The Mechanics of Working in the Program

CAUTION
DO NOT attempt to make any changes in the program. Doing so could cause you to lose all of the information in your databases.

IMPORTANT
DO NOT attempt to reinstall the program on your computer using the CD until you have successfully backed up all of your data on a disc. Reinstalling the program once it is on your computer will remove all of the data from the program.

Getting Started
Please read through this User Guide before beginning to work in the program . It will only take you a few minutes and will make your first experience working in the program much easier and more enjoyable.

When you open the program you will see the Main Menu. From the Main Menu you can navigate to all functions of the program. We suggest that you click on the button at the top that says Prospects and create two or three records in the Prospects database. Return to the Main Menu and do the same in the Clients database. The records can be for fictitious people and can be deleted at a later time. (All of the other functions of the program depend on information in these two databases.)

You will see that some of the fields that have drop down lists already have information in them. The entries are there to give you some options to choose from when you first get started. Use the ones that are helpful, delete the ones you don't need and add new ones that best suit the needs of your office.

Please register you copy of the program when you receive it.
Technical Support will only be provided to those who have registered their program. Go to our web site, www.yourinsuranceoffice.com and click on "Register", fill out the requested information and send.

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New Features for v4.0

Listed below are the new features that have been added to “Your Insurance Office” v4.0. They are grouped together so users of earlier versions can easily locate the changes.

Exporting Client and Prospect information to Microsoft Outlook.

Specific data has been selected to be exported to Outlook by clicking on the button in the Main Menu titled “Export Data to Outlook”. Simply clicking on that button will export all specified Client and Prospect data to Outlook. After exporting, open Outlook and click on Contacts. “YIO C” preceding the persons name will identify all records from the Clients database and “YIO P” will precede all names from the Prospects database. This keeps the contacts from YIO separate from all other contacts you may have in Outlook and separates Clients from Prospects.

Your business appointments, personal appointments and tasks will also be exported to the Calendar in Outlook. When you open an appointment in the Outlook calendar you will also see the information that is in the Comment box from that client’s or prospect’s record.

Any changes you make to the information in Outlook will not be exported back to YIO. However, it can be copied in Outlook and pasted in the Comment box of that record.

N0TE: Working with your data in Outlook is not a support function of “Your Insurance Office”. If you have questions about using Outlook please contact Microsoft.

Syncing to your PDA

The biggest advantage to exporting data to Outlook is that it you can sync all of the data you have exported to Outlook to your Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). You will no longer have to take your laptop with you when you leave the office to have a complete list of all Clients and Prospects as well as all of your appointments and tasks that are shown in the YIO calendar.

See Screen Shot on our website at www.YourInsuranceOffice.com for a sample of the data that exports to Outlook and can be synced to a PDA.)

Calendar - Enter Personal Appointments and Tasks

The user can now enter Personal Appointments as well as Tasks in the calendar in the Main Menu of YIO. Go to the Main Menu and click on “Add Personal Appt. and Tasks.” When the window opens enter personal appointments by entering the date, time and a short note. To enter a “Task”, enter the date but do not enter a time. By not entering a time the “Task” will stay on your calendar during the entire 24 hours for that day.

Agents Field

Version 4.0 now allows the user to enter the agent’s title. Mail Merge uses this information when printing letters. (See Drop Down Lists for more information.)

User Defined Fields (UDF) – UDF Field Titles can be changed by the user

There are a total of five new UDF’s in v4.0. Three are in the Clients database and two in the Prospects database. These fields can be used for any information that will be helpful. The agent can change the name/title of these fields by going to the Main Menu and clicking on the Drop Down Lists button. When the Drop Down Lists window appears, click on the button that says “Change UDF Fields”. In the last column on the right titled “Field Description”, delete the information that is there and enter the title you want to use for each of the UDF fields listed. When you close the Drop Down Lists window your changes will automatically be saved. This will enable you to customize the program to suit the individual needs of your office.

Tobacco Fields

Tobacco fields have been added to both the Client and Prospect databases. They each have a drop down list that allows the user to enter any information depicting tobacco usage. (Go to Drop Down Lists in the Main Menu to add additional information for the Tobacco fields.)

