Appointments form a key activity type in our interactions with clients. To enable us to track this type of activity we use an add-in for Outlook to assist.

 

Outlook Calendars

Most of us use Microsoft Outlook calendars to keep organised and set our client meetings. We have a way that you can “push” or “track” those appointments into MiiiA.

  

The purpose of this is to record the activity for the client, track activity for the business, and initiate further actions/workflow where required.

If installed & configured correctly you should see new buttons in the Outlook ribbon

• Open Microsoft Outlook
• These buttons will be available your Email and Calendar areas of Outlook

 

• The star of the show is the Set Regarding button 

We will discuss how to use this in upcoming sections.

 

Set Regarding Explained

A simplified 5-Step view of the entire Set Regarding process:

1. Add Client Meeting to Outlook Calendar
   
   
   
2. Set Regarding the APPOINTMENT in Outlook Calendar
   
   
   
3. Go-to the ADVISER Dashboard > Activity Maintenance
   Open the Appointment in the Set Regarding Completed (No Appt Type) grid
   Fill in the 3 x Activity Tracking Fields:
   Appt Type + Appt Made By + Appt Made Date
   Save & Close
   
   
   
4. Attend the Client Meeting
   
   
   
5. Go-to the ADVISER Dashboard > Activity Maintenance
   Open the Appointment in the Overdue Appts (No Outcome) grid
   Fill in the Appt Outcome, Save & Close
   

 

Activity Maintenance Area

It’s a good idea to check your Activity Maintenance regularly as it shows you things that need Fixing or Completing.

Your goal is to have all sections EMPTY, however there will always be a constant flux.

• Navigate to your ADVISER Dashboard
• Click Activity Maintenance

Set Regarding Completed (No Appt Type) grid

Shows Appointments “Tracked” in OK from Outlook, but we still need the key Activity Tracking Field data.

 To Fix:

• Open the Appointment
• Fill in the Appt Type, Appt Made By, Appt Made Date fields
• Save & Close

 

Overdue Appointments (No Outcomes) grid

Contains Appointments where the Start Time is today or in the past. These Appointments require a final Outcome to be set.

 To Fix:

• Open the Appointment
• Fill in the Appt Outcome field
• Save & Close
• Complete any File Notes as required

 

Activity Tracking Fields

These very important fields are required as they feed other business processes and reporting. You can fill these in either in the Business Process Flow area, or the Activity Tracking area (they are one and the same).

Appt Type – The type of meeting booked (1^st Meeting, 2^nd Meeting, Presentation)

Appt Made By – Who made the booking (You! or maybe someone else?)

Appt Made Date – When you made the booking (not the date of the meeting)

 

Appointment Outcomes

Every appointment you track into MiiiA must be given an Outcome post-meeting. The Outcomes have specific meanings and different system actions will follow each. Which one you choose will depend on the situation.

Proceed

• “Yes” the client wishes to proceed with advice
• a  File is generated. *Only ever Proceed once with each client
• a  File Note is generated, and will be required to be completed

Do Not Proceed

• “No” the client does not wish to proceed with advice at this time
• a  File Note is generated, and will be required to be completed

Maintenance

• The meeting occurred without a clear Yes  /No, or it was part of a multi-stage process
  eg… You have already booked another follow-up meeting later
  or…  You have already reported PROCEED for this client earlier
• a  File Note is generated, and will be required to be completed

Cancel

• The meeting did not occur
• Follow-up to re-book with client if necessary

 

Step By Step

Here is a detailed, step-by-step guide on the Set Regarding process:

• Create a client Appointment in your Outlook Calendar
• Click the Set Regarding button in the ribbon of your Appointment window

 

• Click Contact... or if you're first time Click More...

 

 

• Look for – set this to Contact
• Search - Type in here to search

 

For the Next Steps please choose the appropriate scenario:

 

1 ≫ Client CONTACT already exists

 

• Search for the CONTACT
• Tick the record
• Click Add

Or

• Double-Click the Row
  (in the blank space)

• Skip to step
      3 ≫ return to Outlook

  

2 ≫ New Client, create a new Prospect

 In the Look Up Record window...

• Make sure the Look for option is set to CONTACT

• Click New (bottom of window)

The New CONTACT Form opens

• Type First Name
• Type Last Name
• Click Done

• Set Classification = Prospect
• Add any other relevant data
• Click Save & Close

• You will return to the Look Up Record window
  Your newly created CONTACT will already selected
• Click the Add button

 

3 ≫ return to Outlook

• Return to your Outlook appointment window
  Notice that the footer section of the appointment window...
  It now displays which record the appointment is 'Regarding'

 

• Notice the message:
  This meeting will be tracked in CRM after it is saved or sent

 

• Click Save & Close

• Navigate to your ADVISER Dashboard > Activity Maintenance area

 

• Once sync’d, the Appointment will now be listed in the 
  Set Regarding Completed (No Appt Type) grid

• Open the Appointment

• Set Appt Type
• Set Appt Made By (who MADE the appointment, not who is attending)
• Set Appt Made Date (when you made the appointment)

 

• Click Save & Close

 

 

Reporting Outcomes

Once you have attended the meeting with a client you will need to update the Appointment with an Outcome. This is done to finalise the activity reporting measurements, and if need be, initiate workflow.

• Navigate to your ADVISER Dashboard > Activity Maintenance area

• Look to the Overdue Appointments (No Outcomes) grid

 

• Open the Appointment

• Set the Appt Outcome field to the appropriate value

 

• Click Save & Close 

The Appointment will now be disappear from your Overdue Appointments grid.