Import Prospect Batches

Before you can import a batch of prospects into the system, you must upload the file(s) containing the prospect data by importing prospect files. During the Import Prospect Batches workflow, you can choose the prospect file, insert constant fields (which add the same information to each imported prospect), and define specific criteria to import only the prospect data you want or to break up large imports by importing only specific portions of a file’s data at a time.

If you use Applied Marketing Automation, you can only send emails to prospects who have given you permission to do so. Those prospects must also have Email selected for both the Marketing Opt-in and Marketing Method fields. You can use constant fields to update these settings for all applicable prospects in an uploaded file. If you do not use constant fields, you must update each prospect manually before you can send them emails through Marketing Automation.

As with manual account creation, you can only add the primary business contact and the additional individual contact for business prospects, or a primary individual contact and an additional individual contact for individual prospects. After the import is complete, however, you can add additional contacts manually.

If you disabled the Duplicate Account Check to import prospect files, remember to reenable it to prevent duplicates during manual account creation.

Special Considerations for Applied Marketing Automation

If you plan to use Applied Marketing Automation to send emails to imported prospects, you must add constant fields when adding the prospect batch to update each prospect’s Marketing Method and Marketing Opt-in selection to Email. Remember, each prospect must give you permission to send emails. The constant fields vary for Individual and Business prospects. Choose any options that are applicable to the prospects you are importing:

• Individual Import

  If you selected Individual from the Prospect type dropdown when importing the prospect file, use the following constant fields to update marketing preferences:

  • Area = Contact
  • Sub-Area = Additional Contact Info
  • Field = Marketing Method
  • Value = Email
  • Field = Marketing Opt-ins
  • Value = Email
  • Sub-Area = Primary Contact Info
  • Field = Marketing Method
  • Value = Email
  • Field = Marketing Opt-ins
  • Value = Email
• Business Import

  If you selected Business from the Prospect type dropdown when importing the prospect file, use the following constant fields to update marketing preferences:

  • Area = Contact
  • Sub-Area = Business Contact Info
  • Field = Marketing Method
  • Value = Email
  • Field = Marketing Opt-ins
  • Value = Email
  • Sub-Area = Individual Contact Info
  • Field = Marketing Method
  • Value = Email
  • Field = Marketing Opt-ins
  • Value = Email

Access Import Prospect Batches

To import data from the files you uploaded during the Import Prospect Files step of the process, or delete files you have not used to import a prospect batch, navigate to the Import Prospects area:

1. From the Home screen, do one of the following:

   • Click Procedures on the navigation panel.
   • Click Areas > Procedures on the menubar.
   • Click the down arrow next to Home on the options bar and select Procedures.

From any other area of the program, do one of the following:

1. • Click the down arrow to the right of the Home options bar button and select Procedures.
   • Click Home > Procedures on the menubar.

2. Click Import on the navigation panel or Areas > Import on the menubar.
3. Click Prospect Batches on the navigation panel.

Add a Prospect Batch for Import

Once you have uploaded files using Import Prospect Files, import prospect batches to add the data from these files to your system. You must upload a prospect file before you can import its data in a prospect batch. Only the fields included in the mapping file used to import the prospect file will import.

1. Click the Add button .
2. Enter a Description for the batch.
3. Select a File to Import. Only files you have already uploaded using Import Prospect Files are available for selection.
4. Constant fields allow you to add the same data to all the prospects included in the imported batch. To define constant fields for the batch, double click the first row in the Constant Fields list, or select it and click the Edit button .
5. In the Define Constant Field pop-up window, click the lookup button in the Value field.

6. The Select Account Structure pop-up window displays. To associate all prospects in the batch to a specific structure, select an Agency, select a Branch, if applicable, then click Finish.

7. You can add or edit additional Constant Fields, or delete unneeded constant fields. Adding a constant field to identify prospects added by import is recommended. If you plan to send emails to the prospects through Applied Marketing Automation, you must use constant fields to identify the prospects who have given you permission to do so.

   The first row contains the required constant field you created in the previous step, which assigns all prospects in the batch to a specific structure.

   • Add a Constant Field

     1. Click the Add button  to open the Define Constant Field pop-up window.

     2. Select an Area, Sub-area, and Field from the dropdowns to specify the field you want to populate with the same data for all prospects in the batch.

     If you want to send emails to these prospects through Applied Marketing Automation, you must use constant fields to indicate that you have permission to do so and update their marketing preferences. Otherwise, you must manually update each prospect.

