There’s A Method to My Madness!

Sage ACT! 2012 SP1 Hot Fix 1 Now Available

Marshall Knapp — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:15:01 +0000

The latest update for Sage ACT! 2012 is now available. Check out How To Download and Apply the Latest Hot Fix for Sage ACT! 2012 SP1 for more information about this important update and how to deploy it. NEW in Hot Fix 1 (released January 2012)

Function	Description	What the Hot Fix Does
Opportunities – Web Client	Opportunity Limited Access default setting is not retained when creating a new Opportunity from the Opportunities tab in the Contact Detail view via the web client.	Retains the default Limited Access setting.

AspenTech Named A Top Sage ACT! Reseller

Greg Knapp — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:04:04 +0000

Sage North America has announced that AspenTech Consulting Group was named the top Sage ACT! reseller in the Great Lakes region for the second half of 2011. AspenTech had previously placed fourth among all North American ACT! Certified Consultants in fiscal year 2011.

These awards are a reflection of the thousands of satisfied customers that AspenTech has had the pleasure of serving over the years. It has been a privilege helping so many wonderful companies succeed with Sage ACT!. Thank you for placing your trust ... [Read more: AspenTech Named A Top Sage ACT! Reseller]

Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 Hot Fix 6 Now Available

Marshall Knapp — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:35:42 +0000

The latest update for Sage ACT! 2011 is now available. Check out How To Download and Apply the Latest Hot Fix for Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 for more information about this important update and how to deploy it.

NEW in Hot Fix 6 (released December 2011)

Function	Description	What the Hot Fix Does
Synchronization: Remote Databases	Synchronizing after modifications made to supplemental database files causes exponential sync growth, resulting in sync performance degradation and timeout errors.	Prevents file growth when changes made to supplemental files
Terminal Services/RDP	Repeatedly minimizing and maximizing terminal services/RDP window accessing Sage ACT! causes a GDI error and a red X on the toolbar.	Modifies configuration file to address the error
Database Import	Import fails when contact merge options are set to Merge.	Enables import to continue when merge option set to Merge.

ACT!’s Place in The Cloud

Marshall Knapp — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:00:47 +0000

Cloud Cloud Cloud

Heard that word recently? It seems to be everywhere. You probably hear it daily, if not more. We here at AspenTech are asked about it all the time. Can ACT! be “in the cloud? Absolutely. The cloud may not be the right platform for all applications nor is it the right platform for all businesses; but, with the right mix of software and business environment variables, the cloud can save you time and money and keep your local office networks more secure.

If you don’t have a server or don’t have one that is internet-accessible to your remote users, or perhaps you’re not interested in the initial purchase, maintenance and upkeep of your own server, then hosting applications in the cloud may be the right decision for your business. AspenTech recognizes this and we offer ACT! hosting services which enable our clients move their ACT! databases to the cloud.

AspenTech’s cloud-based ACT! hosting services provide server hosting for offline database synchronization as well as real-time ACT! for Web access . Our solution keeps all of your users on the same page, sharing the same ACT! database, no matter where they’re working today. Additionally, you maintain full control of your database fields and user privileges just as if the database was on your own server. Best of all, this is done with no server or network investment on your part.

All of our servers are housed in a certified, collocated data center, so you don’t have to worry about any type of disaster taking you offline. The system also provides nightly backups, regular database maintenance, and emergency support is available.

Whether your business is local, global, or anywhere in between, our cloud-based ACT! hosting services can make your CRM system a success.

Sage ACT! 2012 SP1 Now Available

Marshall Knapp — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:04:16 +0000

The first major inline update to Sage ACT! 2012 is now available. Service Pack 1 fixes a number of known issues and adds some new features and functionality. For more details on the updates and how to apply this in your environment, check out How To Download and Apply Sage ACT! 2012 Service Pack 1. As always, feel free to reach out to us with any questions ... [Read more: Sage ACT! 2012 SP1 Now Available]

Use Seasonal Greetings To Give Your Company a Lift

Greg Knapp — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:26:46 +0000

Smart marketers use the holidays as a chance to reach out to their prospects and reconnect with their customers. What makes the holidays a great time to connect, is that these dates are recognized and celebrated, so you are on familiar ground. Holidays also give you a reason to reach out in a personalized, non-sales way to the people you want to stay in touch with.

The next few weeks, with Thanksgiving (oops, we missed the Canadian Thanksgiving in October), Christmas, Chanukah, and New Year’s, to name a few, are a perfect time to contact the key peole you work with to let them know you are thankful for their business, wish them a safe and happy new year and mention you would like to work with them in the new year. Remember, no hard sell here!

Here are a few quick tips to make sending your greetings a bit easier this season.