Date / Time Stamp

The program has been set to automatically display both the date and time when entering new information in the Comment Box of the Client, Prospect and Archive databases. The Date/Time stamp can be turned off by going to the Drop Down Lists in the Main Menu. To turn off the date/time stamp for the Clients Comment box click on the button with Green lettering that says “Auto-Date Comments”. To turn it off for the Prospects Comment box click on the button with Blue lettering that says “Auto Date Comments”.

The date/time stamp cannot be turned off in the Archive database.

Mail Merge

Four new changes have been added to Mail Merge.

1. There is a button that now allows the user to turn off the inside address that prints on the letter.

2. The user can now select to turn off printing the date on a letter so letters and flyers can be printed in advance of the mailing date.

3. An additional choice has been added to the list of selections the user can make from the Prospects database. Agents can now print letters based on the entries in the “Lead Type” drop down list for Prospects.

4. Letters and labels can now be addressed to “Mr. & Mrs.” (See “Title” field drop down list in the Client and Prospects databases.)

(See Mail Merge section in this User Guide for more information)

Total number of policies for each Client

Version 4.0 will now show the total number of policies that each client has in the database. It is based on the Clients SSN. If the “Total Policies” shown at the top of the Comment box is 5 then that means that there are five records in the database that all have the same SSN. To see just those client’s policies, left click on the SSN field so a flashing cursor appears in that field, then left click on the "Filter by Selection" button under "Filter/Sort". The "Filter by Selection" button is the top button with the yellow lightening bolt on it. Clicking on the "Next Record" button at the top of the database will allow you to view all records for that client.

Important: When you have finished reviewing the records for that client, DO NOT FORGET to click the button under Filter/Sort that has the red X on it. (It is the middle button.) You must click on that button to stop the Filter/Sort selection operation and return your database to normal. (See Filtering/Sorting for more information.)

Commission Field ($ Comm:)

The “$ Comm:” field will now accept a specific dollar amount without having to enter a number in the “% Comm:” field. To enter a dollar amount without having to enter a percent of commission, click on the “$ Comm:” field and enter the dollar amount. The “% Comm:” field will remain blank.

Exporting Client and Prospect Data to Microsoft Excel.

Version 4.0 will now export all Client and Prospect data to Excel with the exception of information in the Comment box.

Open Mail Merge from the Main Menu and click on the button that says “Export Data”. That will open up the “My Documents” window. Give the file a name you can easily remember like “YIO Excel Import”. Click “Save”. Close or minimize YIO and open up Microsoft Excel.

Once Excel is open click on “Data” in the tool bar at the top of the Excel spread sheet. In the drop down list that appears, mouse over “Get External Data”. Another list will appear, click on “Import Text File”. The “My Documents” window should again appear, look for the file you named “YIO Excel Import” and left click on it once to highlight it and click then on the button that says “Import”. In the next window that appears make sure that “Delimited” has a dot in the white circle and click “Next”. In the next window that appears make sure there is a check mark in the box that says “Comma” and click Next. When the next window appears just click “Finish”. The final window that you will see asks if you want to put the data in an existing work sheet or a new work sheet. If this is the first time you are exporting data to Excel, select “New Work Sheet” and click OK. The only data that will not be exported is information in the Comment box.

N0TE: Working with your data in Excel is not a support function of “Your Insurance Office”. If you have questions about using Excel please contact Microsoft.

Changing Client Contact Information

For clients who have multiple policies, YIO has been set so if the user makes a change in the basic contact information in one record, that change is reflected in all records that client has in the Clients database.

Reports

Two new reports have been added to v4.0 and a significant change was made in the Clients Birthday Report. (See Reports section of this User Guide for more information on all of the Reports that can be printed from the program.)

Client Birthday Report

A significant change has been made in the Client Birthday Report. It will now print the spouse’s birthday as well as the Client’s birthday. If the birthday is for a spouse, the word “Spouse” will be shown after the person’s name. (See Client Birthday Report for more information.)

Sold Policies Graph (New Report)

A new report has been added to v4.0 in the form of a Graph. The graph will show all policies sold over the period of time selected for an individual agent or all agents in the database in the form a bar graph. Click on the “Sold Policies Graph” button in the Main Menu and enter the requested information. When you click “View” the graph will be displayed showing all of the different policies that an individual agent, or all agents in the database, have sold over the period of time selected. The different policies that are shown are taken from the ones you enter in the “Policy Type” field drop down list. If a policy is not listed on the graph, that means that the agent hasn’t sold any of that type of policy during the period of time selected.

