eEDGE myCONTACTS
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The myContacts portion of eEdge is where all new agents should start. Until you have developed your database, you cannot create marketing campaigns. And if you haven't learned how to use the myContacts database, then you aren't ready to start managing the leads you receive from your eEdge website. Your contacts database is the foundation of your business. New agents may start out with very few contacts (perhaps only family and friends), but the recommendations explained here will help you to maintain a powerful and organized database as it grows into the thousands without getting out of hand.
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STEP 1: Create Groups |
STEP 1 Create Groups
myKW Home Page ► eEdge Control Panel ► myContacts ► View Contacts ► Contacts Tab ► Manage Groups
It is highly recommended that you organize your contacts into groups. Doing so means that you can easily add all of the contacts of a group to a marketing campaign with a single click rather than going through a large list of contacts, and clicking each person to add. For instance, if you have a group called FARM Lakeridge Run, then in the Manage and Create Campaigns section of eEdge you can simply click this group to add all of the contacts inside of it to a marketing campaign that you've created to specifically target that group.
How to Create Groups
- Enter a name for the group in the Create New Groups field.
Read below before creating your groups for some valuable information regarding recommended groups and naming conventions. - Click the red Save button.
Repeat these steps to keep adding groups.
TECH TIP
Changing Group Names
You can always change the name of a group without having to delete it and re-create it with a new name. Click the Edit (pencil & paper icon) to the far-right of the group name. You will be able to enter a new name for the group in the box that pops up.
Recommended Groups & Naming Conventions
Below are some recommended groups to use. Naming your groups with the formats below will ensure that your groups remain alphabetized, organized, and easily manageable. If you've already created groups, you can always rename them without having to re-create them.
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TECH TIP
How to Easily Add All of the Groups on This Page
If you're using Windows 7, use Windows' Snap feature to put this window side-by-side with your Manage Group page open in another browser window. Triple-click a group name on this page, then drag it horizontally into the Create New Group field in your Manage Groups page. Click Save, then repeat. No typing required!
Group Guidelines & Tips
Below are some further guidelines, limitations, and tips for using eEdge myContacts groups.
- You can create a maximum of 50 groups.
- Groups cannot have symbols in their names.
- Your list of group names will automatically be ordered alphanumerically (using the naming conventions above will keep them organized).
- For keeping certain groups (like months) in numerical order, use 01, 02, 03, etc. (as opposed to 1, 2, 3,...).
If you don't use 0's in front of single-digit numbers, then 1 would be followed by 10, 11, 12..., and 20, 21, 22... would follow 2. - Since group names are alphabetized, keep related groups together by beginning their name with the same capitalized phrase. Think of the capitalized phrase like a supergroup, and the phrase after it like a subgroup.
(e.g., FARM Gaillardia, FARM Heritage Hills, FARM Nichols Hills).
TECH TIP
Deleting Groups
Deleting groups will not delete the contacts inside of them. If you delete a group that contains contacts, you will be asked if you want to add those contacts to another group. If you do not assign them to another group, your contacts will remain in your database belonging to any other group they already belong to, or as ungrouped if they only belonged to the group you deleted. Deleting groups is like dumping out the contents of a shoebox onto the floor or into another shoebox, not throwing away the box with its contents still inside.
STEP 2A Add Contacts Manually with the New Contact Form
myKW Home Page ► eEdge Control Panel ► myContacts [+] Button ► Add New Contacts
Manually adding contacts is the easiest way to add a small number of contacts (about 1 to 20 at a time). This is probably how you will add contacts after an open house, for instance. The first page of the contact entry form allows you to add all of the information you have for a contact. If you enter an email address for the contact, you also have the option to send an email to that contact with a password to log in to their own account on your eEdge website, and use it to browse and save listings, and set up listing alerts. The second page of the contact entry form allows you to assign Comments, Reminders, Campaigns, and Groups to the contact.
How to Add Contacts Manually
- Enter the contact's name in the Name: First Name & Last Name fields.
For spousal contacts, see the related TECH TIP below. - OPTION A: Enter the contact's email address in the Email Address: Primary Email field.
You must enter either an email address or physical address, or both. No two contacts can have the same email address. The Primary Email will be automatically copied into the e-Signature field, and will be the email address that the contact uses to log in to DotLoop to sign documents. - OPTION B: Enter the contact's physical address in the Address section.
