Contact Summary

The “Contact Summary” report in Reports module of Retention CRM provides Associations, Chambers of Commerce and Nonprofits with a detailed listing of contact information for their Contact database. This report is helpful for generating email lists, segmenting contact base, and ensuring your contact data is accurate.

General Functionality of “Contact Summary” report

Here’s a breakdown of the typical options/fields you’ll find in the Contact Summary report:

• Contact ID: Unique identifier assigned to each Contact record.
• Contact Type: Category assigned to a Contact (e.g., Individual, Organization).
• External Identifier: An optional field to store an external ID (e.g., member ID from another system).
• Sort Name: The name you prefer to use for sorting and mailing purposes (e.t., Last Name, First Name).
• Individual Name: Full name of the Contact (typically for Individual contact types).
• Organization Name: Name of the organization (typically for Organization contact types).
• Address Fields: Complete mailing address including Street Address, City, State/Province, Postal Code, and Country.
• Phone Fields: Phone numbers categorized by type (e.g., Home, Mobile, Work).
• Email: Primary email address of the Contact.
• Website: Website address of the Contact (if available).
• Greeting: Preferred salutation for the Contact (e.g., Mr., Ms., Dr.).
• Deceased: Indicates whether the Contact is deceased.
• Do Not Mail: Flag to indicate the Contact should not be included in mailings.
• Do Not Phone: Flag to indicate the Contact should not be contacted by phone.
• Do Not Email: Flag to indicate the Contact should not be contacted by email.
• Custom Fields: Any additional custom fields you’ve defined for capturing specific Contact data.

Using “Contact Summary” report in Association Management

Now, let’s look at how a nursing association might utilize the Contact Summary report:

• Contact Type: This can be used to differentiate between individual nurses (Individuals) and healthcare organizations (Organizations).
• External Identifier: This could store a nurse’s license number for easy reference.
• Sort Name: Sort by last name for printed directories or mailing lists.
• Individual Name: Full name of the nurse member.
• Address Fields: Essential for sending out membership renewal notices, event invitations, or association newsletters.
• Phone Fields: Useful for contacting nurses about association activities, committee meetings, or continuing education opportunities.
• Email: The primary mode of communication for most associations; allows for sending newsletters, surveys, and announcements.
• Do Not Mail/Phone/Email: Flags to respect a nurse’s preferences regarding communication methods.
• Custom Fields: The association might create custom fields to capture specific information relevant to nurses, such as license expiration date, area of specialization, or preferred communication method.

A nursing association wants to identify all nurses residing in Austin, Texas, who are not currently signed up for the upcoming annual conference. They can utilize the Contact Summary report with the following filters:

• Address – Country: Texas
• Address – City: Austin
• Membership: Filter out members who have already registered for the conference (using a custom field or membership status).

This report would generate a list of nurses in Austin who haven’t registered, allowing the association to target them with email or phone outreach campaigns to promote the conference and encourage registration.

More Use Cases for Associations

Identifying lapsed members for targeted campaigns

The Contact Summary report can be used to identify members who haven’t engaged with the association for a certain period. By filtering the report to show members with no recent donations, event attendance, or volunteer activity, associations can create targeted campaigns to re-engage these lapsed members. This could involve offering them special discounts on memberships, inviting them to exclusive events, or simply checking in to see if they’re still interested in the association’s work.

Segmenting your member base for personalized communication

The Contact Summary report allows you to segment your member base according to various criteria, such as location, interests, or membership level. This segmentation can then be used to send more personalized communications to your members. For example, you could send an email newsletter about upcoming events to members in a specific region, or target high-level members with information about exclusive benefits.

Creating mailing lists for specific initiatives

The Contact Summary report can be used to generate mailing lists for specific initiatives or events. By filtering the report to show members who meet certain criteria, associations can create targeted mailing lists that are more likely to resonate with the recipients. For instance, you could create a mailing list for nurses who specialize in a particular field to promote an upcoming conference on that topic.