Annualized Premium Report (New Report)

This report will convert each policy sold, regardless of the payment method, to the annualized premium amount and totals the annualized premium for the period of time selected for each individual agent. It can be printed for an individual agent or for all agents in the database. The user selects the period of time they want to be displayed.

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Tab Order
The tab order in both databases has been set for the most typical information that would be entered when a new record is created. Data can be entered in the fields that are skipped by clicking on that field.

Support
Unlimited, Free E-mail and phone support is provided. Send your questions to customerservice@yourinsuranceoffice.com. Please include your phone number, your question may be best answered by calling you. For phone support call toll free at, 877.633.0808. If we are busy helping others, please leave your name, phone number and the best time to return your call. Have your registration number handy and the program opened to the Main Menu.

Color Coding
All aspects of the program that utilize the Prospects Database are color coded Blue and all those that pertain to the Clients Database are color coded Green. This makes identification of which database information you are using easy to see at a glance.

*Independent Agents / Managers*
Your Insurance Office has been designed to keep track of more than just one agent. Most of the reports are designed so the report can be printed for an individual agent or for all agents in the database.

If you are an Independent Agent representing several different companies you can enter your agent number for each company you represent in the "Agent" field. You will then be able to print reports for insurance sold for each company or for all of the companies you represent by using your different agent numbers.

Both agents and managers can monitor trends in sales, persistency, types of policies sold and cancellations / lapses. Managers will also be able to keep track of every lead given to an individual agent and have a permanent and easy to locate record of the status of that lead.

The program is not case sensitive.
Both upper and lower case letters can be used in any part of the program.

E-mail
Both the Prospects and Clients databases have an E-mail field in each record. You can click on the button next to that field and an E-mail window will appear with that persons E-mail address already in the "Send To" field.

Printing Address Labels
The program is set up to print Avery labels sized, 1" x 2 5/8", thirty per sheet. In most cases it will also print labels that are 1" x 2 3/4", thirty per page.

Comment Box
An infinite amount of information can be typed in the comment box of the Prospects, Clients or Archive databases. The text will keep scrolling as long as you keep typing information. Enter all information about the prospect or client that will help you identify them at a later date. The names and ages of their children, the name of their dog, the kind of house they live in, any special interests they have and driving directions to their location. This will allow you to mention personal things on your next contact. Nothing impresses people more than for you to remember who they are and the last conversation you had with them. You must use the Tab key to exit the Comment Box.

Agents Field
When you enter an agent's identification number there are also fields for you to put the agent's first and last name in the program. This makes the agent easier to identify and is necessary if you select the option in "Mail Merge" to have the agent's name at the bottom of letters that are printed for that agent.

Group Co Field
This field is for agents who sell group insurance. It provides you with a field to enter the name of the company that either the Prospect or Client works for and have their group coverage with. A report can also be printed for each company showing all of the employees of that company who have taken a policy.

Age - Prospects, Clients and Archive Databases
You will see a number just to the right of the B-day field. That number will always represent the persons current age. When they have a birthday the number will change to reflect their new age.

Using Tab or Enter key
You can use either the Tab or Enter key on your keyboard to move from one field to the next in the records.
Note: The only exception is when typing in the Comment Box. You must use the tab key to exit the Comment Box. "Your Insurance Office®" is designed to be as user friendly as possible.

Saving Information In the Databases
When working in the databases, information is automatically saved when you either exit the database or exit that record. If you enter new information in a record and want to print that new information you must exit that record and return to it before printing.

Drop Down Lists in Prospects and Clients Databases.
Both the Prospects and Clients Databases have drop down lists in some of the fields. The drop down lists are there for ease of entry and to insure that the exact spelling, spacing, etc. is entered the same way each time. They are identified by the gray button next to the field.

To add information to the various Drop Down Lists just type the information in the field and when you exit that field a window will appear asking if you want to add that information to the list.

The only exception is the Drop Down List for the "Agents" field. If the agent you entered isn't in the list, a small window will appear allowing you to add the new agent to the list.

To remove items from the Drop Down Lists see "Drop Down Lists" shown on the "Main Menu".

If You Sell Insurance Outside of the United States
The drop down list in the State field in both the Prospects and Clients databases has all fifty states listed and their abbreviation. Additional information can be added to that list by going to the Main Menu and clicking on Drop Down Lists. For example: If you wanted to add Puerto Rico to the States list, click on Drop Down Lists. When the lists appear click on States, scroll down to the bottom of that list and type in Puerto Rico in the first space and then PR in the next space.

