# Contacts log template needed for MS Excel



## nysgirl (Mar 26, 2008)

Please help!

I am looking for a template to use in Excel that will allow me to sort my contacts/sales leads. Right now I am just saving all of my notes in various forms (word documents, excel, outlook contacts), and its a mess!! I was hoping there was an easy way to enter the information about the contacted company and the individual(s) within the company I have spoken with, and a space for tracking the status. My dream of course is to just run a report or show a graph of my progress. But as for now, I just really need a template to easily enter the information so that I can share it.

Does anyone know where to find one? I feel like I've Googled my heart out....

Thank you in advance!!!!


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

You need a real contact manager. Either that or use one of the ones for Microsoft Access if oyu do have Access.


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## nysgirl (Mar 26, 2008)

Rockn said:


> You need a real contact manager. Either that or use one of the ones for Microsoft Access if oyu do have Access.


are there any that you can recommend? my budget is really tight and I am not familiar with Access AT ALL....I was sure hoping there was a way in Excel. pivot tables? What do you think?

Thanks..........


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## MRdNk (Apr 7, 2007)

Without using Access or getting a good contacts management system.

It is possible with Excel (depending on the amount of information), the layout however really depends on what information you need and laying it in well formed tables.

If you want to go down the Excel route your best bet on these forums is to give some sample data (attached an Excel spreadsheet) with the column headings you want, and the information you want out of it.

It'll be much easier to give you some feedback with: 

sample data,

actual layout, and

what you want it to show.

Ps. Pivot Tables and Charts are a really good way of showing information, results, and targets Vs results.


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

Free contact management database for Access.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC010178391033.aspx?CategoryID=CT101426031033


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## nysgirl (Mar 26, 2008)

To provide more information, there are three of us working on finding appropriate contacts for certain technologies we are pitching. The goal is to be able to easily track the status of marketing efforts for each technology. The concern I have is that we may duplicate our efforts and accidentally reach out to the same contact pitching different technologies. 

One thought I had was to have a master list where we would first enter our contacts. Then, we would go to our individual sheet and select the contact from a drop-down box. This way, we would see if a contact had already been entered. But maybe I am wrong and too optimistic in this assumption.

Any help or ideas you can provide are very much appreciated!!!! I have attached a sample Excel sheet I have been working on, so you can get a better idea of where my head is

The goal would be to track the # of unique contacts made and the # of CDAs signed (since that shows an interest), per technology.


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## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

Have you looked into ACT! yet? It does sound like a simple access database having a contacts table linking to a call log.


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## nysgirl (Mar 26, 2008)

I just checked out ACT! Looks pretty cool. But I can't afford it


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## MRdNk (Apr 7, 2007)

Creating a drop-down list isn't too difficult, if you tell me which column and sheet you want your list to be based on, and where you want the drop-down list, I can sort that out for you - on the sample spreadsheet you've provided.


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## MRdNk (Apr 7, 2007)

As I wasn't sure of what you wanted, or if you understood the possible features, I've added a couple of things to your sample sheet, let me know if that's of any use, if you want anything changed or added etc.

I've based the "Contact List" on Contact Company on the Master Contact List sheet.
And if you notice on Column "C" on the individual sheets, they are drop-down lists with all the company contacts.

Janet Contacts - Is with a standard list, with her leads only.
Richard Contacts - demonstrates what happens if he selects a contact company that is assigned to another Case Manager.
David Contacts - Demonstrates what happens if he selects the same Contact Company more than once.

All the features are on all the contact lists;
Cell "A1" on each individual sheet must remain the same to keep the integrity (and must be the same name as the one listed on the master sheet in the 5th Column ("E").

The Contact Company sheet is automatically updated, as you add more companies into Column A, and so would the final version of each individual sheet company contact, although these are currently just upto Row 31.

Take a look, tell me if its on the right track, or not, and if you're looking for other stuff let us know.

Ps. If you want the features explained, I'm happy to let you know.


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## MRdNk (Apr 7, 2007)

Attached, revised sheet.


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## nysgirl (Mar 26, 2008)

OMG. This is amazing! This is definately on track for what I was looking for! I like the bright red as a warning if the same company was chosen. How did you do that? Can that easily be changed to warn people if the same person is chosen. Meaning, some companies (like McDonald's) are LARGE and have MANY people working for them in various roles. So I am not as concerned if two case managers contact the same company. I am more concerned if they both contact the same person at the same company (yikes!)

Can I also add more case managers, as long as I put there name in "e" and in the "a1" cell of the new sheet (if i understood your data integrity comment correctly)?

Some other questions I have that I am not sure how to deal with....if each case manager is pitching multiple technologies (ex: P-101, P-105, P-106, etc), should these all be on different work sheets? The goal would be to run a report to see how the contacts status has progressed for each technology.

Thank you so much for everything so far. !!!!!!!!


