SALESEYE TUTORIAL - CODES, DESCRIPTORS - PAGE 7-# LESSON 7 - CUSTOMIZING YOUR INFORMATION FILES Even before you began using SALESEYE you probably kept track of a variety of information about your leads on paper forms. These forms probably had space for different categories of information that you derived from the prospects themselves. For example, there may have been space for 'Products of interest' or for 'Dollars budgeted for purchase'. By looking at this data you could then prioritize the leads based on your own instincts about how hot a prospect you felt they were. You have already seen that SALESEYE allows different pieces of qualifying information to be entered on each lead. Recall the exercise where you learned to enter new leads. One of the pieces of information you were asked to enter was LEAD QUALITY and you entered a code that indicated that the prospect was 'hot' (1), 'warm' (2), or 'cold' (3). LEAD QUALITY is just one of many pieces of information that you can enter for a lead. Certain information entries like LAST CONTACT DATE are standard in SALESEYE. However, you are able to define nine different pieces of information to suit your own needs. You can also assign your own codes for these categories. This lesson shows you how to customize SALESEYE's data entries to suit the way you sell. EXERCISE 1 - SOME DEFFINITIONS Before you get started, some terms need defining. Consider the LEAD QUALITY category that you are already familiar with. An information entry in SALESEYE is called a data field. LEAD QUALITY is one of nine data fields that you may customize. The words 'LEAD QUALITY' are called a label. This label is used throughout SALESEYE's screens and printouts. You will learn how to change these labels in the next exercise. Recall that within the LEAD QUALITY field, the number '1' stands for 'HOT Prospect', the number '2' stands for 'WARM Prospect', etc. The abbreviated numbers and/or letters that you type in for each lead are called codes. You can also enter a brief description for each code in SALESEYE. For example, 'COLD Prospect' is a description of the '3' code. These brief descriptions are called descriptors. You will learn how to assign your own codes and descriptors in the next exercise. The following example shows the new terms you learned in this exercise: Label - LEAD QUALITY Codes Descriptors Not Specified 1 HOT Prospect 2 WARM Prospect 3 COLD Prospect The remainder of this lesson will introduce you to the mechanics of modifying labels, codes and descriptors. Before you finalize what information categories you are going to use, we strongly recommend that you read the SALESEYE Reference Manual section on Modifying Labels, Codes and Descriptors. Screen... [ MAIN MENU ] Enter... 4 [ for MODIFY LABELS,CODES ] Screen... ** MODIFY LABELS, CODES AND DESCRIPTORS ** OPTION DESCRIPTION 1 LABELS 2 CODES, DESCRIPTORS 3 CODES IN LEAD FILES 4 CHANGE DEFAULT FILE B:PROSPECT 5 RETURN TO MAIN MENU Which Option (1-5)? :5: You should now take a closer look at how the SALESPERSON information field was set up and structured. This will help you to understand how to build your own. When you typed in practice leads in an earlier lesson, the letters 'RLW' were entered for the SALESPERSON field. Normally, the initials of the salesperson assigned to track a given lead are the codes assigned to the SALESPERSON field. As of yet, you have not told SALESEYE what the code 'RLW' stands for. SALESEYE allows you to enter a brief descriptor for each code. In this case, the descriptor for the 'RLW' code will be 'Rupert L. Wilson' (ie the full name of SALESPERSON RLW). To learn how to enter this in SALESEYE... Enter... 