Dates
When entering a single digit number in any of the fields in the databases that require a date or time, always type a zero (0) before the number. Example: For the date Feb. 9, 1952, enter 020952 in the date field. When you exit that field the date will appear as 2/9/52.

If you are typing dates that are used to get Reports, DO NOT type a zero before a single digit number. Enter the date in the search window as 5/25/03. The program will automatically show the date in the field as 5/25/2003.

Time
Type the time in the Appointment field as 0905am. When you exit that field the time will appear as 9:05 am. For afternoon and evening appointments enter the time as 0535pm and the time will be displayed as 5:35 pm.

Phone Numbers
When typing phone numbers type 8185551212. When you exit that field the phone number will appear as (818) 555-1212.

There is adequate room after both the Home and Work numbers to add an Extension number. You can enter 8185551212 Ext 5469 and it will appear as (818) 555-1212 Ext 5469 when you exit that field.

$ Dollar Amounts
If the premium is $96.54 all you need to enter is "96.54". When you exit that field the amount will appear as $96.54.

Deleting Records
Records can be deleted from any of the three databases. Find the record you want to delete and click on the "Delete" button in the record you are looking at. A dialog box will appear telling you that you are about to delete one record. Once deleted you cannot restore that record. Deleting records is not recommended. The information in that record, although not essential today, may be valuable in the future.

A better option is to send that record to the Archive Database. All the information is retained and that record can be transferred back to either the Clients or Prospects database if that person becomes a qualified buyer or client again.

Backing Up Data
You may backup YIO to a CD, DVD, Zip Drive, or any other device of your choice that will hold the file. By default, the files you will be backing up are in the YIO4 folder on your C: drive. It is easiest to backup the entire folder; however, you may elect to just backup all files named YIO4 within that folder. Once the computer has finished backing up the information you will have a permanent record that you can put in a safe place in case your computer crashes. It is recommended that you do this at the end of every business day and alternate between two separate discs.

Conducting Searches
You can conduct a search in any field in the Prospects, Clients and Archive databases. To search, first click on the field you want to search. Next click on the binoculars at the top of the database. A window will appear, enter the information you want to search on and, click "Find First". If that doesn't bring up the record you are looking for click on "Find Next". You can continue clicking on Find Next until you have viewed all of the records that show the value you were searching.

The search window will remain on the screen during your search and permit you to make changes in each record without having to cancel the search window.

Using an asterisk (*) can be a great help when searching. Example: You may want to look through the Archive database for all former clients that purchased some kind of life policy. To look at all the records that have the word "Life" in the Policy Type field, including whole life, term life etc., click on the Policy Type field, click on the binoculars and enter *Life* in the search window and click "Find First". (You must enter asterisks on either side of the word Life) Keep clicking on Find Next until you have seen all the policies that have the word Life in the Policy Type field.

When searching in a date field you can search a specific date or on just the month or the year. To search a specific date, enter the date in the search window as 2/27/2003, DO NOT enter the date as 02/27/03. If you want to search only on the year then enter *2003 in the search window. To search only on the month, enter the month and an asterisk. (2* for February.) The only exception is when searching on January. You must enter the following in the search window, 1/*. If you enter just 1* for January you will also get, October,November and December because they all have the number 1 in them.

Searching phone numbers works the same way. Example: If you were only able to understand four of the phone numbers from your answering machine, enter an asterisk (*), the four phone numbers and another asterisk (*). *3689*. The program will locate all records that have those four numbers in sequence.

A search can also be conducted in the Comment Box. Example: If the only information you can remember about a person is that they collect Native American art you can easily locate that person. If you have entered that information in the Comment Box, click on the Comment Box, then click on the binoculars and enter *Native American art* (you must enter the asterisks) and click on Find First. Your Insurance Office will search every record in the database and show you the record that has "Native American art" in the Comment Box.

This is how you would locate someone if you can only remember that the name of the street they live on is Elm.
1. Click on the street address field in the database
2. Click on the binoculars.
3. Type *Elm* in the search window. (Don't forget the asterisks)
4. Click on Find First. If that doesn't bring up the record you want click on Find Next.

Using the asterisk eliminates everything before the word Elm and everything in the field after the word Elm.

