Total Sales Docs - Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ Contents
- Setting Up Your Email
- Creating Printed Documents
- Creating Emails
- Creating and Managing Campaigns
- Working with Your Contacts
- Using Document Templates
Setting Up Your Email
Q: How do I set up my email so I can send communications from the Total Sales Docs application?
A: Before you can send any emails from the application, you need to configure your email by entering specific settings that are typically provided by your email provider. These settings are entered on a screen that is accessed through the main dashboard i.e. the first screen you see when you log in to the application. To configure your email, complete the following steps:
- Enter your log-in information.
- Select the My Account tab located at the top of the main dashboard page.
- Click on the My Company SMTP link under the My Company section of the page.
- Select your account type from the drop-down list.
- Note: If you have a Yahoo or Gmail account, your SMTP settings will be entered for you. If you have an email address from a different provider, you will need to refer to the instructions provided by your email provider.
- In the From field, enter your email address.
- Enter your email address in the User Name field.
- Enter the password associated with your email account.
- Check the box to conduct a test of your email and select Update.
- Review the terms of service and click Accept to continue.
Your email set up is now complete. Remember, if you have questions about the SMTP settings for your email account, please check with your email service provider.
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Creating Printed Documents
Q: Where do I go to create a document that I need to print?
A: You can begin the process of creating a printed document in two ways. After logging into the application, either select the Single Letter link in the navigation bar at the top of the page or choose the Single Letter link on the left side of the page. The application will then walk you through the process of creating a document that can be printed.
Q: If I create a printed document, will I subsequently be able to email that file as well as print it?
A: Unfortunately, no. If you create a printed document that you subsequently wish to email through the application, you will need to create and schedule delivery of a separate electronic version.
Q: Are printed documents available in other file formats as well as PDF?
A: At this time, documents that are to be printed are created and available to be saved as PDF files only.
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Creating Emails
Q: Where do I go to create an Email?A: You can begin to create an email in one of several ways:
- Select either of the Single Email links located on the left hand side of the dashboard or the navigation bar at the top of the page.
- Select either of the Email Campaign links located on the left hand side of the dashboard or the navigation bar at the top of the page.
Q: Can I create a unique subject line for each of my emails?
A: Yes. During the last step in the email creation process, you'll have the opportunity to create a unique subject line for the email.
Q: Are there additional HTML templates available for my use?
A: No. At this time, there are 6 HTML templates available for your use. We will be introducing additional HTML templates in the near future.
Q: When creating an email, what delivery scheduling options are available to me?
A: With this application, you can create electronic messages that can be sent immediately, or scheduled for delivery at a later time and date.
Q: How do I create an email that can be sent immediately rather than scheduled for later delivery?
A: If you'd like to prepare an email for immediate delivery, select either of the Single Email links from the main dashboard.
Q: What is the difference between an email status of "waiting" and "completed"?
A: Emails that are listed under Waiting are emails for which delivery has been scheduled but which have not yet been sent. Emails listed under Completed have been delivered.
Q: Is there a way to check to see if an email was sent successfully?
A: Yes. From the main dashboard, check the Completed button in the Email Status section of the dashboard and then select the Delivery Status button to the right of the email you sent.
Q: How do I view the contents of an email that's previously been sent?
A: You can view a previously sent email by checking the Completed button on the main dashboard page and then selecting the Delivery Status button next to the email you wish to view. This will provide you with an option to view the email by clicking on the View Message button.
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Creating and Managing Campaigns
Q: How do I create a new campaign?
A: You can create a new campaign by selecting either of the Email Campaign links located on the left side of the page or in the navigation bar at the top of the page.
Q: What is the difference between a Criteria-Based Campaign and a Scheduled Campaign?
A: The two types of campaign can be defined as follows:
- A Criteria-Based Campaign is a series of emails that are sent to a contact list that has been built using specific criteria. Examples of this could be series of communications that are to be sent to all of your customers located in the state of Georgia, or perhaps a series of emails to be sent to all of your customers that have the same account executive.
