Before we begin, a list of my New Year’s Resolutions…
Resolution #1: You pay for a gym membership, use it.
Resolution #2: Learn to make artisan bread.
Resolution #3: Perfect Salesforce to Outlook synchronization.
So maybe #3 isn’t a “real” resolution, but it is a common request from our clients, and I wanted to take the opportunity to work through what the Outlook Connector is, and isn’t, in the world of Salesforce. We’ll take this in four parts: Overview, Install, Configuration and Use. We’ll tackle the first two (Overview and Install) in this post, and the last two (Configuration and Use) in a follow-up post shortly. Without further fanfare, I present…
Outlook Connector, Overview
First, what it is: A desktop integration with your Outlook e-mail client that allows you to synchronize your contacts, tasks and events; associate your emails with a Salesforce contact; create cases (if you use these…); map custom Salesforce fields to Outlook fields in your address book; and (according to SF), “much more”! (I always cringe when I hear that…) All of this happens sometimes seamlessly, sometimes clumsily, but usually somewhere in between.
What it’s not: A seamless integration between your Outlook email client and your Salesforce database that will make them feel like one application. Someday in the future, this may exist, and it’s certainly getting closer, but its not here yet. Besides, from a consulting perspective, these aren’t necessarily things you want seamlessly integrated in the first place. Outlook is an email client. Does it have “contacts”? Sure it does, but its primary job is to send and receive emails, organize and maintain a calendar, and annoy you with meeting reminders for events cancelled three months ago. Salesforce is a database. Can it send email? Sure it can, but its primary job is to organize, report and maintain information about your organization’s constituents, donors, donations, outreach efforts, and periodically frustrate your attempts to use the same password for everything in your life. (Note: Using the same password for everything? Bad idea.)
The point is, just because Outlook has “contacts”, doesn’t mean it should be your primary repository for contact information. Just because Salesforce can email, doesn’t mean it should be your primary email client. Just because my car’s speedometer goes to 160 mph, well… you can see where this is going. This is not to mention the fact that categorizing your latest Amazon purchase, Zappos return, or email exchange with your Aunt Dorothy in your database probably isn’t the effect you’re going for (What? You’re NOT using your work email for these things? Good! Your IT administrator is smiling proudly behind you… Speaking of, you’re not going to try and install this without asking her/him first, are you? Wait, that wasn’t a question, let me try again: You’re not going to try and install this without asking her/him first. That’s better.)
Outlook Connector, Install
Now that we’ve gotten the introductions out of the way, you’ve considered the pros and cons, done a little research, and have decided “Yes, I want the Outlook Connector”, we’re ready for the install. This is actually the easiest part of the whole process, with just a few caveats. First, requirements: Windows 2000, XP, Vista or (theoretically) Windows 7 will all work. Additionally you’ll need Outlook XP, 2003 or 2007. Outlook Express and Windows 98 users will be out of luck. To find the Connector, login to your existing Salesforce database. (1) Click ‘Setup’ in the top right, under Personal Setup, click on the ‘+’ sign next to (2)’Desktop Integration’. Finally, click on (3) ‘Connect for Microsoft Outlook’.
You’ll want to select the option best for you. Once again, make sure to consult with your local IT professional or system administrator before deciding to move forward with this process (installing the Connector may violate local IT policy for your organization, don’t say I didn’t warn you!) You can launch it directly from (1) within Salesforce if your browser allows, (2) download the setup.exe executable file, or (3) download the zipped windows installer. For the purposes of this post, we’ll select option #2. It’s slightly larger than 11mb, so bandwidth shouldn’t be an issue. (For all you 19 year old Salesforce users out there, it’s the equivalent of about 2-3 Lady Gaga songs)
Next, we’ll want to backup our Outlook mail files. All of our local Outlook mail can be backed up into a .pst file, and restored later in an emergency (or just for fun!). You can do this by opening Outlook, selecting ‘File’, then ‘Import and Export’, then select ‘Export to a file’, select ‘Personal Folder File (.pst) as your file type, select your main mailbox folder and make sure to include all subfolders. Save it to a place you’ll remember, and click okay! It may take a minute or two, depending on your machine and the size of your inbox.
Okay, we’re all backed up (seriously, you did do the backup, right?), time to double click on the setup.exe file we downloaded, and let’em rip! While you can install the Connector with Outlook open, it’s probably best to shut it down. Either way, you’ll need to do a reboot upon completion.
Once you reboot, you’ll see you have a new toolbar at the top of your Outlook window. (If you can’t see it, check and see if it’s enabled. Go to View -> Toolbars, and make sure the ‘Salesforce’ related ones are checked. Remember, your toolbars are movable, so yours may be in a different place than mine.)
Well then, that wasn’t so hard, was it? We’ve successfully navigated parts 1 AND 2, and have succeeded in adding additional clutter to our Outlook screen. Come back soon for parts 3 and 4 to learn how to turn that clutter into a smooth running integration between Outlook and Salesforce and be ready to add “Application Integrator” to your resume!
Adobe, through TechSoup, is offering Photoshop, Creative Suite Design, and some of its other titles for Macs in a special promotion. These products are available to organizations that are not typically eligible for their discounted software, including health care organizations and schools and educational institutions. In addition to the Mac software, there are a few books on their software available through the program which can be used by Windows users. Here is the TechSoup page, which outlines this special offer.
Much like how it became required for nonprofits to have a website about 10 years ago, it’s now becoming standard for every nonprofit to have a presence on social networks – typically more than one. But similar to how just having a website wasn’t enough to bring clients and donors in the door,simply having a Facebook page or Twitter feed isn’t enough to cultivate relationships.
While volunteers can be a great resource for maintaining or updating technology at nonprofits, they also can present unique challenges for nonprofit staff. We usually spend some time whenever we are helping a nonprofit set up a volunteer project to make sure that it is set up in a way attractive for modern volunteers, but that is only the beginning of making sure that the relationship works well.
