How to Set Up an Outlook Contacts FollowUps-To-Go Report
In these busy times, it's sometimes very difficult to followup with prospects and clients. Here is a way that can definitely help you use your time more effectively. Make your calls while you are travelling...say from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles.
I will show you how to create a custom view to show only your open followups and then print it and take it with you.
The problem with standard views is that they mostly contain too much information to print neatly on one page and don't have the right information. Wouldn't it be great if you could just create a view of your followups in the order priority...and then just print it out with you while you're on the road. (Careful with that cell phone out there, headsets are now law here in California)!
For this exercise, start by clicking the Outlook's Contacts from the Navigation Pane. Ensure you have the Advanced Toolbar on. Right click in the toolbar area and turn on the Advanced toolbar.
Create the Followups-To-Go View
- Click on the Drop-down Current View text box and click on Define Views… (at the bottom of the list)
- Click on Phone List View Name and click Copy… command button.
- Name this Followups To-Go and click OK
- You will now see the Customize
view: Followup To-Go wizard
- Click on Fields… Remove
all fields on the right and then add the following:
- Icon
- Full Name
- Business Phone
- Mobile Phone
- Followup Flag
- Reminder Time (click on the Frequently-used fields drop-down box and choose Miscellaneous fields then Reminder Time
- Click OK
- Click on Sort…
- You will have to select Miscellaneous fields set in the lower left-hand corner again.
- In the first Sort items by drop-down box, select Reminder Time and check Descending.
- Click OK. This will give you those persons you need to call first
- Click on Filter
- Click on the Advanced tab
- Click on the Field command button and select Frequently Used Fields, Follow up Flag
- Click on the Condition drop-down box and select is not empty.
- Click Add to List. This will then filter only those contacts who have a Follow up Flag.
- Click OK
- Click OK to close the Customize View
- Click OK and then Apply View. You now see the completed View
- Click on Fields… Remove
all fields on the right and then add the following:
Print your Followups-To-Go report.
Click on the Printer icon in the Standard toolbar and simply click OK or Preview.
If you are exceeding the page width you can simply adjust the heading widths until they fit on your paper.
Now you can print your view anytime you want. And it will ALWAYS be current...Don't forget to keep your followup flags going.
Final Note:
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Copyright 2009 Paul Wagner
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Paul Wagner is creator The Software Magician, a Training/Consulting company specializing in assisting Entrepreneurs, small businesses and large companies in software training both online and on location in your conference room.. Discover more at www.softwaremagician.com.