Method Community

CONTEXT/BACKGROUND: 

My company has a mass email list of businesses (5000+ entries) on a .csv spreadsheet that we would like to import into Method as Customer Leads with assigned tags (TagList field) for each entity. These tags will be critical to our company's efficiency (sorting leads) with creating segmented customer groups and implementing concentrated marketing efforts via mass email campaigns. NOTE: The entries in our mass email list/CSV spreadsheet contain only information regarding the entity (company) without any individual contacts.

THE PROBLEM:

With the way things currently stand with the importing/exporting tool in the Method software, an end user can only assign and import tags to contacts, NOT entities. Our mass email list/spreadsheet contains the fields needed to import all entries as entities into the Customer Leads tab, but we do not have the ability to import tags assigned to these entities simultaneously. Assigning these tags manually one by one after the 1000's of entities are imported into the Customer Leads database in our account would be extremely inefficient. 

DESIRED SOLUTION:

Our company wants to be able to add tags to customers and customer leads. This will allow us to efficiently import our mass email list of businesses with tags assigned to them within the Customer Leads database in our account. We understand that this will require some customization. A member of the support staff from Method CRM suggested that one way of accomplishing this would be to add the "TagList" field to the "Entity" table and customize the customer and customer leads screen. 

We have not been able to figure out how to accomplish the desired solution and would appreciate "step-by-step" explicit instructions, as we are relatively new to the Method CRM software. 

We appreciate your time. Thanks,

The FOXTROT LIMA Team

Hi,

Adding a TagList to the Entity or Customer table is the best way to achieve what you want within Method. Since you are adding the tags on the customer level, you might run into limitations if you are already using tags on the contact level, let me know if you are so we can create a new solution. In any case, here are the steps of creating the solution you want, but before you do so, make sure that the tags field in your spreadsheet are separated by commas; for example, if you have a customer called Marwan and has the tags Cookies, brownies, crepes; in your spreadsheet make them so that that cell looks like ",Cookies,brownies,crepes," starting and ending with a comma (using an excel formula is the easiest way to achieve this). After that is done you can start the customization in Method:

1. click on the Customize tab

2. Go to the Tables/Fields tab link

3. Look for the Entity table and click it

4. In Field Name: TagList - Fielt Type: Text - size: 4000

5. Click on Add Field

6. Click on Finish Editing Table

7. Go to the Customers tab -> New Customer tab link

8. right click anywhere on the screen and then click customize

9. make sure the 'customize a copy of this screen' is selected, give it a new name if you want -> continure (could take a while ~1 min - 3 min) 

10. You'll be redirected into the customization screen, in the Toolbox section look for the TagList field and drag and drop it ontto an empty row on the screen as shown in this screenshot

11. (optional) Expand it by clicking on the double headed arrow next to Edit

12. Hit Save & Close next to the red Publish button -> Hit "OK" when prompted about the customization message 

13. You should now see a tag icon on the screen (screenshot). IMPORTANT: You will have to enter all the tags manually first by clicking on the tag icon and creating all your tags as you have them in your .csv spreadsheet

14. Once you are done entering your tags into Method, go to the Customize tab -> integration tool -> Go to Import / Export

15. Follow the importing wizard and import to the customer or leads table -> match the tags field in your spreadsheet to the TagList field in Method

If you have multiple numbers of tags in your spreadsheet and entering them manually is still infeasible, your best option would be to contact a Method customization consultant to help you do it as the solution for that is more complex. I hope your case is not as complex and this solves your problem. Let me know if you need clarification or have more questions.

Marwan

Marwan,

Your instructions were very explicit and descriptive. However, after successfully customizing the tabesl/fields and the customer/lead screen, the tags are still not able to be imported with the integration tool. I am going to send you screenshots directly to your email address that shows that I followed your steps correctly and how they tagging still will not carry over. 

Please advise ASAP, as this has been a major roadblock for us with Method. Call 1-800-393-1031 as soon as you can so I can describe it more in detail.

Thanks,

The FOXTROT LIMA Team

Hi,

I have realized the mistake in my instructions to you, the Lead List grid is based off the contacts table, so the tags are not showing because they are not connected to the customer table. The good news is that it is a quick fix:

1) Go to customize -> Table/Fields -> Contacts

2) Choose "Add a Linked Field" 

3) From Link Using choose 'Entity'

4) From Linked Field choose 'TagList'

5) For Display As call it 'CustomerTagList' or 'LeadTagList'; whatever works for you but do not keep it only TagList.. click Add Field -> Finish Editing Fields

6) Now go to the Leads tab and on Leads and Contacts List tab link you will customize this screen following the same steps as before

7) Once you get to the customization screen, you will find the Contacts grid object under the 'Existing Leads and Contacts Section', there is an Edit button on the top right of that object, click it

8) The wizard will start, click Next to get to step 2. Choose the Field radio button (if not already chosen), from the dropdown choose 'LeadTagList' or whatever you called it and then click on Insert Column (you can delete the original TagList column from here if you want)

9) click Finish -> Save & Close -> ok

You should see your tags under the Lead Tag List column. The only problem here is that the commas will show in the tags, so separating by commas step is no longer necessary. You can still filter tags by typing the tag you want to view in the filter fields of the grid. If you want to edit tags to existing leads, you will have to go to the Edit Lead screen, right click, customize, etc. like before and add the TagList field there.

Hope this helps,

Marwan

Hello,

I am trying the same solution. I get to step "4)" in your last post, and do not see the "TagList" field from the Linked FIeld drop-down. 

What should I do? Do I need to have the "Pro" version to do this kind of customization?

Thanks,

Nick

Hi Nick,

Unfortunately yes, you do need the pro version of Method for you to do that as "CustomerTagList" or "LeadTagList" dropdown menus will be created as seperate linked tables, which is only accessible through Method Pro.

Marwan

Thank you Marwan