In this issue of GoldMine Success I’ve already mentioned SQL Queries.  But I realize that many of my readers don’t know what I’m talking about when I say “SQL Queries,” let alone why this is such a great feature in GoldMine Premium.  So, this article will provide you a brief explanation and hopefully some understanding of this fantastic tool.

Let’s begin with a broader explanation of what a SQL Query is, and then I’ll bring it back to its place within GoldMine. 

GoldMine Premium runs on Microsoft SQL.  Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) produced by Microsoft Corporation. Its primary query language is Transact-SQL, an implementation of the ANSI/ISO standard Structured Query Language (SQL) used by both Microsoft and Sybase. 

SQL is a standard interactive and programming language for querying and modifying data and managing databases.  IBM deserves credit here because the first version of SQL was developed at IBM by Donald D. Chamberlin and Raymond F. Boyce in the early 1970s. (Windows isn’t the only thing IBM paid to develop.J)  This version, initially called SEQUEL, was designed to manipulate and retrieve data stored in IBM’s original relational database product. 

The most common operation in SQL databases is the query, which is performed with the declarative SELECT keyword. SELECT retrieves data from a specified table, or multiple related tables, in a database.  SQL queries allow the user to specify a description of the desired result set.  A SQL query returns a list of columns with all the relevant data.

OK … maybe I have you more confused, so let’s say all this another way and get to the point at the same time!   If you want to find and see specific information stored in your SQL database, a “SQL Query” is one way to do it!

Now let’s talk about what this has to do with GoldMine.  First of all, since GoldMine7x., all the data “stored in GoldMine” is actually really all stored in a MS SQL database.  (It’s in either MS SQL 2000 or 2005, depending on when you purchased GoldMine and if you’ve upgraded your SQL.) 

Here’s the implication!  Because your data is in SQL, you can QUERY it!!  Which also means you can find and see information with SQL queries that you can’t get to with the standard GoldMine pull down menus and screens.  The implications are huge! 

SQL Queries, which can be run and looked at from within the SQL Tab of the Filters & Groups Menu as well as other Query tools, unlocks information in ways you couldn’t have before.  It gives you the ability to apply conditions so that you can select and see your information a multitude of ways.  It can literally change the whole value proposition of your GoldMine database! 

The applications are far reaching including but not limited to better workflow, better management information, ability to target market, etc., etc. 

The possibilities are so great that I can’t cover them all in one article. This is why I’ve decided to organize a webinar to show you.  Would you be interested in the details?  Click here to register and I’ll invite you to the event once I’ve locked down the specifics.

It’s worth mentioning that SQL Reporting Services is another just as powerful feature that comes with your Microsoft SQL.  SQL Reporting Services was greatly enhanced with SQL 2005, and further so in SQL 2008.  First Direct Corporation also has training and technical services available to help you leverage this feature with your GoldMine software.  Let us know if you’re interested!

Last but not least, if you’d like our help writing a SQL query, just contact my office.  Send me an email describing the nature of your query and we will contact you.  A lot of times we can write the query pretty quickly and email it back to you with instructions on how to easily put in your system and start using it.

Sometimes managing people is better accomplished by managing the technology they use.  This certainly can be the case when it comes to your GoldMine database.  Data quality, which I’ll define as accuracy and completeness, is largely in the hands of your users.  What they do each time they’re on record or doing some activity that should be tracked in the database will largely determine the quality of your data.  And, as the database goes, so goes your ability to effectively target and communicate to your customer and prospect base.

“Record Typing” in a feature in GoldMine that enables an organization using GoldMine to present users with fields and screens and fields to dictate the fields that users should view and edit. As a GoldMine Record progresses from a “Lead” to a “Prospect” to a “Customer” the fields in view for the Users to edit can change.  In effect, you are able to design a workflow.
Using Record Typing in this way will enable users to see and be reminded more easily of what information they should collect.  Record Typing can also make it simpler to train new users, who will see fewer fields on the screen. 

