Getting Started with SalesLink

Transcription

1 Getting Started with SalesLink

2 Table of Contents Table of Contents SalesLink Configurations...3 Office Procedures...3 Traffic System Ready to Receive...3 Technical Information...4 The SalesLink Window...4 Resize SalesLink Windows...4 File Menu...5 Import Data File...5 Edit Menu...6 Send Button...6 Reject Button...8 Priority Button...8 Resubmit Button...9 View Menu...9 Options Menu...10 Empty the Trash...10 Network and Data Folder...11 Refresh Rate...11 Window Size...12 Fonts...12 Help Menu...13 Status Information...13 Favorites Toolbar...14 Managing Favorites...14 Status Bar Marketron Broadcast Solutions Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 1

3 SalesLink is software that links the DeltaFlex Traffic System with external proposal-writing software. Supported proposal-writing software can export much of the information needed by DeltaFlex Traffic to create a new contract, and this information can then be sent by SalesLink to a DeltaFlex Traffic System. This eliminates the necessity to enter information twice, can improve the accuracy of the contract entry process, and can allow for the electronic submission of advertising contracts. Contract information can be delivered to SalesLink in many ways. Contracts can be submitted electronically from salespeople in the field, directly from station representatives, networks or advertising agencies. They can originate either within the station itself, or anywhere in the world, using telecommunications software. WARNING - SalesLink is not necessarily appropriate for the import of all kinds of contracts, primarily because most proposal writing software can not handle all kinds of contracts. Depending on how the proposal writing software handles them, you probably can't use SalesLink to import contracts for things like program sponsorships, bulk buy contracts with no schedules, and schedules that run in split dayparts. Most proposal writing software ties the schedule of a contract to rating periods and rating information, which generally does not allow dayparting more accurate than hourly, and does not support no-schedule orders. The primary benefit to stations from using SalesLink is the efficiency and reduction in errors from not having to re-enter contract information that already exists. Secondary benefits include the speed of submitting contracts electronically. SalesLink runs on any desktop of any interested party at the station. It monitors the files inside the SalesLink Data Directory, and notifies the operator when a new and relevant file appears in the directory. From SalesLink, the operator can change the dayparting priority of the contract, and can under some circumstances send the contract on to a DeltaFlex Traffic System. The Traffic System then receives the contract, importing it into the system. Once imported, the contract is treated the same as any other traffic contract Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 2

4 SalesLink Configurations SalesLink has been designed to operate under a variety of configurations. The most common configurations include: Single-User Computer - One computer, probably located on the Traffic Director's desk. Contracts would probably be prepared by salespeople on their own computers and exported to diskette. The contracts would then be imported to SalesLink from diskette or a shared network drive by the Traffic Director using SalesLink's Import function. Network Computer System - Several computers operating on a computer network. Not all of those computers necessarily run other Marketron software. Contracts prepared by the sales department are written to the common network SalesLink data directory. SalesLink can be run simultaneously on more than one computer, although only one session of SalesLink can be run at a time on any single computer. This allows several operators to access the SalesLink data. Systems with more than one Traffic Operator can use SalesLink to process contracts for multiple DeltaFlex Traffic Systems. Sales Managers could run SalesLink to view the stack of pending contracts. Office Procedures Stations using SalesLink may find it desirable to review their office procedures with an eye to making them more effective. As with any electronic transfer of information, lax procedures can create problems if the procedures are not properly in place. Stations MUST have procedures for catching entry errors that make it into the contract file from the proposal writing software. While DeltaFlex Traffic will try to intercept the obvious errors, it cannot anticipate everything. For example, if there are incorrect run dates or dayparting hours in the contract file, you will have to catch that sort of thing manually. We strongly suggest that Contract Confirmations be immediately printed for every imported contract, and that the confirmation be returned to the originating Salesperson or manager. With every import, DeltaFlex Traffic must make assumptions about contract parameters not included in the import file. It is a good idea to make sure the contract as imported is the way the originating person intended it to be. Neither computers nor Traffic Directors are mind-readers, although Traffic Directors are making significant improvements in that area. SalesLink is used only to import new contracts. It cannot be used to process contract revisions or cancellations. Stations will continue to need procedures for these situations. Traffic System Ready to Receive Before you can send a contract from SalesLink to a DeltaFlex Traffic System, the Traffic System must be enabled to receive contract imports. This enabling is done by a special DeltaFlex Update procedure. Within the Traffic System, select "See Traffic System Storage Status"from Menu D, then display "Optional Features". The item "Import SalesLink Contracts" should be set to "Yes". If it is not, contact DeltaFlex Customer Service for assistance. The Traffic System can accept contracts for import at two points: When entering or changing contracts (Item 1 on Menu A), you are first asked to enter all or part of an account name. With the Traffic System waiting at this point, the SalesLink SEND button will be activated. Sending a contract at this point will try to match the account name stored in the 2010 Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 3

