Customising Update Emails.

The sending of update emails is a very handy way of making sure that you have all the correct details for your contacts, and getting the details that you do not have at all.

The process happens in a few steps - you need to create the form (so specify the fields you want the recipient to complete), create the link, the composing and sending of the mail, and then the processing of the responses.

• Click on the blue form link at the top of your CRM, this will take you through to a blank page (if you have created no forms previously) with a drop down at the top of the page. Click on the drop down and select Contact Form (Public):

• This will give you a list of all the fields on your contact details page. Here you can select which fields you want the recipient of the update email to complete.

• Once you have selected the fields that you want to use - you can decide on the order in which they appear on the form. To do this you need to change the number in the order field.

• You can also decide which fields you want to force the recipients to fill in - to do that you need to either check the check box,

• There is also a space to the right of the field for a field message - so any instructions you want to have appear next to the field - you can enter here - and they will appear on the form. You can also upload a logo - which will appear at the top of your form - this can be searched for and added straight from your desk top.
• Once you have completed everything - remember to give your form a name - and click on save.

• The first thing you need to do is create a group that the contact will go into once they have updated their details. This helps to give you an indication of when they last completed an update email - the group name will appear in the groups list - so name it something that will be clear in the future ie: Update completed 10.2008. 

•  Once you have created the group and completed the form (remember that you can change the form at any time), click on Link Manager at the top of your screen. This will take you to another blank screen if you have no links that have been previously created, with a drop down at the top. On that drop down - select Contact Link:

• A blank screen will appear with fields at the top. In the name field you must name the link, and in the Description put a short description of where the link goes - and what it is for - this is so that other members of the team will also know what the link is for - and can use it if they need to.
• To add the form that you created - click on the green plus next to the template edit box, and a list of possible forms will appear - add the form that you want to use for the link.
• In the Subset drop down - choose group - and then type in the name of the group that you created earlier into the dialogue box, and click on search. When the group appears in the box, click on the add button to the left of it.
• Once you are happy with everything - you need to check the check box that says Use in Update email (as Default). If this check box is not ticked - the update email link will have to manually be added each time you want to send an update email out.

• Every bulk mail that is sent out will now have a blue 'Update my details' link at the bottom left of it - so any contact can check and update their details at any time if they wish to. You will not see this link in your compose screen, exactly like the Unsubscribe link, but it will appear at the bottom of each and every mail. If however you want to have a link in the body of the mail as well - you can use #update# in any sentence - and this will then become a link to the update form as well.
• Once you are happy with the wording and content of your mail - you can click on preview and send. (Once again - we recommend that you send a test draft to yourself first - to check that you are happy with the mail and template).