By assigning a “Custom Screen” and “GM+View” for each Record Type, as you switch Records, or enter a new Record of one Type or another, the Main Screen (top half) of Record, as well as the custom fields in the Fields Tab, and the GM+View, will switch accordingly.

All the configuration for Record Typing is done within the Records Type Administrator.   I must tell you that the way this works, plus the bugs in GoldMine that relate to this feature, is enough to make you scream.  By the same token once you get the knack of it it’s not too bad.  And, you already know that First Direct is pleased to help you in this area.  I’ve even planned a FREE webinar on this topic – click here for a link to that special event.

Since day one GoldMine has been a great tool for tracking activities (Calls, Appointments, Actions, Email, etc.).  Now with the new GoldMine Premium Edition and its new Case Management capabilities you can manage technical support issues, customer service requests, and other types of matters. 

Case Management will be very useful for IT departments, customer service departments, administrators, and others who require a better way of tracking and managing their issues.  The new Service Center provides a consolidated view of all “cases.”  Within the Service Center one can filter by various elements and then drill down into more details on any specific case.

Cases are tracked against contact records or other “GoldMine Record Types.”  GoldMine’s Case Management enables you to categorize cases, track their origin, relate cases to a product, prioritize them, indicate a “due date,” and assign a person to manage each case. 

Incident tracking with Case Management provides the first step to a more proactive business process.  Case Management comes with other essential basic tools that will help organizations provide better service to their customers, thereby improving customer loyalty and helping them to manage their resources more effectively. 

The “Alerts” feature makes it easy to identify Open Issues in the Service Center which are “Past Due.” They can be escalated or reassigned as called for.  Statistics on open, closed, and past due cases provide a vital big picture and focus for both your support staff and supervisors. 

FrontRange Solutions realized that GoldMine’s Knowledge Base (a.k.a. the InfoCenter) could be applied to the handling of support issues and has integrated it into Case Management.  The Knowledge Base gives GoldMine users access to documentation which will help them to close cases more rapidly with less training.  Users can research a topic and then incorporate findings into a resolution and email them to the customer/client.

Since issues are tracked inside GoldMine, in the new “Cases” tab of the corresponding GoldMine record, the whole organization will be informed of issues.  Sales reps are kept in the loop on matters pertaining to their customers.  Case Management adds significant value to organizations.  And, it’s not all you get with the new GoldMine Premium Edition! 

Wish to see a personal demonstration of Case Management along with the other attractive features in the new GoldMine Premium Edition?  Email info@1stdirect.com or call (800) 935-4386. 

As most know, GoldMine is a great tool for tracking activities (Calls, Appointment, Actions, Email, etc.).  However, GoldMine lacks functionality and features in the User Interface (UI) which demanding customer service/help desk environments require.  Here are just of few of the types of needs such departments have:

• Auto Ticket/Issue ID# Generation
• Issue Tracking – record all aspects from initial inquiry to problem resolution
• Configurable Inquiry Screen and Custom Intake Forms
• Assigning/Referring an Issue to another User
• Priority Escalation
• Automated Email Notifications to Users
• Integrated Knowledgebase – to capture and search for relevant solutions
• Relevant Reporting

Individuals who handle support calls will find that support software is designed to work the way they do, which is often different than how sales and marketing people work.  Creating, finding, and managing open issues is more user friendly and efficient!

The single biggest difference between recording a call in GoldMine (either scheduling or completing) and a service & support application is the “Issue Tracking.”  In GoldMine, each Activity is discrete.  In other words, there is nothing that automatically associates one pending or completed activity with another, other than the Record over, or the Opportunity/Project Manager.  Therefore, for organizations that wish to “open an issue” and manage it from “start to finish,” GoldMine falls short.  For this and other reasons organizations tend to look to special applications for this purpose.

There are many other important capabilities that a help desk or service department could be looking for.  And, there are many systems available.  But I’d like to call to your attention one particular product called Tele-Support Help Desk.  

I mention this product because Tele-Support has three significant advantages: 1) Out-of-the-box integration with GoldMine, 2) Affordability, and 3) Full featured, yet simple to use. 