5 contract file with an existing account in the Traffic System. Refer to the DeltaFlex Traffic System Interactive Manual for more information. When entering or changing contracts, after selecting an account and choosing to enter a new contract, you are stepped to the prompt for entering a contract number. With the traffic system at this point, the SalesLink SEND button will be activated. Sending a contract at this point will import the contract into the preselected account, whether or not the account name stored in the contract file matches the name of the preselected account. If the account name does not match, you will be asked if you are sure you want to import. Refer to the DeltaFlex Traffic System Interactive Manual for more information. Technical Information SalesLink is a 32-bit Windows application. Contract information intended for processing by SalesLink is exported by proposal writing software in a special file with a.cnt extension. The structure of this file and the rules for file naming are available on request from Marketron Broadcast Solutions. These *.CNT files can be processed by SalesLink only when they are in the \SLDATA subdirectory of the main SALESLNK directory created when SalesLink is installed. The *.CNT files can be delivered to the \SLDATA sub-directory in many ways. The easiest situation is on computer networks, where the *.CNT files can be exported from proposal writers directly to the \SLDATA sub-directory. SalesLink itself provides for the import of files from diskette. The *.CNT files can also be transmitted via any file transfer protocol, including , internet transfer, remote terminal dialup, or proprietary telecommunications programs such as Tapscan's TapConnect. Enterprising stations can certainly figure out a way to transfer the files from portable mobile computers via cell phone modem. It is essential that you set up procedures that ensure that the *.CNT files are placed in the \SLDATA directory in a timely fashion. You may be able to automate that process using features of the telecommunications or file transfer software your station uses. Because of the unique aspects of each installation, Marketron cannot offer assistance in setting up those procedures beyond what is outlined in these paragraphs. The SalesLink Window Depending on the Options/Fonts Settings, if you resize the SalesLink Window, the font size used may change, and you may resize the window so some of the information is unreadable. The contract list may be sorted by any of the columns. Just click on the column header to sort contract list into ascending order based on the contents of the selected column. Resize SalesLink Windows As with most Windows applications, the SalesLink window can be resized to suit your individual preferences. Unlike most Windows applications, SalesLink also allows you to use the resizing process to control how much information you actually see in the window. The Font item on the Options Menu allows you to specify what happens to the information within the SalesLink window when you resize it. If you select "Scale Dynamically", the font size will change as you make the SalesLink Window wider or narrower. But if you specify a font size, the font size will stay the same when you resize the window. That allows you to shrink the window to show just the information you need Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 4

6 For example, if you lock a font size and then move the right window border in far enough, you will be able to just see the station name and account name in the contract window. If you bring the bottom window border up, you can completely hide the tab information at the bottom of the window. SalesLink allows you to configure the window to show what you need to see, and to see it the way you want it. Once you arrive at the best window size and font combination for your use, open the Options Menu, click on Preferences, select Save Window Size, and save the window setup for future use. Sample SalesLink Window File Menu The File Menu includes the following items: Import allows you to import *.CNT files from any location into the SalesLink data directory. Exit closes the SalesLink application Import Data File This dialog box allows you to import SalesLink data files from any browsable location. In addition, it lets you specify what to do with the file after it is imported, and what to do in the event that a duplicate file already exists in SalesLink s SLDATA folder. These import settings will be saved as the defaults the next time you use the Import function Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 5

7 NOTE - If the application that generates your orders (such as Order Express or TapScan) places the properly formatted contract files in the SalesLink\SLDATA folder, you do not need to use this import function. Those orders will be available as soon as they are created by the order writer. Sample Import Contract Files Screen Edit Menu The Edit Menu includes the following items: Send duplicates the function of the Send Button. If a DeltaFlex Traffic System is available to accept contracts, the function will be enabled. Click the function to send the highlighted contract to the DeltaFlex Traffic System. Reject duplicates the function of the Reject Button. It marks the highlighted contract as rejected, which delegates it to the trash and no longer offers it for forwarding to the Traffic System. Priority duplicates the function of the Priority Button. It allows you to change the priority level of the highlighted contract. If the highlighted contract has already been sent or rejected, this button becomes the Resubmit Button. Resubmit duplicates the function of the Resubmit Button. It allows you to clear the flags in the highlighted contract file that says it's either been sent or been rejected. You can only use this function if you have selected "Show Sent and Rejected" from the View Menu, and then highlight a previously sent or rejected contract. Send Button This button is used to send the selected contract to Traffic. The SEND button will be inactive, or grayed out, whenever a DeltaFlex Traffic System is not available for contract import. If the station name in the contract file matches the station name for a Traffic System, left-clicking on the SEND button will send the contract to the appropriate DeltaFlex Traffic System and simultaneously to the SalesLink Trash, from which it will ultimately be automatically deleted. Right-clicking on the SEND button will open the Selecting A Traffic System dialog box, which allows you to send the same contract to another traffic system, or to 2010 Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 6

