Contact Groups and Emailshot
Overview
- Contact Groups are lists of people to email or text.
- An Emailshot sends one Email Template to a whole group, or to contacts you select, with each person's details merged into the message.
- See Email Reference for the email screen itself.
- A static group is a list of contacts that you add and remove by hand.
- A dynamic group is built by SQL each time it is used, so it stays up to date.
- Groups can also be added to the To, CC and BCC fields of an email.
- The Emailshot creates one email (or SMS) for each person in the Outbox, from where they are sent.
Contact Groups List
Buttons Explained
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
| Menu | Opens a menu with this option:
|
| Refresh | Reloads the groups. |
| New | Creates a group and opens it. |
Fields Explained
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The group's name. |
| Menu (...) | Click the button for these options:
|
Edit Contact Group
Edit Contact Group Buttons Explained
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
| Arrows | Return to the list, or move to the previous or next group. |
| New | Creates a group. |
| Save | Saves the group and its members. |
| Delete | Deletes the group after you confirm ("Delete ContactGroup?"). |
| Add Recipient | Static groups: adds a row for a member. |
| Edit SQL | Dynamic groups: opens the SQL editor. Use its Template (button) to start from a template. |
Edit Contact Group Fields Explained
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The group's name. |
| Static | Select for a static group. Clear for a dynamic group built by SQL. |
Static Members Fields Explained
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Select a contact. The other details are filled in when you save. |
| Company | The contact's company. |
| Display as | The contact's display name. |
| The contact's email address. | |
| Menu (...) | Click the button to remove the member after you confirm ("Remove Member?"). |
Dynamic Members Fields Explained
Info
The SQL must return these fields, with these names. The columns show the field name in brackets, for example Name (LISTNAME).
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| LISTNAME | The person's display name. |
| COMPANY | The company. |
| SMS | The SMS number or address. |
| The email address. | |
| TITLE | The title. |
| FNAME | The first name. |
| SNAME | The surname. |
| REP | The rep's name. |
Emailshot
Info
The Emailshot is a wizard. Each step has Back, Next and Cancel.
How to Send an Emailshot
- Templates: Select a message from the list of templates (the emails in the Templates folder; see Email Templates).
- Send to: Select a group on the Groups tab, or select contacts on the Contacts tab. Refresh reloads the lists.
- Confirm: Check the template and the recipients, and select EMail or SMS in Send.
- Status: The emails are created in the Outbox and listed ("Created Email to …"). Click New for another Emailshot, or Finish.
- Each email gets the template's sender, reply-to address, subject and attachments.
- Stationery templates are sent as HTML.
- With SMS, the email goes to the person's SMS address, and the subject gets the text in the setting Output (Print, PDF, Email) > Bulk SMS Password to be used in Email Subject added to it, for a bulk SMS service.
Merge Fields
Info
- Type these fields in the template's body.
- Each one is replaced with the person's, or your own, details.
- They are not case-sensitive.
| Field | Replaced with |
|---|---|
| [company] | The company. |
| [title] | The title. |
| [firstname] | The first name. |
| [surname] | The surname. |
| [listname] | The display name. |
| [rep] | The rep's name. |
| [USERFIRSTNAME] | Your first name. |
| [USERLISTNAME] | Your display name. |
| [USEREMAIL] | Your email address. |
| [USERPOSITION] | Your position. |
| [USERTEL] | Your work number. |
| [USERMOBILE] | Your mobile number. |
| [USERSTATIONERY] | Your email stationery. |