Because Tele-Support incorporates your existing GoldMine contact database, you can leverage information you have in GoldMine, as well as share information between sales and service professional.  The integration lets you start creating tickets for existing records in GoldMine right off the bat.

Tele-Support’s integration with GoldMine offers several notable features: 

• The GoldMine primary and additional contacts are viewable when starting a support issue/ticket
• You can view GoldMine fields from within Tele-Support
• New open issues are automatically added to the “Pending” tab in GoldMine, and are also automatically moved to “History” when resolved/closed.  Unlike HEAT, the product made from FrontRange, there’s no need to refer to the “Tickets” tab which is an extra effort for non-helpdesk users such as sales people.  

There are several aspects about Tele-Support’s GoldMine integration which are advantageous.  Tele-Support Help Desk also deploys rapidly and relatively easily.  Manufacturer’s support for implementation is even free during the trial period.  (Imagine that, free installation support!)   

There’s way too much to say about Tele-Support Help Desk for this newsletter.  So, my suggestion is that if you have considered the need for a service & support solution, check Tele-Support.  Free trials and demonstrations are available from First Direct Corp.

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Imagine being able to see detailed and vivid analysis of your GoldMine data or data pulled from an external database in the form of professional looking charts, graphs, and reports right within your GoldMine screen, even within the GoldMine Contact Record. 

What’s more, how nice would it be to have immediate access to this information from anywhere over the Internet through a web browser?  Or even, to automatically distribute reports on a timely basis to the right people?  It’s all possible with the new Microsoft SQL 2005, improved SQL Reporting Services, and the features in GoldMine!

As far as reporting solutions go, Microsoft is a relative late comer to the scene. But within the past two years Microsoft released Reporting Services as a free add-on to SQL Server 2000. With its ability to deploy web-based reports, connect to any ODBC data source, and various display export and print options, SQL Reporting Services became a serious contender on the reporting circuit.  Now with the recent release of SQL Server 2005, Microsoft has made significant improvements to SQL Reporting Services (2005). Included with this recent version is Report Builder which allows a user to design an ad hoc report in an easy-to-use interface.

Possibly the most exciting aspect of SQL Reporting Services is its web-based report deployment. All reports are viewed in a web browser such as Internet Explorer.  In other words, users can launch reports from anyplace from a web address/URL … GoldMine users can launch reports from their “Task Bar.

Reporting Services automatically creates a web-based report management tool that allows users to run reports either on-demand or on a scheduled subscription basis deliverable via Email. Reports can be printed or exported to a variety of file formats including Adobe PDF, Excel, HTML, and XML.

Since SQL RS is web-based, it lends itself perfectly to many of GoldMine’s frequently under utilized features. SQL Reporting Services is a perfect match for GoldMine’s GM+ Views, GM+ Browser, and MyGoldMine. At their core, all three of these tools are really web browsers and can be setup to display information from your GoldMine database or even an external database system with a tool such as SQL Reporting Services.

Consider a few possibilities:  You could be on a GoldMine Contact Record and the GM+ View tab showing monthly sales orders and product information relevant to that company/contact. Or envision using the GM+ Browser, introduced in GoldMine CE 7.x to look at a company-wide pipeline report without having to leave your GoldMine screen. Or use MyGoldMine for what it is really meant for, a dashboard interface that shows you at a glance exactly what you need to know when you need to know it. Pie charts, bar graphs, data from multiple sources, and all of it web-based. SQL Reporting Services is such a good fit for GoldMine, it looks and feels like a natural part of GoldMine … truly seamless integration.

Another great thing about SQL Reporting Services is that it is a 100% server side solution. Client machines do not have to be installed, no need to worry about creating DSN connections or loading DLL files on the client machines. And GoldMine Corporate Edition v7.0 has built-in tools to allow users to subscribe and schedule reports from right within your GoldMine menus. Microsoft SQL Reporting Services has already made a big impact on the reporting scene since its recent release, and we can be sure to see its popularity grow!

