There's a tendency for GoldMine Administrators to leave it up to the GoldMine user to change their "User Preferences" (Edit > Preferences). The assumption being that since they are "User Preferences" the user should do it themselves. This is reasonable; however, practically speaking, most users don't get around to making changes. Oftentimes they just don't understand the implications, and therefore just leave it alone. Here is a list of some changes that are worth considering:

• Personal Tab - Fill in all your contact info. (This information can be merged into letters and emails, so it definitely comes in handy. Since there's no "Email" field, you may want to put your email in the "Department" field as a work-around.)
• Record Tab - Check the "Show Sort-by Field" option to display the database's active Sort order on the Status bar.
• Calendar Tab - Under Display Details choose to "Show Activity Code" on Scheduled and Completed Activities on your calendar. (Note: Have your office administrator enter all the Holidays your company recognizes.)
• Schedule Tab - Check "Carry over completion notes when scheduling follow-up calls."
• Lookup Tab - I prefer to have my "Contact Listing" window Close once a record is selected.
• Misc. Tab - If your office makes strong use of the "InfoCenter," then I recommend you set it to "Show 'What's New' in the InfoCenter when logging in."

Life just got easier for the GoldMine user who wasn't aware of these options before!

GoldMine offers powerful security capabilities. To be based on each "user's properties." However, the security is only as effective as you've set it up. Since GoldMine is designed by default to give users almost complete access to menus and your data, it is imperative that consideration is given and steps are taken to remove menu and access rights. An efficient way to apply security to new or current users is to create profiles with all the appropriate rights you want a typical user to have. Then apply this profile to each user. Most organizations need multiple profiles since people with different titles, such as manager, sales representative and administrator, typically call for different rights. Another advantage of removing unnecessary or inappropriate menu rights is that users' dropdown menus will be less cluttered. That's a good thing in itself. Plus, just because you haven't trained someone on how to use "globally replace", doesn't mean they won't experiment with it one day and inadvertently mess up your database! Keep in mind that the effort of administering security through user properties is defeated if users don't have unique and confidential login passwords. Reinforce password privacy along with implementing defined user properties.

How do you measure GoldMine® Success™? Test your GoldMine® Success™ by answering the questions below. Consider whether your organization is doing the ten things below with GoldMine. In each case that you are give yourself 10 points. Total your score to see how you are doing with GoldMine. (Or, for that matter, any contact management software.)

1. Changes to important information about a record (e.g., prime contact leaving, address, phone and email, etc.) are updated right away in GoldMine.

2. It is very common for us to communicate and delegate internally with GoldMine, thereby creating a history within the record.

3. We have designed filters to segment our database for marketing purposes.

4. Our Document Management Center contains ready-to-go letter and email templates for all standard marketing and sales communications.

5. Analysis of sales activities reflects our volume of prospecting and sales calls.

6. If a sale is pending to a prospect, there will be a forecasted sale in GoldMine.

7. Customers with a past due account have a GoldMine "record alert" and a history of any collection calls made.

8. We rely on reports of certain GoldMine data in order to operate more effectively.

9. We have GoldMine Automated Processes that perform regular functions.

10. Leads from our web site forms are automatically imported into GoldMine.

So, how did you do?

■70% or better: then your organization couldn't live without GoldMine, or something to replace it.

■50 -70%: at least you're getting your moneys worth out of GoldMine, but you're not leveraging it the way you could or should.
If your score is disappointing, resist the knee-jerk reaction to blame GoldMine. There are lots of businesses that will score 100% on this quiz, and they're simply the ones who dedicated the energy, focus and discipline to make it so! By the same token, we can all raise our score and do better if we make up our minds to do so.

How you capture information is crucial for later use. If we're making the effort to ask intelligent qualifying questions, then we also can benefit by databasing the answers in predetermined GoldMine fields.

Unlike "Notes", fields are superior for filtering, reporting, sorting and analyzing. Marketing campaigns can be targeted. Sales activities can be focused on more qualified leads, wasting less time. So much is made possible if responses go into fields rather than notes.

Evaluate your "Fields Tab" in GoldMine on a periodic basis, or as the situation calls for it. As our business processes change we need to update the fields and screens. The responsibility for reviewing and specifying the changes and additions falls on sales management. IT staff or your GoldMine administrator can do the work, but they follow sales management's direction!

Not too long ago faxes would be announced each time one was received. Nowadays, as email inboxes and snail-mail boxes get bloated, targeted broadcast faxing is still a medium that reaches decision makers with a hard-copy printed page. Unlike email that is often deleted based on the subject alone before it's even viewed, faxes deliver a complete message with graphics. This helps them get attention.

While CRM solutions gain greater adoption, most organizations are still just catching on to the potential that a fax server offers. That's going to change, especially as the technology's integration with CRM matures, and as the software offers more robust features.

Using Internet faxing with OmniRush (formerly FaxRush), you can reach contacts for $.09 a page, far less than the cost of even, "bulk" direct mail. Internet faxing doesn't rely on a modem or tie up phone lines to transmit; it goes out over the Internet and rings at the receiver's fax machine like an ordinary fax. The volume is virtually unlimited.

With OmniRush, faxes can be merged like MS Word documents during the broadcast process so each fax is personalized. Adding a fax-back form to the document makes it easy for recipients to respond. Always offer an "opt out option" in at least 9-point size font.

Fax numbers tend to be more readily available than email addresses. It's an especially viable communication medium for B-to-B marketers. Integrated with your other communication channels, it can build business and reinforce current customer relationships.