Sorting / Filtering
Sorting / Filtering records is another way a search can be performed in the databases. "Your Insurance Office®" provides the user with the option of searching by Sorting/Filtering information in the various fields. This function will work in all the fields in each of the three databases: Prospects, Clients and Archive.

You can Filter the information in any field by the data that appears in the field or by excluding every record with the data in the field you clicked on. You can also Sort the records in the database by selecting to put the information in that field in either Ascending Order or Descending Order. To Sort and or Filter information use the buttons in each of the databases as shown in the example below. After each Sort/Filter do not forget to click on the "Remove Filter/Sort" button before conducting another search or leaving the database. Failure to do so may not restore your records to their original position in the database

Option 1. Assume you want to look at all the life leads in the "Lead Type" field of the Prospects database and "Life Ins" is one if the items in the drop down list for that field.
1. Select a record that has "Life Ins" in the Lead Type field.
2. Left click on the Lead Type field.
3. Left click on "Filter By Selection". All records with "Life Ins" in the "Lead Type" field will be found.
4. You can now scroll through the database and see every record that has "Life Ins" in the Lead Type field.

Use the Previous Record or Next Record buttons at the top of the record to look at each record. You can also use the arrows at the bottom left of your screen to scroll through the records. The number to the right of the arrows shows the total number of records with "Life Ins" in the Lead Type field.

Before sorting / searching again Left click on the "Remove Filter/Sort" button. This puts all the records back to their original position in the database.

Option 2. To search the Lead Type field and see all the records except the ones that have "Life Ins" in the Policy Type field follow the same procedure except click on the option that says "Filter Excluding Selection".

Option 3. This option will help you Reconcile your Compensation / Renewal statement to see that you are receiving the correct amount of commission for each policy you have sold.
Assuming your renewal statement is in numerical order by the policy number, left click on the Policy Number field then click on the "Sort Ascending" button. This will sort all of your records in the Clients database and put them in numerical order by the policy number. You can now scroll through each record and check your renewal statement to make sure you and the company agree on the amount you are being paid.

If you are an Independent Agent and represent more than one insurance company, first left click on the "Name of Insurance Co" field and then click on the "Filter by selection" button. Next, left click on the Policy Number field and then click on the "Sort Ascending" button. This will put all of the polices for that company in numerical order by policy number.

You can sort the information in any field in a database by putting those records in Ascending or Descending order. The program will display the records in either alphabetical or numerical order depending on the information that is in that particular field.

Moving Records to a Different Database
Records can be moved back and forth among all three databases by clicking on the buttons in each record. In the Prospects and Clients databases the buttons will say, "Send to Prospects", "Send to Clients" and "Send to Archive". The buttons in the Archive database say "Move to Client Status" and "Move to Prospect Status".

When you move a Prospect to the Clients database and that Prospect has a spouse, the spouse's first name, date of birth and social security number will also be moved and will appear in the Comment Box in the Clients database. If they are co-owners of the policy simply type the spouse's information in the appropriate fields. When you move a Prospect to the Clients Database and open the Clients database, that former Prospect will be the last (or newest) record in the database.

If you move a Client back to the Prospects Database, the former client will be placed in the Prospects database in chronological order based on the date that was originally put in the "Date Received" field of the Prospects Database. Once that former Client is back in the Prospects Database you can position that record as the newest record in the database by changing the date in the "Date Received" field to the current date.

If you move a record from the Archive Database to either the Prospects or Clients database that record will automatically be placed as the last (or newest) record in the database.

Main Menu
When you open the program the first screen you will see is the Main Menu. The buttons in the Main Menu allow you to view and go to all of the different functions of the program.

Quick Find Field. It lets you enter the last name of a person and the program will find that person if they are in either the Prospects or Clients database. This is especially helpful if you receive a phone call and aren't sure if the person calling is a client or prospect or the correct spelling of their last name. Click on the box with the down arrow to the right of the field. An alphabetical list of all those in the database will appear. Begin typing the last name. When you find that person, click on the person's name or click Enter on your keyboard to go to that record. If that person isn't in the database press "Escape" on your key board to cancel the search.

Note: The "Find" field at the top of each of the three databases work the same way except it will only find people located in that particular database. If that person is not in the database press "Escape" on your key board to cancel the search.

Reports. The reports are divided into two categories: Prospects and Clients. (See Report section for specific information about each of the reports.)