2 [ for CODES, DESCRIPTORS ] /NEWPAGE ** MODIFY CODES AND DESCRIPTORS ** OPTION MODIFY... CODES MUST BE... MAX NO. OF CODES 1 SALESPERSON LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 2 LEAD SOURCE LETTERS/NUMBERS 37 3 TYPE OF INQUIRER LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 4 PRODUCT OF INT. #1 LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 5 PRODUCT OF INT. #2 LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 6 LAST ACTION LETTERS/NUMBERS 37 7 LEAD QUALITY NUMBERS ONLY 11 8 RETURN TO MODIFY MENU Which Option (1-8)? :8: This screen is giving you detailed information on the data fields that you can enter codes and descriptors for. Note that codes for the SALESPERSON category must be either letters or numbers. Normally a salesperson's initials are used as his or her code. You could use a code number but numbers are often hard to remember. Also note that the maximum number of SALESPERSON codes that you can define is 100. This means that you could store leads for up to 100 different SALESPERSON's in a single data file. To see how to define codes and code descriptors for the SALESPERSON field... Enter... 1 [ for SALESPERSON ] Screen... ** MODIFY CODES, DESCRIPTORS FOR SALESPERSON LABEL ** CODE DESCRIPTOR Not Specified C)ancel E)dit H)elp D)one N)ext screen :?: SALESEYE is now waiting for you to enter the initials of SALESPERSON's (codes) and their full names (descriptors). The cursor at first rests at the left of the screen in a space that can hold three characters. You should not type in the areas on the first line that is presented. That is, the initials' space should be left blank, and the space marked 'Not Specified' should not be changed. Enter... [ you press the 'Return' key twice ] you should type the initials of the SALESPERSON 'RLW'. You type... RLW After the third initial, the cursor automatically moves to a larger space for entering the full name. You type... Rupert L. Wilson Screen... ** MODIFY CODES, DESCRIPTORS FOR SALESPERSON LABEL ** CODE DESCRIPTOR Not Specified RLW Rupert L. Wilson You have just entered your first code and descriptor for the SALESPERSON field. Remember that you can enter up to 100 codes and descriptors for this field. Experiment a little. Note that the full-screen editing commands that you learned when you were following up on and editing lead information can also be used here ('Ins', 'Del', 'CONTROL' Y, etc.). Note that you can also backup using your Backspace key or cursor control keys. When you are done experimenting... Move cursor... to the horizontal menu line Enter... D [ for Done ] Screen... Saving Changes... [ and then... ] Screen... ** MODIFY CODES AND DESCRIPTORS ** OPTION MODIFY... CODES MUST BE... MAX NO. OF CODES 1 SALESPERSON LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 2 LEAD SOURCE LETTERS/NUMBERS 37 3 TYPE OF INQUIRER LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 4 PRODUCT OF INT. #1 LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 5 PRODUCT OF INT. #2 LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 6 LAST ACTION LETTERS/NUMBERS 37 7 LEAD QUALITY NUMBERS ONLY 11 8 RETURN TO MODIFY MENU Which Option (1-8)? :8: You are now ready to practice entering your own labels, codes and descriptors. Enter... 8 or [ for RETURN TO MODIFY MENU ] Screen... ** MODIFY LABELS, CODES AND DESCRIPTORS ** OPTION DESCRIPTION 1 LABELS 2 CODES, DESCRIPTORS 3 CODES IN LEAD FILES 4 CHANGE DEFAULT FILE B:PROSPECT 5 RETURN TO MAIN MENU Which Option (1-5)? :5: Start off by modifying labels... Enter... 1 [ for LABELS ] Screen... ** MODIFY LABELS ON DATA SCREEN # 1 - INITIAL CONTACT DATA ** DATE (MM/DD/YY) :01/05/86: SALESPERSON : : NAME- FIRST : : LAST : : TITLE : : FIRM : : ADDRESS : : : : CITY : : STATE : : ZIP : : LEAD SOURCE : : PRODUCT OF INT. #1 : : TYPE OF INQUIRER : : PRODUCT OF INT. #2 : : DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS : : PRINCIPAL COMPETITION : : REMARKS : : : : C)ancel E)dit labels D)one :?: or edited lead data, you filled in information for each category between the colons. To modify labels, you may actually type over nine of the labels on the Initial Contact and Follow-up Data screens. The labels that you can change on the Initial Contact Data screen will be highlighted on your computer screen and are in boldface type in the screen shown in this manual. If you want to see the labels you can change on the Follow-up Data screen, enter 2. For now, try setting up a new label on the Initial Contact Data screen. Screen... [ INITIAL CONTACT DATA SCREEN ] Enter... E [ for Edit labels ] Screen... [ remains the same except the cursor now rests on the S of the SALESPERSON label at the top of the screen. ] To practice changing labels... Move cursor... to the TYPE OF INQUIRER label You type... TYPE OF BUSINESS [ you are typing over TYPE OF INQUIRER ] Move cursor... to the horizontal menu line Enter... D [ for Done ] Screen... [ MODIFY LABELS, CODES AND DESCRIPTORS MENU ] You should now define the codes and descriptors for the TYPE OF BUSINESS field you just defined. Enter... 