must first open it in ACT! 6.0 for Windows, so that it can be
updated to the proper format.
To import one ACT! database into another ACT! database

1 Open the ACT! database that you are importing to.
2 From the File menu, click Data Exchange, and then click Import.
3 Follow the instructions in the Import Wizard to specify options, including:
• the file type.
• the file name and location.
• the type of records to import.
• how fields should be mapped.
importing: another ACT! database

importing: mapping fields
troubleshooting: importing and exporting
Importing data from other programs

When you import a database or a file created in another program, you must
specify how to put the incoming information into the fields in the open ACT!
database. This is called mapping fields. Predefined maps are provided for
some programs. If a predefined map does not meet your needs, you can
specify how fields are mapped using the Contact or Group Map panel of the
Import Wizard.

ACT! accepts the following formats:
• Delimited text
• Microsoft Outlook 2000 or Outlook 2002
• Palm Desktop
• dBASE III-V
• Symantec Q&A 4.0 to 5.0
To import contact data from any program not listed, you must first open the
data file in its original program and save it in a format supported by ACT!, such
as a delimited text file. Then you can import the data into ACT!.
Caution The maximum length of an ACT! field is 254 characters. If you use
Symantec Q&A with expanded fields, you must modify the Q&A
database before importing the data into ACT!. If you do not prepare
the Q&A database, you may incur a loss of data.
importing: data from another application

importing: mapping fields
importing: reusing field maps
delimited text files: creating
Exporting data
You can export data from an open ACT! database to another ACT! database.
You can export contact records, group records, or both, and you can specify
whether to export only the current lookup, the current record, or all records. For
example, to reduce the size of your database, you can export inactive contacts
to another database and delete them from the original database. This allows
you access to the inactive records if you ever need them.
You can also export data for use in another program, such as a spreadsheet
program. In this instance, you cannot export both contact and group records at
the same time. To export both record types, you must export contact records
first, and then export group records.
exporting: data to another ACT! database

exporting: data to another application
Importing and Exporting Data 103

13
Customizing ACT!
You can customize ACT! to save you time and help you work
efficiently.
From modifying your Contact window’s layout and fields to creating
macros to automate tasks, you can change the way you display and
manage your contact’s information to suit your needs.
105
Customizing Contact and Group windows
You can customize the Contact and Group windows’ layouts by changing
window color or fonts; renaming, adding, or modifying fields; or changing
columns in the list views. You can also modify existing layouts or create layouts
that contain only those fields you need, in the order you need them.
Creating and modifying fields

You can create, modify, or delete fields, and you can establish field attributes
in the contact and group records. Field attributes specify how a field is used,
such as whether it accepts text or numbers, the number of characters allowed
in the field, whether the field will generate history, and rules for entering data
into the field.
Note If you want to add or modify fields in a multiuser database, you must
have an Administrator security level and exclusive access to the
database.
To create a field
1 From the Edit menu, click Define Fields.
2 On the Fields tab of the Define Fields dialog box, select Contact or
Group from the Record type list.
3 In the Attributes tab, click New Field.
4 In the Field Name field, replace New Field 1 with a name for the new field.
5 Set any other attributes for the field, and then click OK.
For a definition of field attributes, press F1.
Now you can add the field to a layout as described in Help.
Chris keeps information about conversations with contacts in the Last

Results field on the Contact window. However, the field is too small, so he
wants to increase the size of the field and the number of characters it will
hold.

