Shareware Gold 2/Shareware Gold II - Volume 2 Number 1 - Wayzata Technology (7071) (1991).iso/business/contactp/read.me

Text File | 1990-12-27 | 21KB | 441 lines

INTRODUCTION

   Welcome to CONTACT PLUS(R) shareware version 2.16. This is a shareware
   version of a client tracking system suitable for attorneys, salespersons,
   real estate agents, insurance agents, etc. It will run on IBM compatible
   systems and works best with a hard disk.

   Contact Plus was recently called "THE BEST OF SHAREWARE 1990" by
   PC World Magazine (Oct '90) in the category for business software.

   Contact Plus logs the last 30 phone calls and the last 15 letters to each
   client in your database. It features an autodialer and a way to keep track
   of incoming calls. Contact Plus also interfaces directly with WordPerfect(TM)
   and WordStar using the F6 (WP) key. This is not an ASCII interface -- it will
   actually generate instant follow up letters to your clients by simply
   pressing a key.

   Version 2.16 adds better support for VGA monitors and comes with a
   separate tutorial slide-show designed to help you get better acquainted
   with Contact Plus Shareware.

   The tutorial consists of the following files:

      TUTOR.BAT  PRORUN.EXE  P1.SET  P2.SET  P3.SET  P4.SET  LICENSE.TXT

   To run the tutorial, simply enter TUTOR at the DOS prompt.

HOW CAN YOU USE CONTACT PLUS?

   Let's introduce Harry, a salesperson for a restaurant equipment
   manufacturer. Harry needs to keep track of basic information such as the
   name, address and phone number of his clients. However, Harry wants a
   history of previous contact with his clients. He also needs to track
   information such as the best time to contact, the receptionist's name, and
   the next action step (send literature, call back, etc). Contact Plus stores
   the previous 30 phone calls including the date, time, duration and any
   notes for each of his clients. It also has user-defined fields available so
   Harry can customize the database for his particular needs. Since Harry
   can't touch type, popup lookup menus are available which can save him much
   time when entering new data.

   As customers call him, he uses the notes windows to keep detailed records
   of all conversations. Using the incoming call button (F9) he also has a
   record of the phone call. If Harry wishes to recall a conversation about
   "blendomatics" but can't remember who he was speaking to, he can search all
   notes/phone calls/memos/ticklers for the word "blendomatics".

   Harry likes to send follow up letters to his clients immediately after
   speaking with them on the phone. Contact Plus makes this simple as it gives
   him the ability to enter up to 100 different template files. Each template
   file will have the client's name/address/city entered. Since Harry has been
   using WordPerfect for a while and has a laser printer, Contact Plus enables
   Harry to send handsome follow-up letters which impress his clients and
   gives him a professional edge over his competition.

   At the end of the week, Harry has to report the number of calls he has made
   to his clients. He simply sends a copy of the phone log report captured to
   an output file to his main office.

   Keeping track of customers used to take Harry hours every day. He wasn't
   able to spend all the time he wanted actually making contact with his
   clients. With Contact Plus, Harry can now keep better track of his
   customers and have even more time to bring in new business.

FEATURES

  o  Autodialer                     o  Phone call history
  o  Rolodex(r) cards               o  Mailing labels
  o  Mail/merge for mass mailings   o  Correspondence history
  o  Elapsed phone call timer       o  User defined index fields
  o  User defined date fields       o  Phone call graph
  o  Multiple databases             o  Unlimited date stamped notes
  o  Ticklers/reminders             o  Keeps track of holidays/vacations
  o  Reschedules your outstanding ticklers
  o  Automated follow up schedules
  o  Extensive online help (over 2,000 lines of help)
  o  24 categories to classify your contacts
  o  Interface to word processor with form files
  o  Interleaved letter/envelope printing
  o  Call analysis reports (Who didn't you call?)
  o  Local and long distance dialing prefixes
  o  Popup lookup and data entry windows
  o  Colorful calendars and screens
  o  Mouse support
  o  Support for 43/50 line mode on reports (EGA/VGA monitors only)
  o  Browse screen for dialing, taking notes and writing letters