The Address Title field should be something descriptive like Home or Work. Check the Mailing Address box if this is where you would like to mail any printed marketing material created in eEdge. - OPTIONAL: Assign Status.
Status is a searchable filter, and will be helpful as your database grows, so use it! It is not recommended to assign contacts the Lead status when adding them manually. The Lead status is special, and automatically assigned to new leads who sign up through your eEdge and eAgentC websites. The Lead status is for contacts whom you have not met or contacted yet. Once a lead is contacted he/she should be assigned an appropriate status other than Lead. - OPTIONAL: Assign Type.
Type is a searchable filter that will let you quickly view just your Buyers, Sellers, Buyer/Sellers, Agents, etc. within your entire database. It is highly recommended that you assign contacts a Type. - Enter any additional information.
More info is always better! - Click the red Save button at the top or bottom of the page.
After clicking Save, the following page will allow you to edit extra contact features such as Comments, Reminders, Add to Campaigns, and Add to (and Create) Groups. - OPTIONAL: Click the Check Here to Send Welcome Email to This Contact.
This will send an email (if you entered an email address for the contact) to the contact with a password to log in to their personal account on your eEdge website (effectively registering them on your site on behalf of them). - Click the Comments bar to add a comment in the New Comment text box. Click the red Save button to save the comment in the contact's record.
Comments are the same as the Notes filed in the CSV file. NOTE: Comments cannot be deleted or edited after saving! If this is a concern for you, then you may want to use the Referral Info field from the previous contact info page for your notes. The Referral Info field can always be edit after saving. - Click Add a New Reminder in the Reminders bar to add a reminder.
NOTE: Currently, there is no phone text or email reminder for reminders. - Click Add Contact to Campaigns to add the contact to a marketing campaign. To add the contact to multiple campaigns, click the checkboxes next to the campaign you want to add them to, then click the Add to Campaigns + button. To quickly add the contact to a single campaign, click the green + button to the right of the campaign you want to add them to.
To add a contact to a campaign here, the campaign must have already been set up. You cannot create a new campaign here. - Assign the contact to group(s) by clicking the the Groups bar, then click the Add to Groups + button, click the checkboxes next to the group(s) you want to add the contact to, then click the red Add button. You can also create a new group and add the contact to the new group by typing a group name into the Create New Group field, then clicking the red Create button.
TECH TIP
How to Deal with Spouses (see examples below)
eEdge does not manage spousal contacts well. You may want to send marketing material to a couple's mailing address with the greeting "Dear John & Jane Smith". On the other hand, myTransactions/DotLoop requires that each contact be a separate contact in your database with a different Primary Email Address than the spouse in order to log in to sign documents.
The best solution seems to be to create two, separate contacts, with the First Name field being both the spouses name together (e.g., John & Jane), and the Primary Email Address being that of the first person in the First Name field (e.g., johnsmith@example.com).
For the second contact, reverse the order of the previous contact's First Name field (e.g., Jane & John Smith), and enter the Primary Email Address as the first person in the First Name field (i.e., janesmith@example.com).
Unfortunately, with this workaround, there is the possibility of sending two physical mailings (e.g., a postcard) if you have a Mailing Address set for both contacts.
Husband's Contact Info |
Wife's Contact Info |
STEP 2B Import Contacts with a CSV File
myKW Home Page ► eEdge Control Panel ► myContacts ► View Contacts ► Contacts Tab ► Import/Export
If you have more than 20 contacts to add, it may be best to use the eEdge's Import function. This allows you to create a CSV file (basically, a spreadsheet) full of multiple clients' info, and upload all of that info at one time. This method can also be used to import contacts from your phone. For iPhones, you will need to download the My Contacts Backup app, which will export your contacts to a CSV file, email the file to you, then it can be edited to match the eEdge CSV requirements, then uploaded to eEdge.
TECH TIP
What is a CSV File?
CSV stands for Comma-Separated Values. A CSV is actually a plain-text file that can be interpreted and edited by a spreadsheet application. Since CSV files use plain-text, extra formatting and features (such as colored, bold, and italic text, and formulas, etc.) cannot be used.
How to Create a Contact Import CSV File for eEdge
- Download & save this eEdge myContacts CSV Import Template.
This is a CSV file which can be edited in any spreadsheet application such as Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, or OpenOffice Calc. - Open the file in Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, or whatever spreadsheet application you use.