To modify a field
2 On the Fields tab of the Define Fields dialog box, select Contact or
Group from the Record type list.
3 From the list of field names, select a field to modify.
You can add, modify, or remove field attributes or items in lists. You can
also specify to launch a program when entering or exiting a field.
You can specify a default value for a field and specify a field as a primary field.
Primary fields, such as Company and Contact fields, are used when you
duplicate a contact or group record. Additionally, you can delete non-primary
fields that you do not use or that slow down your data entry.
Caution If you change the name of a primary field, some lookup commands
may not function. Also, changing a field type can result in loss of
data. For a list of primary fields, see “Primary field attributes” in Help.
You can also import or export items to and from lists and specify whether the
data in the field will be received or sent during synchronization.
For more information about modifying fields, see “Creating and changing
layouts” in this chapter.
customizing: fields
annual events: creating fields for
importing [exporting]: drop-down list items
fields: adding to layouts
Customizing ACT! 107

Creating and changing layouts
You can create or modify a layout using the layout designer, shown in the
following illustration.
1 2 3
5
What’s in the layout designer window?
Feature
1 Fields Placeholders for information extracted from contact or group

records. You can add, modify, or delete a field. You can also
move fields within the window or to other tabs.
2 Field entry order Specifies the order your cursor will follow when you press the
Enter or Tab key.
3 Group stop Allows you to enter data in a certain order.
4 Tool palette Contains tools to change the appearance of your layout.
5 Tabs You can rename, reorder, or add tabs to the contact or group
windows.

For example, if you have contacts for whom you keep additional information,
such as the contact’s spouse’s name or number of children, you can modify a
contact layout to include those fields.
It is generally easier to modify an existing layout than to create a new one.
To modify a layout
1 From a Contact or Group window, click the layout button, and then select
a layout you want to modify.
The selected layout appears.
2 From the Tools menu, click Design Layouts.
The layout designer window appears, where you can make changes to the
layout.
3 Click File, and then click Save As.
4 In the Save As dialog box, select a location, type a file name, and then
click Save.
5 Click View, and then click Records to close the layout designer window
and display the record you were viewing previously.
You can also share layouts with others, as described in Help.
customizing: layouts
layouts: changing appearance of
Customizing columns in list views

Many ACT! windows and tabs contain lists of data in columns. These include
the Contact List, Task List, Activities tab, Sales/Opportunities tab,
Notes/History tab, Groups tab (in the Contact window), and Contacts tab (in
the Group window). You can change the display of information by adding,
removing, rearranging, or resizing columns.
columns

Customizing ACT! for efficiency
You can increase your productivity by customizing the way you use ACT!. For
example, you can create macros that automate procedures you perform
repeatedly, index fields to speed up queries, specify what layout displays when
you start ACT!, have ACT! remind you to perform certain tasks, or change your
toolbar or menus to suit your needs. You can also specify that new contacts or
groups are private by default.
customizing: About customizing for efficiency
Using macros to automate tasks

A macro is a shortcut that automates procedures that you perform regularly.
Think of a macro as a recorder. You can record a sequence of procedures, then
play all of them back by choosing a command or by entering or exiting a
specified field. Using a macro can save you time and reduce errors.
Every week, Chris runs a Sales by Contact report and e-mails it to his staff in
his Hawaii office. To do so, he performs the following procedures:
• First, he creates a contact lookup based on selected criteria.
• Next, he selects the report to run.
• Then, he creates and sends an e-mail message with the report attached.
• Finally, he closes the e-mail application.
Using a macro, Chris can accomplish this task in one step.
To create a macro
1 From the Tools menu, click Record Macro.
2 In the Record Macro dialog box, type the name and description of the
macro.
3 From the Record events list, select an event, and then click Record.
You can record just mouse events; everything, including mouse and
keyboard events; or everything except mouse events.
Tip To increase performance and speed, record only keyboard events.

4 Perform the procedures you want to record.
Every action is recorded, including mistakes and corrections.
5 When you are finished recording, click Tools, and then click Stop
Recording Macro.
Running a macro
After you create a macro, you can run it in many ways.
• You can select the name of a macro to run from the Tools menu.
• If you use a particular macro frequently, you can create a command to run
it from an icon on your toolbar.
• You can set up a macro to run when you enter or exit a designated field or
when you start ACT!.
To run a macro from the Tools menu

1 From the Tools menu, click Run Macro.
2 In the Run Macro dialog box, select the macro to run, and then click Run.
macro
macro: launching applications
Making the startup process more efficient

You can specify what happens or what displays when you start ACT!, by setting
your startup preferences.
For example, you can:
• specify that a specific database opens.
• display a specific layout.
• be reminded to perform certain tasks.
• automatically launch a macro.