=============================================================================

If you order Contact Plus, in addition to over 100 pages of printed
documentation you will receive:

   o  CONCAL - monthly calendar generation program
   o  CHECK  - prints out today's appointments whenever
               machine is turned on
   o  CFIX   - repairs broken databases
   o  IMPORT - import ASCII data from other database programs or computers
   o  MS     - MicroStar word processor from Borland International

The registered shareware version of Contact Plus is priced at $79. Add $5
for shipping & handling.  Print out the enclosed INVOICE.DOC file to fill
out your order and send to:

       Contact Plus Corporation *
       PO Box 3992
       Albuquerque, NM  87190
       USA

* Formerly E Trujillo Software

or for rush orders call (Visa/MC accepted):

       [phone] (information & orders)

We also offer BBS support.  You can check out our other software offerings
at [phone] 9600 baud 8-N-1 using the Wildcat BBS system.

Contact Plus Corporation reserves the right to change this offer at anytime.
Contact Plus is a registered trademark of Contact Plus Corporation.
Contact Plus Corporation also holds the US copyright to Contact Plus.
=============================================================================

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

   Make sure that the proper date and time are setup.  CONTACT PLUS makes
   heavy use of the date and time throughout the system.

      (1) Copy all files into a CONTACT directory on your hard disk

      (2) Enter the command "C" at the prompt.

   Press the HELP button (F1) often when first getting acquainted
   with Contact Plus.

   If you have a problem at startup with the message:

       CANNOT OPEN ALL FILES ... QUITTING

       Follow these steps:

          (1)  Locate your "config.sys" file.  This file is a DOS
               configuration file and is located in the top directory
               of your boot disk.

          (2)  Issue the following command which will either create the
               config.sys file or add the line to it.

                  C> echo FILES=20 >> config.sys

          (3)  Turn off your computer and turn it back on again.

          (4)  Try to run Contact Plus again.

    Contact Plus comes with a sample database already programmed in.  You
    may change any of the user defined fields and experiment with the system
    as you wish.

    Make sure that you backup the database everyday.  You will soon find
    that the data you keep is very valuable.

CUSTOMIZING CONTACT PLUS

   Go to the USER PARAMETER MENU to change the user defined fields.  You
   will want to set the first two user defined fields with something that
   can be sorted such as account number, region, sales id, or social security
   number.  You may also want to customize the user defined date fields.

ADDING/DELETING CONTACTS

   Adding, and deleting contacts can only be done from the header page under
   the contact menu.  To add a new contact, simply press A followed by the
   ENTER key.  You can copy the information being displayed to the new contact
   or enter your information on a new clean screen.  When finished adding the
   contact, press ESC.  You will be prompted to save the contact.

   Contact Plus is ALWAYS in search mode.  The search will depend upon the
   setting of the index which can be last name, company name, zip code
   or one of the two user defined index fields.

   Press the UP and DOWN arrow to access different contacts or enter the first
   few characters of the last name.  If you change the index to COMPANY, you can
   access the contacts by company name instead of last name.  The indexing
   feature is also available for zip code, user field 1 and user defined
   field 2.

PHONE CALLS

   Press F3 or F4 from any of the pages under the Contact Menu.  Of course,
   the contact that you want to dial must be displayed on the screen.  If you
   have a Hayes compatible modem, Contact Plus will dial the phone for you.
   Otherwise, you can still press F3 or F4 to log the phone call but you will
   have to dial the phone manually.

   Each call will be stored in the phone log page with the most recent call
   appearing at the top of the screen.  The phone calls cannot be deleted
   once they are entered.  You have access to the previous 30 calls only.

AUTOMATED FOLLOWUP LETTERS

   Contact Plus has the unique ability to interface with WordPerfect, XYwrite,
   and WordStar when generating followup letters automatically.  From the
   Contact Plus menu, simply press F6 and you will be presented with a list
   of up to 100 different FORM files.  Each file is a template with codes
   where the salutation, address, dates will go.  You must specify the
   path of your word processor in the SYSTEM PARAMETER MENU in order
   for this to work properly.  The form letters (WordPerfect) do not have to
   be in TEXT or ASCII format, they can be in native WordPerfect format.

   Press F6 with the sample database and you will be placed in the
   sample word processor called MSDEMO which only illustrates the
   capability of the followup letter feature.