If you are organizing your contacts into groups (which is highly recommended), you will need to create a separate CSV file to upload for each group. For example: Family.csv, Friends.csv, etc. - DO NOT change the text in the first row or the order of the columns in the template.
UPDATE: You can now use a CSV file with columns in any order. You may add additional columns to my simplified template as long as they are named EXACTLY according to the eEdge myContacts full template (available from myContacts Import page). Your CSV file MUST at least contain the First Name, Last Name, Address 1, City 1, State 1, Zip 1, and Email Address 1 fields. - Type over the sample contact information starting in the second row.
- You must enter at least a First Name, Last Name, and Email Address and/or physical address (Address, City, State, and Zip).
You can enter NOFIRSTNAME and NOLASTNAME if you only have an email address. - Capitalize and spell correctly. Your contacts will see the way you entered their names.
- Phone numbers do not have to follow the format of (123) 456-7890, they may also be typed as 1234567890, but use consistent formatting.
- No letters in email addresses need to be capitalized.
- Enter birthdays as 01/02 for best results.
- You must enter at least a First Name, Last Name, and Email Address and/or physical address (Address, City, State, and Zip).
- Save often!
For less hassle when saving, see the TECH TIP below. - When you are finished entering info, export the spreadsheet as a CSV file.
Microsoft Excel: File ► Save as... ► CSV (Comma delimited)
Apple Numbers: File ► Export ► CSV... ► CSV (Unicode UTF-8)
TECH TIP
Saving a CSV File
Both Microsoft Excel and Apple Numbers will ask you confusing questions when trying to save as a CSV file. You can save your files as a standard Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx) or Apple Numbers (.numbers) spreadsheet, then save as/export a CSV file when you are ready to upload your contacts to eEdge.
THIS SECTION IS OUT OF DATE - DISREGARD
How to Import a CSV File into eEdge myContacts
- Select a group that you have created from the dropdown box next to Assign a Group to Imported Contacts.
Your contacts in the CSV file you upload will be assigned to the group you select here. Although contacts can belong to more than one group, you can only assign contacts to one group via the Import feature. To assign imported contacts to more groups, you will have to add them to groups individually after importing. - Select a Contact Status for the contacts in your CSV file next to Set Contact Status.
All contacts in your CSV file will be assigned the Contact Status you choose here. Do not choose Lead (unless you know you want to). Imported contacts set as Lead status will go to your Lead Dashboard, and will stay there until reassigned another status. - Select a Contact Type for the contacts in your CSV file next to Set Contact Type.
All contacts in your CSV file will be assigned the Contact Type you choose here. If you have friends that are buyers, and friends that are sellers, you may want to create separate CSV files to import (e.g., Buyer Friends.csv and Seller Friends.csv). - Click the Browse button next to Select File to Upload.
- Browse to the location on your computer where your CSV file is stored, then click OK or Open.
- Click the red Import button.
Your CSV file will upload, then be processed. This takes about 5 to 10 minutes to process each CSV file. You can continue uploading multiple CSV files in succession while others are processing. Refresh your browser and scroll down to the Imported Jobs section to see the processing status of your uploaded CSV files. When the status says Complete, the number of imported contacts will be shown, and any contacts that failed to import will be shown as a red number next to the job. You can click on this number to view each contact that failed, and the reason for the failure.
STEP 2C Add Contacts with Your eEdge Website Lead Capture
Finally, the third way to add contacts is by capturing leads from your eEdge website. If you have the free version of eEdge, your website URL typically starts with your first name (e.g. weskennedy) and ends in .kwrealty.com (i.e., weskennedy.kwrealty.com). Pro users will have their own domain name. By getting leads to register an account on your site (they will be required to register when attempting to view a second listing), they will not only get to continue viewing listings, saving properties, and creating listing alerts, but they will also be added to your myContacts database (hence, lead capture).
How to Capture a Lead from Your eEdge Website
Note that lead capture happens automatically when a lead registers on your website. The instructions below will demonstrate the process to you as if you were a lead visiting your website.
You will now be added to your own myContacts database with a Lead status. Continue to STEP 3 to learn how to use the Initial Contact Wizard for new leads.
- Navigate to your public eEdge website.
Typically, the URL follows the format yourname.kwrealty.com (unless you requested otherwise when you joined KW). - View two listings on your site.
Attempting to view the second listing will trigger the lead capture registration form. - Enter your First Name, Last Name, and Email Address.