To specify startup preferences
2 In the Preferences dialog box, click the Startup tab.
3 Select options for startup, and then click OK.
startup preferences
reminders: setting
Speeding up lookups, queries, and data sorting

When you perform a lookup or query, or sort for information about contacts or
groups, ACT! searches for the data based on your criteria and displays the
information. ACT! performs the following procedures when you choose a
lookup for contacts in a particular company:
• First, the database is searched for the specified company name in the
company fields.
• Then, all records containing the company name are selected.
• Finally, all selected records display.
ACT! can find and display data in some fields more quickly than others,
because those fields are indexed. Indexes are tables of the data that is
contained in fields. When you perform a lookup on an indexed field, ACT!
searches the index of that field rather than searching through all fields in all
records.
When you perform a lookup, query, or sort on a non-indexed field, ACT! might
take longer to process the data. To speed up the process, you can index fields
on which you frequently perform lookups, sorts, or queries.
For a list of default indexed fields, see “Indexed fields” in Help.
Note Although indexes speed up searches, they take up disk space, which
can slow down any other procedure you perform in ACT!. You should
index only fields on which you frequently perform lookups, sorts, or
queries.

To index a field
2 In the Define Fields dialog box, click the Advanced tab, and then select
Contact or Group from the Record type list.
This indicates whether the field you want to index is on the Contact or
Group window.
3 Click New Index, select a field to index from the Index on list, and then
click OK.
4 (Optional) Specify secondary sort criteria by selecting a field from the
Then On lists.
5 Select options in the Match duplicates using box.
6 Select options for transaction logging, checking duplicates, and allowing
history editing.
7 Click OK.
sorting
indexed fields
indexed fields: deleting
Customizing the menu bar, menus, and toolbar

actions
You can organize how information displays and use shortcuts, so that you can
navigate ACT! more quickly and easily. You can change how the View bar
displays or create or customize the menu bar, menus, and the toolbar so that
commands and buttons display in an order you like.
Using the View bar display

The View bar displays on the left side of the ACT! window by default. You can
display the View bar with large or small icons, or display a mini View bar in the
lower, right corner of the ACT! window.

To change the View bar display
1 Right-click anywhere in the View bar.
2 In the shortcut menu, click Large Icons, Small Icons, Large View Bar, or
Mini View Bar.
Customizing the menu bar and menus

You can customize the menu bar so it displays only the menus you need, in the
order you need them. For example, you can move a command that you use
often to the top of a menu, or move a menu to a different location on the menu
bar.
You can customize menus, create your own menus, or add submenus. You can
add query files to the Lookup menu, word-processing templates to the Write
menu, report templates to the Reports menu, and Web site links to the Internet
links menu.
You can add icons to a menu or your menu bar to represent commands. For
example, you can add a command to run a macro. You can rename, rearrange,
or remove commands, and you can add separators between commands.
Separators divide commands into logical groupings.
The following illustration shows a menu added to the Contact window. It
contains one submenu with three commands.

Customizing the toolbar
You can customize the existing toolbar or create your own so it contains the
tools you use most often. You can rearrange tools, group tools, change the size
of tool buttons, or specify whether tooltips display when you move the pointer
over a tool. You can also hide or display specific tools.
toolbars
menus
menu bars
Creating and modifying keyboard shortcuts

You can use certain key combinations to perform commands. For example, to
open a file, you could use the commands in the menu bar, or you can press
Ctrl+O on your keyboard. Shortcut keys exist for all windows, calendars,
e-mail, and the word processor.
You can modify existing shortcut keys or create new shortcuts.
The Appendix in this guide lists many of the shortcut keys. All shortcut keys
available for each window or feature are listed in Help.
shortcut keys: adding

shortcut keys: resetting
Running or launching other applications

You can create macros or commands that launch applications outside of ACT!.
For example, if you want to use the Windows Calculator while using ACT!, you
can create a command to open the calculator from a toolbar, a menu, or by
using a shortcut key.