Appointments. The "Upcoming Appointments" box will show you all of the appointments you have scheduled for both Prospects and Clients. Next to the persons name it will show you if your appointment is with a Client or Prospect. To the left of the day of the week of the appointment is a small square button that when clicked takes you to that person's record. All appointments for the current date will have a red dot to the right of the persons name.

NOTE: When you are in either the Prospects or Clients database you can view all of your appointments by double left clicking on the Appointment Date field in the record you are working in.

Calendar. You will see a calendar just below the "Upcoming Appointments" box. By clicking on the arrows on either side of the month and year at the top of the calendar you can change the month that appears.

If you want to see only the appointments for a single day of the month just left click on the day of the month in the calendar and only those appointments for that day will be shown in the Upcoming Appointments box. A red dot to the right of the appointment indicates that those appointments are for the current date. To go back to having all of your appointments displayed, left click on "Reset Calendar To Current Date". Past appointments can be seen by entering a beginning date prior to the current date.

To print a list of your appointments, click on "Print Appointments" and enter the range of dates for the appointments you want to print in the search window. The printed appointments will have the persons complete address, home phone, work phone and cell phone numbers.

Drop Down List - Main Menu
On the Main Menu page there is a button at the top titled "Drop Down Lists". When you click on that button a window appears that shows all of the drop down lists in both databases. The buttons for each list are color coded for easy identification. Purple buttons apply to both Prospects and Client databases, Blue buttons are only for the Prospects database and Green buttons apply to only the Clients database.

Note: The only exception is the button titled "Fonts". It is for adding additional fonts to the Mail Merge function only.

Instructions on how to add and delete information from the various drop down lists are at the top of that window. An unlimited number of categories can be added to each list. The flexibility of Your Insurance Office is only limited by your imagination.

Mail Merge - Main Menu
The Help section for the Mail Merge is located on the Mail Merge page. Click on "Mail Merge Help". Shown below is additional information that may be helpful.

The selection box that allows you to choose the fields you want Mail Merge to search is divided by Prospects and Clients databases. The Prospects database selections are colored Blue and the Clients are colored Green.

If you click on the option that says "End Letter with Agents Name", any record that DOES NOT have an agent's number in the Agents field WILL NOT BE PRINTED.

Also, any record in the Clients database that has a date in the Cancel / Lapse field will also be filtered out. This prevents letters from being printed for those who have cancelled their policy.

If, however, you want to a send letter to those who have cancelled you can find them by clicking on "Selective Mail Merge". Once in the Clients portion of Selective Mail Merge you can sort the records and scroll through the list and click the button next to the name of those who are to receive a letter. (The status of each policy is shown in parentheses next to the Policy Type.)

Note: Data can also be exported so you can create a mail merge letter in an external word processing program like Microsoft Word.

Prospects Database

Find Field - The "Find" field at the top of the record lets you quickly find a person in the database. Enter the persons last name and click Enter on your keyboard. If that person isn't in the database a message will appear. Click OK and search again just in case you misspelled their last name. If you want to cancel the search, press "Escape" on you key board and return to the Main Menu to search another database.

Agent Lead Given To Field. - The default setting is "(None)". This allows you to do a search in that field showing all of the leads that have not yet been assigned to an agent. To search through the database for "(None)", click on the "Agent Lead Given To" field, then click on the binoculars. In the search window type "(None)". (You must add the parenthesis.) Click on Find First and then on Find Next to see all leads that have not been assigned to an agent. An Agent Lead Report can also be printed for "(None)" giving you a printed list of all leads not yet assigned.

Date Received Field - It is set to display the current date when you click on "Add New Prospect". If you do not want to enter a lead using the current date simply change the date when you tab to that field.

Date Given Field - It is also set to display the current date when you enter a new lead. If you do not assign that lead to an agent when you enter the lead, leave the current date in that field until the lead is assigned. It is necessary to have a date in that field to print an Agents Lead Report. When you assign that lead to an agent delete the date that is there and put in a new date.

Phone Numbers - The fields for the Home and Work numbers are larger than the Cell or Fax fields to allow you to enter an Extension number if applicable. Agents selling Group policies may want to create a separate record for the company group and put the group administrators Phone and Extension number in the Home Phone field.