If your eEdge new lead alerts are set up correctly, you should get a text and/or email alert that someone has registered on your website. If you do not receive a new lead alert on your phone or email, you can view instructions for enable this at eEdge Websites ► Enable New Lead Alerts. - Click the blue Continue to Listing Photos button.
- OPTIONAL: Add additional information such as phone number and/or create a custom password in the following form.
An automatically generated password to log in to your website will be created if you choose not to create a custom password on this page. If the lead decides to enter additional information (such as a phone number), you will receive a second lead alert with that info (if you have new lead alerts set up). - Click the blue View Listings button.
You will now be added to your own myContacts database with a Lead status. Continue to STEP 3 to learn how to use the Initial Contact Wizard for new leads.
- TECH TIP
Quickly Add a Contact
You can quickly add a contact from your eEdge website by simply registering them from your public eEdge page (rather than by adding them in the Add New Contact form in eEdge). Be careful. Adding a contact this way will send that contact an email. If you do not want to notify a contact that you are adding him to your database, use STEP 2A: Add Contacts Manually with the New Contact Form.
STEP 3 Manage New Leads with the Initial Contact Wizard (ICW)
myKW Home Page ► eEdge Control Panel ► myLeads ► New Leads
The Initial Contact Wizard (ICW) will walk you through either a phone conversation with a new lead (if the lead provided a phone number), or allow you to send an email with recommended listings to the lead. It will also allow you to record the outcome of your conversation, and automatically change the contact's Status to appropriately reflect the outcome.
How to Use the Initial Contact Wizard (ICW)
- Click the name of your new lead in the New Contacts Dashboard.
- Click the Open the ICW link at the top of the page.
- Follow the instructions in the Initial Contact Wizard.
If your lead provided a phone number, that number will be provided to you here, and will be suggested as the best method for contacting the lead. Otherwise, a pre-composed message for email contact will be provided. Contacting the lead via email will allow you to send recommended listings to them. - Click the appropriate conversation outcome (marked by stars) after contacting the lead.
Each outcome changes the Status of your new lead. If your contact needs immediate help, he/she will be marked as Hot. If you could not reach the lead, the contact's Status will be changed to Retry and a reminder to contact the lead again will be created. If you select None of the Above, you will be taken back to the contact details form, and can add your own comment about the outcome in the Comments area.
After selecting an outcome, the Status of your new lead will be automatically be changed from Lead to whatever reflects the outcome of your conversation (Hot, Active, or Retry). Since the Lead status will be removed from the contact, the contact will also be removed from the New Contact Dashboard, but will still appear in the All Contacts page. If for any reason you want to place the contact back into your New Lead Dashboard, you can change the contact's Status to Lead again.
STEP 4 Use Search Results to Assign Contacts to Groups
myKW Home Page ► eEdge Control Panel ► myContacts ► View Contacts
You may want to create groups with a very specific set of criteria in order to quickly add this group to a targeted marketing campaign. You can quickly add multiple contacts to group(s) via the search feature. If you've assigned accurate Status, Type, and Group(s) to your contacts, you can use this criteria to create powerful searches, select all of the results, then add the contacts to multiple and/or targeted groups. For instance, you may want to create a marketing campaign for hot sellers in your farming neighborhood. In the instructions below, I'll perform a search that will find hot sellers in my Lakeridge Run farm group so I can add them to a group called Lakeridge Run Hot Sellers, then add that group to a marketing campaign targeted to them.
TECH TIP
Power Searching
To do a power search for something like all hot sellers in a neighborhood. Click the Hot checkbox in the Status dropdown menu, click the Seller and Buyer/Seller checkbox in the Type dropdown menu, click the group name of the neighborhood in the Groups dropdown menu (you will have to have already added contacts to this group), then click the red Search button.
How to Assign Groups to Contacts in Search Results
- Come up with a set of criteria you want to search for.
For this example, I'll search for all hot sellers in Lakeridge Run in order to add them to a group called Lakeridge Run Hot Sellers. - In the Status dropdown menu, select the Hot checkbox.
- In the Type dropdown menu, select the Seller and Buyer/Seller checkbox.
- In the Groups dropdown menu, select the checkbox next to a neighborhood/farm group you've set up.
In this example, I would select FARM Lakeridge Run from the Groups dropdown menu. You will have to have previously created and added contacts to this group. - Click the red Search button.
Review your search results for accuracy. - Click the lone, unlabeled select all checkbox to the left of the Add to Groups + button at the bottom of the search results view.