- A Scheduled Campaign is made up of a series of emails that have delivery dates that you define during the creation process. An example of this could be where you create an email that is to be sent on August 1st and also create 3 follow up emails with scheduled delivery dates of August 8th, August 15th and August 22nd.
Q: How can I view a list of all of my ongoing and one-time campaigns?
A: You can view all of your campaigns by clicking on the Campaign Control Center link located in the navigation bar at the top of the page.
Q: Where do I go to make changes to an existing campaign?
A: To make changes to an existing campaign, click on the Campaign Control Center link and select the Edit button located to the left of the name of the campaign you wish to make changes to. Clicking on this button will give you the option to edit the campaign settings, add a message to the campaign or delete the campaign.
Q: How do I add or remove someone from the recipient list of a message contained in a scheduled campaign?
A: The recipient list for a campaign can be edited in the following way. Start by clicking on the Campaign Control Center link and select the Edit button located to the left of the name of the campaign you wish to change. Clicking this button will take you the Campaign Details page for that campaign. Scroll down the page to the Recipient Details section and select the Edit Recipients button. This will bring you to a page where you are able to both add and remove campaign message recipients.
Q: How can I add a message to a scheduled campaign?
A: You can easily add a message to a scheduled campaign. Simply click the Campaign Control Center link and select the Edit button located to the left of the name of the campaign you wish to change. This will take you to the Details screen for that campaign. Scroll down the page to the section entitled Campaign Messages and select the Add Message button. From here, you will be able to add a message to your campaign.
Working with Your Contacts
Q: When I'm adding contacts for an electronic message, I notice that there's a drop-down containing a number of contact categories. Where is the information for these categories coming from?
A: The information in these contact categories comes from the contact information you've entered in your Contact Management contact database. Contact information is shared seamlessly between these applications so you'll always have the most up-to-date contact information available for your use.
Q: I'm creating a new electronic message and need to add a new contact. How do I do that?
A: To add a new contact while within the application, select the Add New Contact button while in the Campaign Recipient Selection section of the site. Clicking this button will give you the opportunity to add contact information and categorize this new contact.
Q: If I add new contact information from within the application, will the information be added to my CRM contact database?
A: Yes. Contact information you add from within the application will automatically be added to your CRM contact database.
Q: Can I edit information an individual contact from within the application?
A: No. All editing of existing contacts must be completed through your contact database which is accessible through the CRM application.
Q: How do I make changes to the list of recipients for a message in an existing campaign?
A: The recipient list for a campaign can be edited in the following way. Start by clicking on the Campaign Control Center link and select the Edit button located to the left of the name of the campaign you wish to change. Clicking this button will take you to the Campaign Details page for that campaign. Scroll down the page to the Recipient Details section and select the Edit Recipients button. This will bring you to a page where you are able to both add and remove campaign message recipients.
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Using Documents Templates
Q: If I don't see a template that meets my needs, can I create a new one from scratch?
A: Yes. You can create custom templates for both printed documents and electronic documents by selecting the Create New Template button. Clicking on this button opens the document creation application that you can use to create a custom document which can be saved as a new template. Once you've completed creating the new template, you'll be prompted to provide a name for the template and define what type of document can be created using it.
Q: When creating a custom template, how do I create replacement fields?
A: Replacement fields are fields that are included in a document and which contain data that varies from customer to customer, or product to product. Examples of replacement fields available to be used in your documents include Customer Name, Customer Address, Meeting Times, Meeting Dates, Product Names and Sender information. As you're creating a new template, it's possible that you may not find an appropriate field for your needs and so will have to define a new replacement field. You can do this from within the document creation application. Select the New Customized Replacement Field button and provide a name for the new replacement field and a description. Click on the Add button and the new field will now be available for use.
Q: Can I edit a template to fit the specific needs of my business?
A: Yes, during the document creation process, templates can be edited to fit your specific needs. While completing the Replacement Field information, select the Edit Template button located at the top right corner of the screen. After you've made your edits, you can choose to save the document as a new template.