Or perhaps you want to open a program such as Outlook while using ACT!. You
can create a macro that automatically opens Outlook when you enter or exit a
specified field or when you start ACT!.
Note Once you create a custom command, you must add it to a menu or
toolbar, or assign it a shortcut key.
custom commands
macro: launching applications

14
Using SideACT!
SideACT! is a program included with ACT! that you can use to
quickly take notes or schedule activities. In SideACT!, the notes and
activities you enter become items in a list. You can do several things
with items, such as change their order, delete or print them, or move
or copy them to ACT!. You can also launch ACT! from SideACT!.
Using SideACT!, you can set up alarm monitoring for ACT!
databases which allows you to receive your activity alarms when
ACT! is not running.
117
Starting SideACT!
During installation, you can choose to place the SideACT! icon on your
desktop. After you install SideACT!, you can set up preferences for using
SideACT! and set up an alarm monitor that reminds you of your activities when
ACT! is closed.
To start SideACT!
Do one of the following:
• Double-click the SideACT! icon in the Windows taskbar or on your
Windows desktop.
• From the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, point to ACT! 6.0, and
then click SideACT!.
• Click the SideACT! icon in the ACT! toolbar.
Note SideACT! has its own online Help topics. Refer to that Help system
when searching for help with SideACT!.
2
3
What’s in the SideACT! window
Feature Function
1 Text box Use to enter meetings, calls, and to-do’s.
2 Select/Move button Use to select an item in the list, and to change the order of
items in the list.
3 Item List Displays items (notes or activities).

Setting preferences for SideACT!
You can set up preferences to indicate what happens when you add new items,
mark items as complete, or send items to ACT!. You can also set up alarm
preferences to indicate which of your ACT! databases should be monitored for
alarms. This lets you receive activity notifications when ACT! is closed.
To set up alarms to monitor ACT! databases

1 Start SideACT!
2 From the Edit menu, click SideACT! Alarm Setup.
3 Click Add, select an ACT! database to monitor, and then click Open.
The name of the database displays in the Databases to monitor list.
4 Select a time interval to check for alarms, indicate how you want the
alarms to display, and then click OK.
For more information or procedures, see the following topics in the SideACT! Help index.
set up: setting the default item type

set up: setting up alarms
Preferences dialog box
Working in SideACT!
Chris needs to reduce clutter. His desk is littered with note pads he has used
for reminders and to-do lists that he has not had time to enter into ACT!. He
needs a quick way to take notes about calls, meetings, and other activities,
that he can easily transfer to ACT! so that he can record a history of the
activity or task.
Recording information
When SideACT! starts, you can begin typing notes and information
immediately. By default, SideACT! categorizes new items as to-do’s, but you
can change the activity type.
Using SideACT! 119

To record information in SideACT!
1 Start SideACT!, and then type the information in the text box.
You can type up to 250 characters. The text automatically wraps to the
next line.
2 To enter a line break, press CTRL+ENTER.
A line break counts as two characters.
3 Press Enter when you are finished typing.
The text you typed appears in the Regarding field in the Item List. By
default, SideACT! assigns the current date to new items and adds them to
the bottom of the Item List.
Note An ellipsis (...) in the Regarding field indicates that there is more text.
Click the Regarding field to see the rest of the text.
4 (Optional) To change the activity type, select the item, click the Type
column, and then select an activity type from the drop-down list.
For more information or procedures, see the following topics in the SideACT! Help index.
recording SideACT! information

changing activity types
clearing alarms
Marking items as completed

When you complete a SideACT! item, you can mark it as completed.
To mark one or more items as completed

• Select the check box of the item that you want to mark as completed.
A check mark appears in the check box of the completed item, a line
appears through its Regarding field, and its item number is removed.
Note To remove a check mark, simply click the check box.
For more information or procedures, see the following topic in the SideACT! Help index.
marking items as completed

Moving or copying items to ACT!
You can move or copy items, such as to-do’s, from SideACT! to ACT! or to other
files. You can choose to send items to your My Record or select a contact to
send items to.
To move an item from SideACT! to ACT!