POPUP WINDOWS

   Most prompts in the header page have a popup window that enables you to
   enter common information at the press of a few keystrokes.  If the
   popups are set to appear automatically, they will popup whenever the
   highlight bar is placed over the field.  Otherwise, press F10 to access
   the popup menu on those prompts in the HEADER PAGE.  Press F10 again
   to modify the popup menu.

NOTES

   While in any of the contact menu pages, you may press the F7 key (NOTES)
   which will bring up a date/time stamped note.  The notes may be summoned
   while any other popup window is on the screen.  It is especially
   convenient when talking on the phone.

   There are an unlimited number of notes that can be stored perpetually
   for each contact in the database.  Each note is date and time stamped
   for your convenience.

TICKLERS

   Use the tickler feature to remind you to call back or followup on one
   of your clients.  Each contact in the database has up to 15 different
   associated ticklers.  Use the DONE? field to signify if the task was
   completed, not completed or if you don't care.

   The ticklers marked as NOT DONE today, can be rescheduled to a date
   in the future.

REPORTS

   There are 15 reports available all of which can be printed on the screen,
   printer or sent to a capture file for later processing with a word processor.

   A selection menu will appear after the report is chosen.  The selection
   menu allows you to sort and select particular clients

MAIL/MERGE

   If you wish to send one letter to a bunch of clients the mail/merge
   feature will allow you to do just that.  Simply create an ASCII
   text file using your favorite editor and call it CONTACT.1, CONTACT.2
   CONTACT.3 through CONTACT.9.  The first mail/merge template under
   the mail/merge menu corresponds to the CONTACT.1, the second template
   corresponds to the file CONTACT.2, etc.  The sample file "CONTACT.1" is
   included with the shareware version.

MOUSE SUPPORT

   If you have a Microsoft mouse, you can use it by setting up the MOUSE
   parameters under the SYSTEM PARAMETER MENU.  The MOUSE will act as the
   arrow keys.  Press the LEFT mouse button for the ENTER key and the
   RIGHT button for the ESC key.

MULTIPLE DATABASES

   You can keep a database of hot prospects.  Another one for friends and
   acquaintances and another one for your vendors.  Use the DATABASE MENU
   to create new databases.


==============================================================================
Here is what some of our satisfied customers and reviewers are saying about
Contact Plus:

Dr. Leon Wortman, Software Reviewer of Business Marketing Magazine (Jan '89):
    "I look at, install or run an average of three or four new software
     packages a month.  They range in price from much less than $100 to
     several thousand dollars.  I know what I'm about to report may be
     hard to swallow.  But have faith in me.  If I didn't genuinely know
     that Contact Plus is the best-buy-of-the-year, I wouldn't describe
     it with those very words."

Charles K. Fairchild, Washington D.C.:
    "You realize, I hope, that programs like this could set a new standard
     for overall design and ease of use.  I have never seen anything on
     the regular commercial market that feels so good to use, has so much
     built-in help, and so many features!"

Harry Pollard, President of Henry George Schools of California:
    "After using a dozen or more databases, I settled on Contact Plus
     for the best reasons.  It's the fastest database, tracker, tickler,
     dialing program I've encountered.  It automatically backs up,
     issues reports in a variety of formats and mail/merges as you wish.
     It records letters and calls, and graphs calling experience with
     individual clients."

Tim Greer, Software Reviewer of the Phoenix PC User's Group (April '90):
    "CLIENT TRACKING DREAM... If you are in a business where tracking
     client contact is important, have I got a gem for you.  It's a
     piece of Shareware called CONTACT PLUS."

Brad Caverly, Film Plane of Panorama City, CA:
    "This is one of the best programs I have seen ever, shareware or
     commercial.  I have never registered a piece of shareware before
     but I have never run across a program so complete, so user
     friendly and so useful."

Paul Cassel, Software Reviewer of the Albuquerque Journal (July '89):
    "Today, there are several programs designed to help salespeople
     increase productivity.  One of the best of these was written,
     and is distributed by, an Albuquerque programmer, Ed Trujillo."

Dr. File Finder (Mike Callahan, best selling book author):
    "Contact Plus, by Ed Trujillo, is a full-featured program that can be
     used by anyone who has to keep track of the people.  It's many features
     make it a powerful program  that can really increase your productivity
     and your effectiveness.  I've looked at MANY programs and Contact Plus
     is the BEST!  My advice is to give it a try!"

