19 March 2010

Create a Google Map from ACT! Contact List

Creating a Google Map from a Contact List can be done in just a few clicks with two simple ACT! AddOns. Using the ACT2Excel add-on from CRM AddOns ($69*), and a free Excel template from the Batch Geocode website, we’ll do a simple export to excel, where the mapping will take place.

The bulk of the work is actually done in Excel, defining the cells that will hold the address data. The spreadsheet comes with some sample data, which you’ll want to delete, then replace the Address, City, ST, and ZIP fields with the corresponding ACT! field, and save. Then, it’s back to ACT! to create a contact list and export it to the template you just edited. When Excel opens up, you’ll have the list - address, city, state, and zip - in an Excel sheet.

Finally, just a button press in Excel will create the map. The image below is 5 addresses from the ACTDemo database:


Click here to download the Excel file - GMapsInExcel. Of course, you’ll need the add-on to put the whole thing together, but you can experiment with this template. Please contact me with any questions or comments! Hope this helps…

* Note: this ACT2Excel add-on is a must-have for ACT! users. You can perform customized data exports, create invoices/quotes, execute calculations which can then automatically populate fields back into ACT!, and much more. Check out their page for all the details…