1 Select an item or items to move, by clicking the Select/Move button.
2 On the toolbar, click the Move to ACT! Database tool.
A dialog box displays the name of the database where the item(s) will be
moved, and the number of items to move. You can select another
database in which to move the items by clicking Change Database.
3 Click Move.
Depending on your preferences, SideACT will either open ACT! (if it is not
already opened) and prompt you to select a contact to send items to, or it
will send them to your My Record. Items that are sent from SideACT!
maintain their activity type. For example, if you send a to-do item from
SideACT!, it displays as a to-do item in ACT!.
An item that has not been marked completed displays in the ACT!
Activities tab; completed items display in the Notes/History tab.
For more information or procedures, see the following topic in the SideACT! Help index.
copying: items from SideACT! to ACT!
Using SideACT! 121

A
Shortcut Keys
The following page lists some of the shortcut keys available in ACT!.
The page is designed so that you can easily cut out the list and use
it as a quick reference.
For the full list, see “Shortcut keys for all ACT! windows” in Help.
123
General shortcut keys Contact and Groups shortcut keys
To do the following: Press: To do the following: Press:
Add a new contact or group. Insert Display the first contact or group in the Alt+Home
current database or group.
Add a new sales opportunity for the current Ctrl+F11
contact. Display the last contact or group in the Alt+End
Attach a file to a contact, group record, Ctrl+I
activity, or e-mail message. Display the next contact or group in the Ctrl+Page Down
Clear an activity. Ctrl+D
Display the previous contact or group in Ctrl+Page Up
Insert a note for the current contact or F9
the current database or group.
group.
Jump to the company or group starting Alt+Page Down
Record an activity history for the current Ctrl+H with the next letter.
contact.
Jump to the company or group starting Alt+Page Up
Reschedule an activity. Ctrl+Shift+D
with the previous letter.
Run a query (Query window only). Ctrl+R
Schedule a call. Ctrl+L

Contact List shortcut keys
Schedule a meeting. Ctrl+M
Schedule a to-do. Ctrl+T To do the following: Press:
Send the selected activity as an e-mail Ctrl+Shift+S Look up selected or tagged contacts. Shirft+F12
attachment. Omit selected or tagged contacts from Ctrl+Shift+F12
Switch to the previous layout. F6 lookup.
Undo the last action. Ctrl+Z Switch between Edit and Tag mode. Shift+F8
View the activities tab. Alt+F9 Tag all contacts. Shift+F11
View the Contact Window. F11 Untag all contacts. Ctrl+Shift+F11
View the Groups tab. Ctrl+F9
View the Groups window. F10
View the Notes/History tab. Shift+F9
View the Task List. F7

Calendar shortcut keys
To do the following: Press:
View the mini-calendar. F4
View the daily calendar. Shift+F5
View the monthly calendar. F5
View the weekly calendar. F3
E-mail shortcut keys

To do the following: Press:
Create a new e-mail message. Ctrl+E
Delete an e-mail message. Ctrl+Delete
Forward an e-mail message. Ctrl+F
Reply to an e-mail message. Ctrl+Y
Send e-mail message(s) now. Ctrl+Enter

