AGENCY MARKETING TECHNOLOGY
Handy software tools simplify the
updating of contact information
By Steve Anderson
Keeping up with changes in contact information is one of the hardest things for an agency to do. From prospects to company underwriters to clients, it seems that address information, phone numbers and especially
e-mail addresses are constantly changing. Fortunately, some new tools are available that will help capture contact information as well as keep that information current. This article will describe two of these tools.
Capture contact information
The Internet is a great prospecting tool. One of the problems, however, is the need to re-type contact information into another marketing database. Windows does allow you to copy information from one program (like Internet Explorer) and paste it into another program (like a contact management program). It is a cumbersome task to format and then transfer simple name and address information between programs because you have to copy and paste each separate line. AddressGrabber™ is one solution.
This handy Windows utility is bundled with the Stamps.com Internet Postage™ software to transfer address information onto an envelope. The upgraded version (Business Edition) allows you to take contact information from one program and intelligently transfer it to another program. You simply highlight contact information contained in an e-mail message, on a Web page, or in a text document directly into your address book of choice without retyping. It's even smart enough to know where to put most elements without being told. This ability to interpret different parts of an address and transfer the data makes this simple program very useful.
Many programs provide a means to export and import data. However, these import functions are cumbersome and really are designed to move a list of contact information into or out of the program. On the other hand, AddressGrabber is designed to help you work with addresses one at a time. When you install AddressGrabber, the program automatically detects all of your various address books and puts them into a movable toolbar you can resize or hide to fit your desktop.
To capture an address, highlight the address information and invoke the AddressGrabber software using the toolbar or icon. It "figures out" which information belongs in the correct fields of your address book--name, title, company, address, phone number, e-mail, and so on. You can verify the information prior to its being transferred. When you select transfer, the new contact information is added to your address book of choice.
We began using the program with the contacts in Microsoft Outlook® as the destination program. We have been able to transfer addresses from e-mails and Web pages effortlessly. We are impressed with the software's ability to correctly understand the address information and put it into the correct fields. Another similar program from the same company called ListGrabber™ allows you to transfer lists of addresses, such as a directory listing. We scanned in a directory page, converted the text using OCR (optical character recognition) software, highlighted the text address and then transferred the data to Outlook. This process has cut down on the amount of typing necessary to get address lists into a database.
AddressGrabber can also move information between different address books--say, from Outlook to ACT!® and back again. Some of the common programs supported by AddressGrabber include ACT!, GoldMine®, Maximizer™, Outlook, Lotus Organizer, Word, WordPerfect, Excel, and Outlook Express.
AddressGrabber is available in three versions that provide different levels of flexibility. The Standard version allows you to choose just one destination address book program. The Deluxe package extends this to multiple applications and address books. And the Business version includes additional support for QuickBooks, along with Federal Express and United Parcel Service shipping applications. This is one of those utilities that does what it does very well. It is worth looking at. Go to www.egrabber.com for more information.
Good contacts
Once you capture contact information, keeping it up to date becomes equally important. Doing so can be a full-time job--especially with e-mail addresses. GoodContacts® is a Web-based service that will help manage the process of keeping your contact information current.
The GoodContacts software works with contact information in Outlook and ACT!. To update your existing contact information, select from within your database the individuals you want to verify. The software inserts a snapshot of the existing contact information into an e-mail template. Personalize the e-mail and then send it to all of the contacts you selected.
When the contacts receive the e-mail, they can review the information listed in their "business card" and respond by clicking a button embedded in the e-mail to confirm that the information is correct or that it needs to be modified. If the information needs to be updated, the contact is sent to a secure Web form to modify the outdated information. No address information is stored on the Web server. The changes are put into an e-mail that is sent back to you. The desktop software detects this e-mail when you receive it, processes it and automatically updates your database with the new information. The software also identifies bad e-mail addresses, keeps track of e-mails that bounce back, and tells you whether contacts received the message and whether they read it--even if they don't respond.
This same process also can be used for processing new contact information. Let's say you receive an e-mail from someone not currently in your database and you want to add that address. You can flag this e-mail and the GoodContacts software will send out the same type of e-mail described above and ask the recipient to provide the additional contact information. Cost for the basic service is $25 per year. A free two-week trial is available. Go to www.goodcontacts.com for more information. *
The author
Steve Anderson has been a licensed insurance agent for more than 20 years. He is president of steveanderson.com, Inc., which provides products and services that help agents maximize profits using commonsense technology. He can be reached at (615) 599-0085. For more information visit his Web site (www.steveanderson.com).