     3. Enter a Value for the Field you selected in the previous step, select it from the dropdown, or click the lookup button   to locate it. The options vary, depending on your Field selection.

     4. Do one of the following:

     • Click the Add button to save your selections and begin defining another constant field.

     • Click the Finish button to save your selections and close the Define Constant Field pop-up window.

     • Click the Cancel button to discard your selections and close the Define Constant Field pop-up window. If you used the Add button to add constant fields before clicking Cancel, only the last constant field selection is discarded.

   • Edit a Constant Field

     1. Select the Constant Field in the list.

     2. Click the Edit button    to open the Define Constant Field pop-up window.

     3. Update the Area, Sub-area, Field, and/or Value. Remember that each of these items depends on your preceding selections.

     4. Click Finish to save your changes.

   • Delete a Constant Field

     1. Select the Constant Field in the list. The first constant field is required and cannot be deleted.

     2. Click the Delete button .

8. If you want to import only records that meet a certain criterion (for example, prospects in a specific zip code), you can define Criteria Selections. Applied strongly recommends setting stringent criteria to subdivide large prospect files to improve the efficiency of the import and make imported prospects easier to locate and modify.

   • Add Criteria Selections
     1. Click the Add button .
     2. Select a Mapping Field. The system searches the data in this field when filtering the list of prospects to import.
     3. In the Include Records Where pop-up window, select one of the following:

     • Equals: Enter the exact criterion you want to search. Only rows in the import file that contain this text display in the created batch.
     • From: Enter a starting and an ending criterion (for example, to import only prospects whose last names begin with the letters from L through O).

     4. Do one of the following:

     • Click the Add button to save your selections and define additional criteria.
     • Click the Finish button to save your selections and close the Include Records Where pop-up window.
     • Click the Cancel button to discard your selections and close the Include Records Where pop-up window. If you used the Add button to add criteria before clicking Cancel, only the last criteria selection is discarded.
   • Edit Criteria Selections

     You can only edit criteria selections when adding a batch. After you click the Create Batch button, you can no longer make changes; you must delete the batch and create a new one.

     1. Select the criterion from the Criteria Selections list.
     2. Click the Edit button   .
     3. In the Include Records Where pop-up window, update the Mapping field, Equals, and/or From fields as needed.
     4. Do one of the following:

     • Click the Add button to save your selections and define additional criteria.
     • Click the Finish button to save your selections and close the Include Records Where pop-up window.
     • Click the Cancel button to discard your selections and close the Include Records Where pop-up window. If you used the Add button to add criteria before clicking Cancel, only the last criteria selection is discarded.
   • Delete Criteria Selections

     You can only delete criteria selections when adding a batch. After you click the Create Batch button, you can no longer delete criteria; you must delete the batch and create a new one.

     1. Select the criterion from the Criteria Selections list.
     2. Click the Delete button .

9. After defining the Constant Fields and Criteria Selections, click Create Batch. The new batch displays in the Import Prospect Batches list. Once you click Create Batch, you can no longer add, edit, or delete constant fields or criteria.

10. Double click the batch to view the Summary. Click Detail in the navigation panel to display the Rows Imported and Rows Not Imported (or to Export Rows, if necessary).

11. From the Summary view, click the Import button to select prospects to import.

12. In the Batch Summary - Import Prospects pop-up window, deselect the checkboxes for any prospects you do not want to import. Click a column heading to change the list’s sort order if necessary.

13. Once only the prospects you want to import are selected, click the Import button and confirm the import.

14. Click the Refresh link label if you would like to monitor the import's progress. The Status changes from Created to Processing, then Imported when the process is complete.

To view information about a prospect batch in any Status, double click it in the list, then click Summary or Detail in the navigation panel.

Edit a Prospect Batch Import

You can use the edit function to start the import for an existing batch that you have not yet imported, without having to create a new batch. However, you cannot edit any information for an existing batch. If you need to edit any of its details, you must delete the batch and add a new one.

1. In the Import Prospect Batches frame, select the batch in the list. Click on a column heading to change the sort order if necessary.
2. Click the Edit button to display the Summary.
3. Review the details in the File Settings, Constant Fields, and Criteria Selections frames. If these details are accurate, click the Import button to begin importing the data.
4. Repeat this process for each existing batch you want to import.

Delete a Prospect Batch Import

You can only delete a batch in Created status (meaning that the file’s data has not been imported already).

1. In the Import Prospect Batches frame, select the batch in the list. Click on a column heading to change the sort order if necessary.
2. Click the Delete button   .
3. Repeat this process for each batch you want to delete.