B
Glossary
Administrator A user who can perform all functions, including
adding users to the database, performing database maintenance,
and modifying fields and layouts.
backup file A copy of data made either for an archive or to
safeguard files from loss in case the active or master copy is
damaged or destroyed.
compress To reduce the size of data so that it can be stored in less
space on a computer.
conflict resolution The process of determining which changes to
data will be kept when more than one user has changed the same
data in a record.
delimited text file Text that is separated by tab characters,
commas, or spaces.
filters A feature that allows a user to limit the type of information
that displays in a view or on a report.
HTML Acronym for Hypertext Markup Language. Using HTML, you
can include graphics or special text formatting in e-mail messages
and templates.
indexes Lists of data in fields that are used to find or sort records
faster than searching on all fields.
ISP Acronym for Internet Service Provider. A commercial,
educational, or government institution providing individuals and
companies access to the Internet.
macro A set of keystrokes recorded and saved under a command
or name. Often used to record a long sequence of procedures so it
can be run by choosing a single command or entering or exiting a
field.
127
mapping To translate one value into another. For example, making a field in
one program import or export the same data into a field in another program.
multiuser Any computer system that can be used by more than one person.
The term is generally reserved for computers or programs that can be
accessed simultaneously by several people via network terminals.
My Record The contact record for a user of an ACT! database. It is used to
personalize letter and report templates, and to schedule personal activities.
POP3 An acronym for Post Office Protocol version 3. A set of rules used to
download mail to a computer. An ISP uses a POP3 host, or server, to transfer
mail to the user.
primary fields Designated fields in ACT! that are used when duplicating a
contact or group record. Default primary fields exist, but any field can be made
a primary field.
query A set of instructions for extracting particular data from a database.
reindexing A maintenance procedure that updates field indexes.
security levels Determine each user’s access to information and functionality
in a system. Security is controlled by a combination of record ownership and
each user’s security level in a multiuser environment. ACT! provides three
security levels, however, security may be further defined by the operating
system’s security.
shortcut keys In programs, a key or key combination used to perform a
defined function.
SMTP An acronym for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. A set of rules used to
transfer Internet mail. An ISP uses a SMTP host, or relay server to transfer mail
to the user.
status bar The row of information at the bottom of a program or system
desktop showing information about the data on-screen or an explanation of the
currently selected menu command.
synchronization The process of sending and receiving data between two
databases or two users of a multiuser database. Used to transmit changes so
that data matches in each system.
URL An acronym for Uniform Resource Locator. An address that is used by a
Web browser to locate a Web or FTP site.

Index calendars
adding Outlook activities 39
formats 31
overview 30
A preferences 30
ACT! 6.0 printing 31
hardware requirements 2 scheduling activities from 34
installing 1, 3 updating Outlook 39
introduction i viewing activities from 30
Microsoft Windows, versions Caller ID. See calls
supported 2 calls
networks supported 2 making 49
software requirements 2 managing 50
system requirements 2 overview 47
uninstalling 4 using Caller ID 50
using, scenario ii Contact List
activities adding contacts 12
alarms for 32 finding contacts 15
associating groups with 26 contact records
overview 29 attaching e-mails 61
recording histories 38 attaching files 14
recurring 35 attaching notes 13
scheduling 32 Contact window
scheduling follow-ups 38 customizing 108
scheduling from calendars 34 overview 10
scheduling from contact record 32 scheduling activities from 32
series of 36 contacts
timeless 32 adding in Contact List 12
viewing in Outlook 40 adding in Contact window 11
viewing Task List 36 adding to groups 25
activity series 36 finding information about 15
alarms for activities 33, 119 overview 9
annual events 16 sorting 18
entering dates for 37 customizing
overview 37 columns 109
attaching fields 106
e-mail to contact records 61 keyboard shortcuts 115
e-mails to group records 26 layouts 108
files to contact records 14 speeding up ACT! 112
files to group records 26 startup 111
notes and histories to group toolbar 115
records 26 using macros. See macros
notes to contact records 13 View bar 113
C D
calendar databases
pop-up display 31 adding users to 95
Index 129
databases (continued) F
backing up 97
faxing
checking duplicate records 96
address books 53
converting 7
calendars 53
creating 6
documents 52
importing 102
overview 50
maintaining 97
Quick Fax 51
restoring 99
reports 52
saving 98
software preferences 51
dialer
using WinFax Pro, overview 53
overview 48
fields
setting up 48
attributes, defined 106
system requirements 48
indexing 112
using ACT! with 48
mapping. See importing data
documents
modifying 106
creating letters, memos, and faxes
primary, defined 107
66 files
display options 69
attaching to contact records 14
editing 68
attaching to groups 26
formatting 68
filtering activities 36, 37
printing 67
finding
saving 67
contact information 15
group information 27
E more contact information 19
e-mail subgroups 27
accounts for 57 follow-up activities, scheduling 38
addressing 62 formatting documents. See documents
attaching to contacts 61
displaying messages 58 G
folders for 62
group membership rules 25
opening attachments in 61
groups
preferences 56
adding contacts to 25
reading 60
advantages of 22
receiving 60
associating activities with 26
replying to 61
attachments to 26
sending 59
creating 24
sending from Outlook 63
duplicating 24
setting up 56
finding 27
systems used 56
organizing 22
writing 59
overview 21
E-mail window
reorganizing 28
adjusting view of 58
viewing activities for 26
envelopes 73
Groups window
exporting data 103
customizing 108
layouts for 23