Want to see a demo or start using MS SQL Reporting Services … contact First Direct.

What would you say if I offered you a salesperson that works tirelessly, or never forgets to follow-up, or never complains about compensation no matter how successful they are, is 100% loyal, and completely focused on what you direct them to do?  What if I told you this sales rep costs less than any other salesperson you pay today?  You’d say, “What’s the catch?” 

There’s always a catch … especially when something sounds this good.  But even with the catch, it’s still a great offer!  A fantastic offer!! 

First, meet your salesperson … their name is GoldMine Automated Processes!   Now, don’t go saying this is ridiculous … hear me out.

To begin with, let me quote the person reputed to be the “father of modern advertising,” and the founder of Advertising Age Magazine.  John Kennedy said, “Advertising is sales in print.”  Furthermore, it is generally accepted that most direct marketing body copy is approached from the perspective of a salesperson writing or speaking to an individual prospect or customer.  As they say, “You put the salesperson in the letter” and “You demonstrate in your brochure.” 

There’s a lot of “selling” going on in letters, emails, faxes, and related website pages.  With videos, flash, and now even podcasts, you can package a salesperson’s presentation, let alone their personality, and distribute at any time.  Not to mention communications intended to maintain and build relationships and loyalty.

Surely there is no replacement for human interaction – via a phone call or face-to-face.  By the same token, I’m not suggesting you do away with your sales force.  I’m asking you to question your next hire, or maybe even your next fire, if you get my point.  Plus, done right, GoldMine Automated Processes (AP’s) will make your existing sales force much more effective! 

GoldMine Automated Processes is an incredible tool that’s used by approximately 2% of users!  Why is that?  In part it’s a reflection on how poorly we prepare and manage salespeople in general.  We send them out to sell, but we don’t equip them.  How well have you done in defining an effective process, creating template letters, and training reps on how to leverage your firm’s website to help them sell, and more?

Automated Processes can send emails, print letters, send faxes, print reports, and more.  But with APs, this preparation is even more critical, because APs can only do what you design them to do. Nothing more, nothing less.  By the same token, the time, effort, and investment you make in Automated Processes can reap benefits and rewards over & over again! 

I don’t recommend jumping into GoldMine Automated Processes without the guidance from someone with years of experience – not because they are technically hard, but because they are conceptually very challenging.  You are very likely to overlook a critically important aspect.  Because of the nature of Automated Processes, to do things automatically at a rapid speed, the potential for damaging relationships is pretty high.

When it comes to accountability, as a manager I often take the position “if it’s not in GoldMine it didn’t happen.”  Here’s what I mean and why it works so well.

GoldMine can be used to document a lot of things!  And, as a workgroup solution, the information is easily accessible. GoldMine lends itself to tracking everything – from the source of a lead with the creation date, to the date of the last call, any scheduled follow-up, to all sorts of other details. 

In addition, GoldMine features an InfoCenter (a.k.a. Knowledgebase) where you can maintain “books of knowledge” for such purposes as policies and procedures, marketing information, even ISO documentation. 

Let’s get back to this notion of “if it’s not in GoldMine it didn’t happen.”  As a manager, ideally we try to be objective and fair.  That’s why it really helps to “have the facts.”  Relying on people’s memory presents problems – people have very selective memory, let alone their personal bias and their self-interests which can lead them to skew the facts.  This is where GoldMine can really help!

• Who brought in the lead?  Look at the Summary Tab of the record and see who created it in the GoldMine database.
• Who has been following up on the prospect and deserves credit for the commission when the prospect calls in to order?  Look in the History Tab and review the calls.
• When did the customer call in to request certain information?  Check History Tab.
• Is somebody following up on a lead?  Check Pending Tab.
• When did the customer say they were mailing the check?  Check “Call Notes.”