2 [ for CODES, DESCRIPTORS ] Screen... ** MODIFY CODES AND DESCRIPTORS ** OPTION MODIFY... CODES MUST BE... MAX NO. OF CODES 1 SALESPERSON LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 2 LEAD SOURCE LETTERS/NUMBERS 37 3 TYPE OF BUSINESS LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 4 PRODUCT OF INT. #1 LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 5 PRODUCT OF INT. #2 LETTERS/NUMBERS 100 6 LAST ACTION LETTERS/NUMBERS 37 7 LEAD QUALITY NUMBERS ONLY 11 8 RETURN TO MODIFY MENU Which Option (1-8)? :8: 'TYPE OF INQUIRER'. You already learned how to enter codes and descriptors for the SALESPERSON earlier in this lesson. Use the same principles to enter the following codes and descriptors: CODE DESCRIPTOR Not Specified [ Do not change this entry ] MANU Manufacturer DIST Distributor RET Retailer Remember that you can use full-screen editing commands to insert or delete text. When you are finished... Move cursor... to the horizontal menu line Enter... D [ for Done ] Screen... [ MODIFY CODES AND DESCRIPTORS MENU ] You should now return to the MODIFY LABELS, CODES AND DESCRIPTORS MENU... Enter... 8 or [ for RETURN TO MODIFY MENU ] Screen... ** MODIFY LABELS, CODES AND DESCRIPTORS ** OPTION DESCRIPTION 1 LABELS 2 CODES, DESCRIPTORS 3 CODES IN LEAD FILES 4 CHANGE DEFAULT FILE B:PROSPECT 5 RETURN TO MAIN MENU Which Option (1-5)? :5: The codes that you assigned to TYPE OF BUSINESS or any data field that you define would always be used when you add new lead information, update existing information, do selective searches, etc.. The brief descriptors that you entered will serve two purposes: 1. To help remind you what each code stands for. You can always review codes/descriptors using 'See codes'. 2. When SALESEYE prints Prospect Profiles, you may choose to print them in plain English. Descriptors can be printed in place of the codes associated with them. EXERCISE 4 - PURGING CODES AND DESCRIPTORS To wrap up this lesson, you should now bring all labels, codes, and descriptors back to the way they were when you started this lesson. You should be fairly proficient by now in using SALESEYE so we won't lead you step by step through this procedure. Here is a quick outline on how to proceed... First, you should select option 2 from the MODIFY LABELS, CODES AND DESCRIPTORS MENU to change codes and descriptors. Next, choose option 6, which should now be labeled TYPE OF BUSINESS if you have been doing your exercises! You must now purge the practice codes and descriptors that you typed in for this field. To do this, just use the space bar or 'CONTROL' Y to wipe them out. DO NOT WIPE OUT THE 'Not Specified' DESCRIPTOR! You should then change the TYPE OF BUSINESS label back to TYPE OF INQUIRER. Return to the MODIFY MENU and use option 1 to change this label. When you are done changing all labels, codes and descriptors back to the way they were before you started this lesson, you should return to the MAIN MENU... Screen... [ MODIFY LABELS, CODES AND DESCRIPTORS MENU ] Enter... 5 OR [ for RETURN TO MAIN MENU ] Screen... [ MAIN MENU ] SUMMARY OF LESSON 7 This lesson introduced you to the mechanics involved in customizing SALESEYE's information fields to suit your selling methods. The SALESEYE Reference Manual discusses this topic in greater detail. When you finish this tutorial, you should read that section first before starting to use SALESEYE in your own sales efforts. In this lesson, you learned that SALESEYE has nine information fields that you can customize. You saw that the labels could be easily changed. You also saw how to define your own codes for a field, and how to enter the codes along with a brief description of them into SALESEYE. Finally, you learned how to edit and purge codes and descriptors. In the final lesson of this tutorial, you will learn how to inactivate and purge leads from your files and how to purge the data files themselves.