Larry Fox, Vice President Ziff-Davis Press: "I honestly have never
     encountered a software package that works so much like I work.  From its
     friendly yet practical data screen through its annotations, logs and
     reports of calls, ticklers, memos, letters, notes and appointments to
     its seamless template and mail merge with either its own word processor
     or Wordperfect, Contact Plus creates a complete yet natural environment
     for the tracking of daily contacts ..."

==============================================================================
For those with extensive client tracking needs, we are also offering Contact
Plus Professional 3.0 which is different from the shareware version in the
following features:

   o    The database uses approximately 50% less disk space.

   o    There are 16 user defined fields.

   o    There are 2 extra 4 line mailing addresses.

   o    Database access is about twice as fast

   o    There is NO limit to the number of phone calls can be stored.  You
        thus have a perpetual history of all calls to all contacts.

   o    There is NO limit to the number of letters that can be stored.

   o    You can now store a history of meetings

   o    A DEAR field has been added (Dear *de) useful when addressing a
        person in a letter.  I.e. you can write "Dear Bill" instead of
        "Dear William H."

   o    A history popup window has been added displaying all calls
        and letters.  While you are talking on the phone, you can press
        the HISTORY window which will give you immediate access to the
        previous phone calls and letters.

   o    You can select which fields will have an automatic popup menu.
        You may for instance, choose to have the POPUP come up on
        the CITY field only.

   o    The popup menus have more selections on most fields.  You thus
        can have more options when using the F10 popup menus.

   o    A birthdate field (Month and day only) is recorded for each contact
        for handy birthdate mailings.

   o    HP laser labels (two different Avery formats).  Do mass mailings
        using your HP laser printer quickly and professionally.

   o    Support for COM3 and COM4 modems for auto-dial.

   o    2 up and 3 up mailing labels for pinfeed printers.

   o    6 keys to access DOS with ability to pass mail/merge codes
        as parameters.  This enables you to communicate with other programs
        such as FAX transmittal programs.

   o    Index on next tickler date.  This will bunch all of your contacts
        in the order that they have to be contacted.  You can simply press
        the DOWN arrow key or drag the mouse to access the next person that
        needs to be called.

   o    Remembers index, page and contact last accessed between sessions.
        This is handy if you want to always access your contacts by company
        name instead of by contact name.

   o    Tickler rescheduler will reschedule ticklers not DONE for ALL ticklers
        prior to today (not just today's ticklers).  If you are sick for a
        week and need to catch up on your call backs for the previous week,
        you can re-schedule all those ticklers when you come back from sick
        leave.

   o    Browse screen allowing you to view up to 42 contacts on the screen
        at one time.  From the BROWSE screen, you can dial, write letters
        take notes, and view the history.  You may also flag/unflag contacts.

   o    Ticklers are based on the DATE and TIME of the appointment.  They are
        also tied into a MASTER calendar so that you can instantly see if you
        are free to make a NEW appointment with your contacts.

   o    An alarm function can be set based on the TIME set for your ticklers.
        Even if you aren't running Contact Plus you will still be notified
        when it is time to make your call or meeting.

   o    Optional interface to Calendar Creator Plus from Power Up Software.
        This will allow you to get your ticklers printed in a multitude of
        formats including DayTimer(r) format.  You can then have a handsome
        calendar listing all your contacts for the week, their phone numbers
        and what you have to call them about.

   o    Optional interface to DBASE III.  This allows you to access to ALL
        data fields in Contact Plus through a DBASE III compatible tool.
        The contact information (including phone calls/letters/notes) are
        dumped out in DBF file format.  You can then generate your own
        customized reports.  You can even do a mass-update such as updating
        all the ZIP codes to ZIP + 4 codes.

==============================================================================

If your office needs to access the same database simultaneously through a
network call and ask about our multi-user LAN version.  The multi-user version
works on IBM-PC networks such as Novell and LANtastic.  It will log the
user id of the person making the phone call, taking a note or writing a
letter.  Many of the features in the professional version are also in the
multi-user version.  Call for more information or check out our BBS which
contains sample screens of the system.

    Contact Plus Corporation
    PO Box 3992
    Albuquerque, NM  87190
    USA
    [phone] voice
    [phone] BBS  (9600,2400,1200 baud - 24 hours)

=============================================================================