When you take the attitude that “if it’s not in GoldMine it didn’t happen” an interesting dynamic comes about.  From that point forward, people start to take more responsibility for entering important information.  Users recognize each time there is a situation in which “the facts” that should have been stored in GoldMine are needed, that someone either did or didn’t do their job properly by entering them.  Therefore, the quality of the documentation in GoldMine becomes a reflection on the quality of a person’s work.  So, if people take any pride in what they do, they will start tobe more attentive to what they enter into GoldMine.

When you take the position, “if it’s not in GoldMine it didn’t happen” you’ll be surprised at how much more useful information ends up IN Goldmine!  And, in the process, you’ll be able to be a stronger manager.

Recently I wrote a paper called “How to Use Reporting to Grow and Manage a Business”.  It has a powerful message and one that needs to get out there more.  So, I want to mention some of the key points of the paper and direct you to a link where you can download and read the full story. 

Reporting can empower an organization to make smarter, more informed decisions.  Reporting can reveal, reward and punish behavior.  Reporting can stir positive competition and motivate constructive efforts.  Simply put, reporting can help you to succeed.  With all the good things reporting can do, you’d expect there to be a lot more of it in today’s database-driven world!

I’m not taking anything away from gut instinct.  Yet, as I see it, reporting is extremely under used. There are a number of reasons for this:

• Managers don’t know how to use reports and what to report on
• Managers lack the abilities and resources to design and write reports
• The data does exist to report on, so no one writes the report, so no one collects the data, and you end up with a kind of circular problem which only perpetuates both problems.

Like anything that’s not getting done and needs to, the solution begins by recognizing there is a problem.  Just recognizing the need for better reporting is a big move in the right direction!  From there, with some investment of time and resources, this is certainly one area of your business where you can expect meaningful improvements in a relatively short amount of time.  Over time, you can build a portfolio of valuable reports that help all areas and aspects of your organization.

Looking for a place to start?  Why don’t you start by reading my article “How to Use Reporting to Grow and Manage a Business”.  After that, I invite you to take another step … if you’d like, give me a call and let’s talk about your organization’s reporting needs!

In addition, as a GoldMine user, I highly recommend you entertain a personal demonstration of the following popular report writing solutions for GoldMine:  MasterMine, Stonefield Query and Crystal Reports. And, don’t overlook this lesser known tool for creating real-time HTML reports that can be viewed in the GM+Views window – DbNetGrid.  Contact First Direct Corp. for further information or to arrange a personal demonstration.

Do you have a big prospect list that you want to split up evenly for several telemarketers or sales reps to call? Use the Group Scheduling feature in GoldMine to equally divide the calls between multiple users.

Once the list is in GoldMine, filter or group the records. Then schedule a call with the proper details and notes. Before you press schedule, go to the Users tab and add all the people you want working on the calls. Then go to the “Group Schedule” tab and check “Schedule to a group of contacts.” Check the box to “span over multiple days” and to “skip weekends” if those are appropriate. Set the start date and time and how many calls you want scheduled overall each day. Once you press “Schedule” you’ll see, after the process monitor is done, that the calls have been divided evenly and that each call is assigned to one sales person only.

Ever feel like no matter how hard you try you can never get caught up? Here’s one way to clean house – and deal with outdated activities that hang over you.

One nice feature in the Activities List is the option to “Auto Update” your pending activities. This local menu feature, within any of the open activities tabs (open, calls, appointment, action, etc.), enables a user to complete or delete all the activities in view.

By selecting your date range and applying a filter beforehand, you can select those activities you want to complete or delete in one fell swoop.

You can also assign an Activity Code to all the activities you complete. This may even be a non-descript code, such as “FLD Filed” which doesn’t indicate whether you did or did not do the actual activity, rather that it was pending and now it’s filed. Or, you may have addressed a whole bunch of literature call backs with emails or fax follow-up and you therefore chose to use a code that indicates so.

There is also a “Roll-over” option in the same local menu. This will enable you to push forward a whole group of activities. Again, you may want to limit the view by date range and filter. (Caution – there is a known issue with rollover not honoring the “filter”, so test this on a limited date range before you do it for large date range.)