Struggling with Organizing Contacts, Leads, and Customers for Business Growth?

[Kathytnt]

I have a tough time with organization - I want to grow a successful business but I need practical ideas for organization - Contacts, leads, customers etc. I just noticed there is even a contact management on the Merrill website.

What do you do???

 

[gilliandanielle]

PP has a contact management/ lead system to help, but I have never used it. I think it would be helpful if I just set them up to remind me, but I would rather procrastinate some more! LOL!

 

[bbauman07]

I use PP. Another popular one is ACT. I think the contact management on Merril is for mailing lists. (I could be wrong)

 

[DZmom]

I HATE PP's contact management. I like that you can set it up to remind you daily, but it's very hard to delete the contact after the task has been completed. I always end up deleting the WRONG person on the reminder list!

 

[MandyK]

A Director Friend turned me on to "business in a box" and it has made a HUGE difference in my contact management.

It's basically a 5" x 9" card file with divders that say the months. Then within the current month and the next month there are 1-31 tabs (for the days). Use the Prize Drawing Slips as your customer "cards" -- file them according to MAC, out of the box,etc.

For recruiting, use the Prize Drawing Slips to file when to call them -- and refiling according to the next time you want to call them.

For Hosts -- use the host info form PC gives you (folded in half) and file according to when you need to make host coaching calls. When show is over use host info card for Out of box calls then file for follow up when the host discount is a month away from expiring.

I love it! I bet one of the great cheffers has already posted this -- so check for more info under the files.

 

[Harrle]

I use PP. Another popular one is ACT. I think the contact management on Merril is for mailing lists. (I could be wrong)

My director uses ACT and swears by it. It is a bit spendy but I believe you can get a one month trial before you commit.

 

[gilliandanielle]

I love the idea of the business in a box! I use PC's customer care sheet right now, but if I forget to write someone in I miss them completely, and I always have to find the drawing slip anyway before I talk to them!!

 

[Harrle]

I love the idea of the business in a box! I use PC's customer care sheet right now, but if I forget to write someone in I miss them completely, and I always have to find the drawing slip anyway before I talk to them!!

Hi Gillian!

Do you keep all of the customer care sheets in a 3 ring binder - alpha or by month? I have heard where people will staple the prize drawing slip to one of the customer care sheets and then file it in a binder.

 

[gilliandanielle]

I keep them in one huge three ring binder, and just add names to the new sheet (new sheets on the top) whenever someone needs to be called. I am talking about the ones from PC that have 15 or 20 lines to write the customer's names and number and info. When I want to call everyone I just start at the back and work my way forward, but make sure that you call everyone only once because there name will probably be in there more than once! I have a drawing slip for each name, so it isn't practical to staple the 20 slips to the sheet. Is there a single page customer care sheet that you are talking about?? I would love one for each contact!!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Not to be redundant - but I have Belinda's Power Hour system, and it works beautifully for managing contacts etc......and then everything is all together in one place and so well organized.....it manages hosts, customer care, recruit leads, and booking leads. LOVE IT!

 

[raebates]

I also use and love the Power Hour. It was suggested to me by my wonderful director.

I use the PP in my own way. When I enter a show I click the update/add feature when I add a new customer. I say yes to adding a reminder for only one of the new contacts. (This way I don't have 20 action reminders for the same show. Like DZmom I've deleted a few wrong tasks and gotten really frustrated.) When that reminder shows up, it tells me which show the contact was from. I then go to reports and print a show order summary for that show. It's great because it has the name and phone number for each guest, along with what he/she ordered. When I'm ready to do my customer care calls I use that printout. I have all of the info I need right together.

It's working really well for me. Making my calls last night I got 1 catalog show scheduled and 4 requests for calls after the first of the year to schedule shows.

 

[chefjeanine]

I then go to reports and print a show order summary for that show. It's great because it has the name and phone number for each guest, along with what he/she ordered. When I'm ready to do my customer care calls I use that printout. I have all of the info I need right together.

Thank you so much for sharing this! This is one report I had yet to discover and it is just great for making customer care calls. By the way, it's called "Show Order Detail".

THANK YOU!!!

 

[bbauman07]

My director uses ACT and swears by it. It is a bit spendy but I believe you can get a one month trial before you commit.

You can find the software on ebay for pretty cheap.

 

[DebbieJ]

For recruit leads, I use the rolling recruit contact list.

If you search a little behind CC, you can find it. It's one of the pages you can download in the Step Up to Director materials.

I have a three ring binder with copies of the contact list in front and then a page for each person.

I also keep track of everything in PP contact managment. Like Rae, I just flag one guest from a show for followup, but then print the show order detail and call them all.

 

[Kathytnt]

I just purchased ACT verizon 6.0 for 7.99 (including shipping) on Ebay It's not the newest version but hopefuly it might help One of the training CD's realy promoted it big time

 

[WendyE]

Not to be redundant - but I have Belinda's Power Hour system, and it works beautifully for managing contacts etc......and then everything is all together in one place and so well organized.....it manages hosts, customer care, recruit leads, and booking leads. LOVE IT!

I can't find anything on this "Power Hour System"? Can someone tell me where to find info on it or share what it is if you know? Thanks!

 

[ChefChris]

The Power Hour is from Belinda Ellsworth - Step into Success - Belinda Ellsworth

 

[ChefCKHall]

WaHoo, was reading this thread and went over to ebay and looked up Ellsworth. Got her Power Hour systems with folders and everything for $7.99!

I have lots of homework when I take three weeks off in December!