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## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

This still sounds like MS Access over MS Excel. I see a one-to-many relationship where one contact will have many different calls that they received. I can also envision queries to pull data and reports to give to the boss as well.


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## OBP (Mar 8, 2005)

nysgirl, do you have Access in any version?


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## nysgirl (Mar 26, 2008)

I do have Access on MS Office, but I am not familiar with it AT ALL... :-(


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## MRdNk (Apr 7, 2007)

You can base it on any column, or even multiply columns, I do also agree that Access is much more appropriate for this type of system, and OBP is way better at creating that kind of thing then I am. If you tell me which fields you would like to base it on,then I can sort it in Excel if you wish. BTW, hi OBP - haven't spoke to you for a while - how's it going?

The colour red if any other Case Managed has this against their name, you can see how i used that under:
Conditional Fomatting (Format>Conditional Formatting), with vlookup. 

It's simple and slightly more complex - I'm happy to explain it more thoroughly tomorrow, if you wish.
Want else do you want it to do?


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## OBP (Mar 8, 2005)

nysgirl, MRdNK is giving you good service on your Excel sheets :up:, but if you want to try an Access version just let me know.
You do not need to know anything about Access other than how to open it and how to navigate records on a form which I can easily teach you. I do all the rest.


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

I would recommend Access as well, however, if you want an Excel template that's a bit fancier, check out this free download
http://www.download.com/Free-Excel-Contact-Appointment-Scheduler/3000-12653_4-10810935.html


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

The only problem with Excel is only one person can use the file at any given time for data entry. If one person has it open the other can only open it as read only. You can do some amazing stuff with Access and I believe you can even do record locking as well as alerts that another individual is modifying the current record. Excel is not a database.


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

Yes, you can restrict records, access, etc. in Access. Split the database into a front end form and a back end for the data, and you can prevent people doing data entry from damaging the data to an even greater degree.


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## nysgirl (Mar 26, 2008)

access sounds kinda good...can you tell me where i should start? i opened access on my computer but it looks hard to understand and I dont even know where to start ......


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## OBP (Mar 8, 2005)

nysgirl, you do not need to do it unless you want to actually learn how.
I can easily create you a database from your Excel sheets, although I am a little busy at the moment I am sure I could fit it in.


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

nysgirl, I am in a bit over my head at the moment - frankly, OBP is the real Access master here, but if you want to start, just to get a feel, start Access, make a new database (File, New Blank Database). You should open it in Tables automatically. Go to (in non-2007 versions, I don't know how it differs in 2007) File, Get External Data, Import. Browse for your Excel worksheet (you will have to change the filetype in the Browse window). Click on it and Access should import it - just red and import.
After you have done that, just make some queries based on the table - in Design view, you can select what to import, put ranges, etc.
This should give you a heads-up on what to expect when OBP builds you a database.


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## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

Rockn said:


> The only problem with Excel is only one person can use the file at any given time for data entry. If one person has it open the other can only open it as read only. You can do some amazing stuff with Access and I believe you can even do record locking as well as alerts that another individual is modifying the current record. Excel is not a database.


You can actually setup an Excel spreadsheet as a shared workbook so multiple people can be in it at the same time.


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## nysgirl (Mar 26, 2008)

i would greatly greatly appreciate your help. and i am so thankful already for everyone's comments and support. this is a wonderful forum!!


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## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

I remember that Bartles and James commercial well. Are you interested in learning MS Access or just having someone make the database?


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## MRdNk (Apr 7, 2007)

jimr381 said:


> You can actually setup an Excel spreadsheet as a shared workbook so multiple people can be in it at the same time.


You can, but it creates more problems then it solves!
Databases are the way to go, and OBP is the man for the job.


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## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

I was just clarifying to make sure others knew that Excel can be shared. I was the one of ones who initially suggested Access MRdnk.


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## MRdNk (Apr 7, 2007)

Fair do's. I was just pointing out the headache of shared spreadsheets, I've had one's where users "End Task" and their username stays on the list of users with the sheet open. And I've had the situation where you have to wait 30mins - 1hr trying to close it at home time.

I'm so, so glad those days are over.


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## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

Aye it sometimes has "fun."  I am still waiting on a respons from nysgirl if she wants to be taught or just wants in made? Being an instructor I would rather that you learn so you can do it for the future, but I can understand the opposite side of the coin as well since Access is robust.


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

Being from Iowa, all I can say is "Build it and they will come...."


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## nysgirl (Mar 26, 2008)

Sorry for the delayed response. (why is it that some people in meetings dont get the hint about when to stop talking?? anyway...) I tried to play around with Access earlier to see how well I can navigate it. It is intimidating! As for learning...I am not sure how often I will be needing to create more databases in the future. But, then again, I may fall in love with the software. So who knows. I think, for me, the best approach is baby steps...


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## MRdNk (Apr 7, 2007)

How are you getting on with Access? Got what you wanted yet?


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