Segment. Ok, you have 15,000 contacts in your database, but you don’t really want to send to everyone, right? Segment your database and then create a group for the contacts you want to include on your list. You could use your ID/Status and look up all Customers, Prospects and Vendors as a example. Or combine a look up of Customers with sale revenue over X. (You do track sales revenue in your database don’t you?) Or maybe you have a “Holiday” field check box that can be updated, check it and that contact is on the list. All this work should be done in your ACT! database, not is Excell or Outlook. Why make work for yourself.
Personalize. The salutation field in ACT! is designed for this purpose. If using an email template (more on that later) customize it to include the “Salutation” field. Your message will look much better than a generic “Dear Valued Customer” at the beginning.
Labels and subjects. If you are mailing your greeting, use the label feature in ACT! (File > Print > Labels) and customize the label. hange the font to italics, or change the font to something less formal than Arial. If using email, create an inviting subject like “Holiday wishes from your team at ABC Company.”
Record it. After the work is done and the message is sent, record a history in ACT! that you sent each contact a holiday greeting. OK, you don’t have to do this one at a time. Create a lookup of all the contacts on your list, go to the Contact List view, and hit the CTRL+H keys at the same time. This brings up the Record History box and now record this as Type = Other, Result = Letter Sent, Regarding = Holiday greeting 2011 (or your specific greeting type.)

If you would like any help with getting your holiday greetings out this year, give us a call. We’ll help you get your message out.

PS: If you are planning on emailing your seasonal greetings, it’s not recommended to send hundreds or thousands of emails from your domain. You need a tool that uses white listed servers. An ideal email marketing solution for ACT! is Swiftpage, which is built into ACT! as Sage Emarketing for ACT!. It is an inexpensive and effective marketing tool for your toolkit. We can help you get set up with a free 60-day trail version that will get you through the holidays.

Increasing the Adoption of your CRM System

Marshall Knapp — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:26:16 +0000

Lead by Example – Sales managers, executives, and/or business owners have to be involved and need to use the system, even if it is only to pull reports. When end-users know their superiors use the system as well, they will embrace it more fully. Additionally, this allows management to see first-hand if there are technical or logistical issues in using the system.

Emphasize Long-Term Use and Benefits – CRM systems do not usually pay off on day 1, week 1, or month 1. This is for a variety of reasons. First, there is a learning curve. It will take users some time to get used to the new system and for using it to become habit. Once they are proficient at using the new system, it will make their daily tasks easier. Second, it takes time to build your database. Often companies begin collecting new data with the implementation of a new system and until you accumulate more of that data, you may not realize the full benefits. Additionally, not all businesses perform the same tasks year-round. Many times the data and input your are doing today won’t be utilized until a marketing campaign later in the year.

Track Progress – Use your CRM system to track progress. To do this you need to be able to quantify your progress with measurable goals – number of calls, number of meetings, sales volume, etc. Set goals and measure your progress against them.

Review the System – As your needs change and as your business changes, your CRM system should evolve. Plan regular reviews and get feedback from end-users to ensure the system is meeting their needs as well as the overall needs of the business.

Sage ACT! 2012 Hotfix 2 Now Available

Marshall Knapp — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:09:51 +0000

We are pleased to announce that Hotfix 2 for Sage ACT! 2012 is now available for download. This hot fix addresses several reported issues found in Sage ACT! 2012. For information and download instructions for Hotfix 2, please see the following Knowledgebase article:

How to Download and Apply Sage ACT! 2012 Hotfix 2

Sage ACT! 2012 hotfixes are cumulative, so Hotfix 2 includes the benefits of all earlier hotfixes for this version. You do not need to apply the earlier hotfixes before applying Hotfix 2. Details can be found in the Knowledge Base article ... [Read more: Sage ACT! 2012 Hotfix 2 Now Available]

Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 Hotfix 5 Now Available

Marshall Knapp — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:43:53 +0000

Hotfix 5 for Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 is now available for download. This hotfix addresses several reported issues found in Sage ACT! 2011 SP1. For information and download instructions for Hotfix 5, please see the following Knowledgebase article:

How to Download and Apply Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 Hotfix 5

Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 hotfixes are cumulative, so Hot Fix 5 includes the benefits of all earlier hotfixes for this version. You do not need to apply the earlier hotfixes before applying Hotfix 5. However, in order to apply Hotfix 5, you must have already applied the Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 update. Details can be found in the Knowledgebase article referenced above.

Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 Hotfix 4 Now Available

Marshall Knapp — Fri, 20 May 2011 18:50:06 +0000

Hot Fix 4 for Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 is now available for download. This hot fix addresses several reported issues found in Sage ACT! 2011 SP1. For information and download instructions for Hot Fix 4, please see the following Knowledgebase article:

How to Download and Apply Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 Hot Fix 4

Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 hot fixes are cumulative, so Hot Fix 4 includes the benefits of all earlier hot fixes for this version. You do not need to apply the earlier hot fixes before applying Hot Fix 4. However, in order to apply Hot Fix 4, you must have already applied the Sage ACT! 2011 SP1 update. Details can be found in the Knowledgebase article referenced above.