H My Record, adding 6
hardware requirements for ACT! 2
Help
N
online 4 networks supported in ACT! 2
other resources 5 notes and histories
for groups 26
I
importing data
O
from ACT! 102 online Help 4
from other programs 102 Outlook
indexing. See fields sending e-mail from 63
installing ACT! 1, 3 updating calendars from 39
Internet Services 19 using ACT! with 39
viewing activities 40
K
keyboard shortcuts
P
customizing 115 passwords
resetting 94
L setting and changing 94
phone calls. See calls
layouts. See customizing
preferences
letters. See documents
calendar 30
looking up 16
dialer 48
lookups
e-mail 56
annual events 16, 37
fax software 51
contact activity 16
for activities 30
finding contacts 15
for calendars 30
speeding up 112
for starting ACT! 111
scheduling 30
M SideACT! 119
macros synchronizing 87
creating 110 word processor 66
running 111 primary fields, defined 107
running other applications from printing
115 calendars 31
mail merge contact and group information 18
for letters, memos, and faxes 72 documents 67
using with WinFax Pro 53
managing calls, overview 50 Q
membership rules. See group
queries, speeding up 112
membership rules
query, overview 18
memos. See documents
Quick Fax 51
menu bar, customizing 114
menus, customizing 114
Microsoft Windows, versions
R
supported 2 recording histories
multiuser databases 95 for activities 38
Index 131
recording histories (continued) synchronizing (continued)
for sales outcome 46 methods 85
recurring activities 35 overview 83
report designer 80 planning for 87
report templates preferences 87
modifying 81 sending and receiving updates 90
overview 77 setting up with another database
reports 84, 89
running 78 setting up with other users 85, 89
sections of 80 using e-mail 85
using modems 85
S using shared folders 85
sales forecasting 44 system requirements
sales graphs 45 for ACT! 2
sales opportunities for ACT! dialer 48
adding 43
graphing 45 T
overview 42 tabs, defined 10
recording outcome of 46 Task List
stages 42 filtering 36
sales pipeline 44 overview 36
sales stages 42 printing 37
scheduling viewing 37
activities from calendars 34 telephone calls. See calls
activities from contact record 32 telephones, using with ACT! dialer 48
follow-up activities 38 templates
overview 32 creating letter, memo, and fax 71
preferences 30 for envelopes 73
SideACT! for labels 73
alarms 119 for reports 80
copying items 121 letters, overview
marking items 120 modifying HTML 70
moving items 121 modifying letter, memo, and fax
recording information 120 70
software requirements for ACT! 2 reports, overview 80
sorting contacts 18 timeless activities 33
sorting, speeding up 112 toolbar
startup preferences. See preferences customizing 115
subgroups defined 10
adding contacts to 25
adding to groups 24 U
finding 27 uninstalling ACT! 4
synchronization user 89
synchronizing V
automatic scheduling for 92 View bar
comparison of methods 86 customizing 113