Print Lead 4 x 6 - It contains all the information you will need to set an appointment and make a sale. Prints on an 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Fold in fourths and staple for convenience. To print click on the image of a printer in the task bar at the top of your screen.

Print Lead 8 1/2 x 11 - In addition to giving you all of the information contained in Print Lead 4 x 6, it also shows the E-mail address, Group Company name, Fax number and all additional information in the Comment Box that will not fit on a 4 x 6 index card. (To print see above.)

Printing "Print Lead 4 x 6" on an index card.
To print on a 4 x 6 index card, click on the picture of an open book on the task bar in the upper left of your screen. (See above) A window will appear that says "Page Setup", click on the tab that says "Page". Under the heading that says "Paper" click on the box with the down arrow that says "Size". Look for "Index Card (4x6 in)" and click on it, then click OK. Now click on the image that looks like a printer and the lead will be printed on a 4 x 6 index card. (Note: This option may not work on some printers.)

Zone Field - The Zone field allows you to group several zip codes together and designate them as a Zone. This is especially helpful when working in rural areas where you may only have a few leads for a given Zip Code. Example: You can select all the zip codes in a thirty mile radius from a central point and designate that area as Zone "South East". By printing a Zone Report for "South East" you will see all of your leads in that area without having to print a Zip Code Report for all of the towns you have grouped in that Zone.

Clients Database

Clients with Several Policies If a client has more than one policy with you create a separate record for each policy. (A note can be made in the Comment Box indicating that the client has more than one policy.) This will give you an accurate record of all the policies the client has. To view all of the policies, Left click on the persons last name to sort all of his or her policies in the database so you can conveniently scroll through them. (See Sorting / Filtering instructions.)

We feel that this is a better way of entering multiple policies for the same person than having all policies shown on one record. By having separate records for each policy it makes it easier for you to, identify the renewal date of each policy, see your dollars earned on each policy, and enter specific information applicable to that policy only in the Comment Box. Most agents find it less confusing and easier to keep track of multiple policies for an individual by having a separate record of each policy they sell.

Del / Mailed Field - The default setting in this field is 7/7/77. This allows you to search in that field to see all of the policies that have not yet been either mailed or delivered to the client. Once the client has the policy, change the default date to the actual date they received it.

% Commission Field - When entering the percent of commission you earn, DO NOT enter a decimal point before the number. Enter the percent of commission as 25 for 25%, NOT .25. When you tab to the next field, the dollars earned on that policy will appear in the "$ Commission" field.

$ Commission Field - Your commission is computed using the number entered in the "Premium" field. NOTE: the only way to change the dollar amount of your commission is to change the number in the "% Commission" field.

Note: To reconcile your Compensation / Renewal Statement to verify your commission on each policy you have sold see "Sorting / Filtering".

If your commission on a policy changes after the first year, Filter the records in the Clients database using the "% Commission" field and enter your new percent of commission on each policy that has changed.

Renewal Date Field - When you enter a date in the "Effective Date" field, the program will automatically calculate the Renewal Date as a date eleven months from the effective date of the policy and enter that date in the Renewal Date field. If you want a different date in the Renewal Date field just change the date when you tab to that field.

Other Default Settings - The "Bill" field has the default setting "M" for monthly, the "Method" field has "Bank Draft" and the "Policy Status" field has "Pending Approval". If you want to enter different information in those fields make your selections from the Drop Down List.

Print Client Data Button - When you click on this button you will see and be able to print all of the information in the Clients record.

Archive Database

The Archive database is another new addition to the program. It enables the user to retain former Prospects who at the time may not be qualified buyers and Clients who have cancelled. All of the information in the original record is saved even though it isn't visible when the record is moved to the Archive database.

To move a record to Archive from either the Prospects or Clients database just click the appropriate button located at the bottom of the record.

Each record in the Archive database identifies that record as either a former Prospect or Client.

When a record is moved from Archive to either the Prospects or Clients database, that record will always appear as the last or newest entry in that database. (When you open either the Prospects or Clients database the program takes you to the last record entered.) Once that record is moved back to Prospects or Clients database all the original information that was there before you moved it to Archive will be restored.

A search can be performed in all of the fields in the Archive database by either using the binoculars or by Sorting / Filtering.

The data in the fields may be searched on but not changed until that record is moved back to either the Prospects or Clients database. The only exception is data in the Comment Box. You can add or delete text from the Comment Box while the record is still in the Archive database.

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