This lonely, unlabeled button will select all of the checkboxes next to your search results. - Click the Add to Groups + button at the bottom of the search results view.
- Click all of the group name checkboxes to which you want to add these contacts.
In this example, I would have already created a group called Lakeridge Run Hot Sellers, and I'd click it here. Also remember, a contact can belong to more than one group, so you can select more than one group here. - Click the red Add button.
Now you are ready to add this specific, targeted group to a marketing campaign!
TECH TIP
Search for Contacts by Last Name
To search by a contact's last name enter a space followed by the last name. The search will include results with a space before the search term (typically, the contact's last name.)
TECH TIP
Search for Spouses
To search for spouses (if you used the TECH TIP on spouses in STEP 2A), enter an ampersand (&) in the search field. All results with an ampersand (typically, spouses) will show up in your results if you've been consistent with your naming conventions.
STEP 5 Use Quick Actions (Gear Icon)
myKW Home Page ► eEdge Control Panel ► myContacts ► View Contacts
Suppose you've found the perfect listing for your client, and you want to send it to them; or you have a client who wants daily listing alerts; or maybe you want to quickly add a contact to a marketing campaign. The Gear Icon in the Actions column of the All Contacts page will allow you to quickly do many tasks without having to search for these useful functions.
Explanation of Actions
- Send Email—Send an email to the contact. The email communication will be logged in the Emails section of the contact’s info page.
- Send Listings—Create a search, and send the resulting listings to the contact.
- Add New Listing Alert—Create a listing alert (saved search) that will be sent daily, bi-weekly, or weekly to the contact.
- Add to Campaigns—Add the contact to a currently running marketing campaign (33 Touch, 12 Direct, etc.)
- Send Seller's Market Report—Send a seller’s market report to the contact with the contact’s home value and listings similar to their home.
- Transfer—Transfer the contact to another agent. The contact will not be removed from your database. Transferring to a Zip Code will randomly select an agent to receive the contact. Transferring to an Agent's Email, on the other hand, will allow you to specify a specific agent to receive the contact.
- Export vCard—Export the contact to a vCard which can be imported into other contact management systems, Microsoft Outlook, Apple Contacts, phones, etc.
- Resend Welcome Email—Sends an email to the contact with the contacts password to log in to the agent’s eEdge website.
- Delete Contact—Deletes the contact completely from your database.
STEP 6 Backup/Export Your Contacts
myKW Home Page ► eEdge Control Panel ► myContacts ► View Contacts ► Contacts Tab ► Import/Export ► Export Contacts Tab
Although you contacts database is likely to be safely stored and backed-up on Market Leader's servers, you may want to keep a copy of your contacts on your computer just in case. Unfortunately, the exported CSV file does NOT retain all of the data you may have entered for your contacts. For example, the exported CSV file will not contain the Groups a contact belongs to, a contact's Type (e.g., Buyer, Seller, Agent, etc.), nor anything in the Secondary Details area (spouse's Name, Relationship, and Family Members), and more. Some data is better than none, however, and it always good practice to backup no matter how reliable the service is or how comprehensive the backup might be.
How to Backup/Export Your Contacts
- Click the Contact Groups dropdown menu.
- Click the checkboxes next to the groups you want to export.
Note that the groups you assigned to any contacts will NOT be retained in the CSV file. However, you may wish to export each group as a separate CSV file here. Any contacts belonging to multiple groups will skipped if already existing when re-importing these files, and they will have to be reassigned to any other groups you wish to add them to. - Click the Contact Status dropdown menu.
- Click the Status of the contacts that you want to export.
It is most likely that you will want to select All here if you are backing up your contacts. - Click Export.
- Save the CSV file to your computer.
TECH TIP
Cloud Backup
Backing up your eEdge contacts to your computer is one step in keeping your data backed up well. Ideally, you'll also want an offsite or online backup should your computer break or get stolen. Save your myContacts CSV backup file to your Dropbox or Google Drive folder so that they'll be backed up in the cloud, and can be downloaded onto another computer you own.
TECH TIP
Good File Naming Practices
The default filename that eEdge exports CSV files as...
prospectexport-allagents-allstatus.csv
A better practice is to change the filename to begin with the year, then month, then day, separated by dashes, followed by the group name. For example, if you backed up your Friends group on Valentine's Day, your file name would be...
2013-02-14 Friends eEdge myContacts Backup.csv