View bar (continued) W
defined 10
Web sites 19
viewing
WinFax Pro. See faxing
activities in calendars 30
word processor, specifying 66
activities in Outlook 40
word-processing templates. See
activities in Task List 36
templates
group activities 26
word-processor display 69
Outlook activities in ACT! 40
LLC
Index 133
ACT! Technical Support
Access the online Knowledge Base (created and used by ACT! support professionals),
get answers to Frequently Asked Questions, and learn more about available support
options. Answers to most questions are found in the knowledge base articles —
check the top 10 list for solutions to your questions.
http://support.act.com
ACT! experts are available to assist you with installation support and contract fee-based
support for in-depth technical questions and customizations.
1-800-927-3989
Get priority access to an ACT! expert (charged on a per minute basis).

1-900-225-2205
ACT! Customer Service

Get general information about ACT! service and support, update your contact information,
order CD and manual replacements, and check your order or rebate status. You can
also find out about value-added products and services or time-saving support options.
Most of our customers get immediate online help for their questions. However, if you
prefer to speak with an ACT! representative, please call the toll-free number below.
http://service.act.com
1-877-386-8083
Worldwide Service and Support

Customer Service and Technical Support options vary by country. For international
service and support information, visit www.act.com
Best Software, CRM Division

8800 North Gainey Center Drive, Suite 200
Scottsdale, AZ 85258 U.S.A.
www.act.com
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information. We reserve the right to
limit any single support call, change the terms and conditions of support, and change support pricing
and service availability without prior notice.
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User’s Guide

ACT! User’s Guide

Managing Contacts with ACT!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Chapter 1 Installing and Starting ACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 2 Working with Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Chapter 3 Working with Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Chapter 4 Scheduling Activities and Managing Your Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Chapter 5 Managing Sales Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Chapter 6 Using the Telephone and Fax with ACT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Chapter 7 Using e-mail with ACT!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Chapter 8 Working with Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Chapter 9 Producing Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Chapter 10 Synchronizing Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Chapter 11 Performing Database Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Chapter 12 Importing and Exporting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Chapter 13 Customizing ACT!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Appendix A Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Appendix B Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Chris Huffman is the owner and operator of a small wholesale coffee

ii ACT! User’s Guide

2 ACT! User’s Guide

Note If your database was created in a previous version of ACT!, reindex

Note If the installation program does not start automatically, double-click

2 Click Install ACT!.

Installing and Starting ACT! 3

Getting assistance with ACT!

Using the online Help system

activities: details: Viewing activity details in the Task List

4 ACT! User’s Guide

To access the online Help system

help: About online Help

Using other resources for information

Installing and Starting ACT! 5

Creating a new database

To create a database using the New command

Note My Record becomes a contact record in your database. You can

6 ACT! User’s Guide

databases: About converting databases

Installing and Starting ACT! 7

1 Toolbar Includes tools to access features, such as the ACT! word

4 Bottom portion of window Displays information relative to the tab selected.

5 Tabs Allow you to view sales opportunities, notes, or activities, and

10 ACT! User’s Guide

Entering contact information

Entering contacts in the Contact window

To add a contact in the Contact window

Working with Contacts 11

To duplicate contact information

Entering contacts in the Contact List

To add a contact in the Contact List

12 ACT! User’s Guide

To sort the Contact List

Entering notes about contacts

To enter a note in a contact record

Working with Contacts 13

notes: entering in contact records

Attaching files to contact records

To attach a file to a contact record

files: deleting from contacts

14 ACT! User’s Guide

To find a contact using the Look for feature

Finding contacts and information using lookups

To find contacts using a single search criterion