8 several other traffic systems. If the station names do not match, any click on the SEND button will open the Stations dialog box. Selecting a Traffic System SalesLink relies on a literal match between the station name stored in the contract file and the station name used by the DeltaFlex Traffic System to know which traffic system a contract is intended for. When you click the "Send" button, if SalesLink can not match the station name, you will be asked to select the station in this dialog box. If you have multiple DeltaFlex Traffic Systems to which the contract can be sent, the station list will show all receptive traffic systems. Highlight the station you want to send the contract to, and then click the OK button. To abandon the send operation, click the CANCEL button. Sample Station List Screen SalesLink Pseudonyms SalesLink stores a table matching known pseudonyms for station names found in the contract file with the names of Traffic Systems. Whenever you send a contract with an unknown station name, you will be asked whether you want to make this previously unknown name a pseudonym for the traffic system you're sending to. To save the pseudonym and complete the send operation, click YES. To complete the send operation without saving the pseudonym, click NO. To abandon the send operation, click CANCEL. The known pseudonyms are stored along with other information in the SLNKNET.INI file, found in the main SALESLNK programming directory. This file can be edited using any standard text editor, including NOTEPAD. Once a pseudonym has been stored in the file, the only way to remove the pseudonym is to edit this INI file Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 7

9 Sample Station Pseudonym Check Screen Reject Button The Reject Button is used to mark the highlighted contract as rejected. In the dialog box, you may enter the reason why the contract is being rejected. When the text has been entered, click on OK to reject this contract. Click on CANCEL to return to the main SalesLink screen. A contract marked as "Rejected" is dispatched to the SalesLink Trash, from which it will ultimately be automatically deleted. Contracts not specifically rejected are expected to be imported by a DeltaFlex Traffic System. When contracts in the trash are displayed in the Contract Window, those that have been rejected are marked with an "r". A rejected contract can be resubmitted, or "unrejected". When "Show Sent and Rejected" is selected on the View Menu, you can then highlight a rejected contract. The "Priority" button changes to a "Resubmit" button. Click that button, and the contract will be reinitialized. Sample Reject Button Screen Priority Button When you click the Priority Button, you are shown this dialog box, which allows you to change the dayparting priority of each of the lines of the contract prior to sending it to the DeltaFlex Traffic System. Unless the external system that generated the contract sent a priority (and most do not), the contract will default to "Regular" priority. If you need to change it, click the appropriate button in the "Priority" box, and then click OK to make the change. To exit the box without changing anything, click on CANCEL Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 8

10 Sample Priority Button Screen Resubmit Button When the highlighted contract is one that has already been processed by SalesLink or Traffic, the Priority Button changes to the Resubmit Button. This button is used to initialize a contract file, removing all of the marks that the file has ever been sent or rejected, removing it from the SalesLink Trash, and allowing SalesLink to treat it as if it were a new, fresh file. To resubmit the contract, click on OK. To leave the contract as it is, click on CANCEL. Sample Resubmit Button Screen View Menu The View Menu contains the following items: Refresh refreshes the display in the contracts window, showing any changes to the contracts available since the last refresh. Use this function if you've set the automatic refresh rate to a relatively high value and want to see changes to the contracts immediately. Show Sent and Rejected changes the display in the contract window to include contracts that have already been sent to Traffic and those that have been marked as rejected. If you want to resubmit a contract, you must first use this function to display it so you can select it. Contracts that have been rejected will be marked with an "r". Those that have been sent and accepted by the Traffic System will be marked with an "a". This item will always default to "off" when a SalesLink session is started. Thereafter, you toggle it between on and off by selecting it. Sort on Last Modified Date sorts the display in the contract window by the date the contract was last modified. This should mean the most recently modified contracts are displayed at the bottom of the list. When you start SalesLink, this option is turned off. If you turn it on, and then subsequently sort the contracts another way, it will turn this option off Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 9

11 Favorites Bar displays or hides the favorites bar at the top of the SalesLink window. Status Bar displays or hides the status bar at the bottom of the SalesLink window. Options Menu The Options Menu contains the following items: Empty Trash After opens a dialog box allowing you to control how long a contract remains in the "trash" after being sent or rejected. This is a system-wide setting, affecting all terminals that use SalesLink. Auto Process Zip Files either enables or disables the automatic processing of zip contract files in the /SLDATA folder. When a zipped file is processed, the contract (.cnt) files are extracted from the file and are saved in the /SLDATA folder. After the contract file is extracted, it appears in blue in the SalesLink Contract list and the zipped file is deleted from the /SLDATA folder. Process Zip Files Now processes any zipped contract files that exist in the /SLDATA folder. Network and Data Folder opens a dialog box allowing you to control the location of the SalesLink data folder. Sounds either enables or disables the sounds that Windows plays to alert you to changes in the status of contracts. This is a toggle item: click on it to turn it on or off. The item is checked when sounds are enabled. When you turn this item on, the sound will play. This item affects only the terminal from which the selection is made. If you have a Sound Card and Windows system sounds are enabled, SalesLink will use the "Exclamation" sound, as set on Windows Control Panel. Refresh Rate opens a dialog box allowing you to set how often SalesLink polls for new contracts. This item affects only the terminal from which the selection is made. Save Window Size opens a dialog box allowing you to save the current SalesLink window size, location and font information, so all subsequent SalesLink windows will be opened in the same configuration. This item affects only the terminal from which the selection is made. Fonts opens a drop-down menu that gives you control over the size of the type used in the SalesLink window, and whether the type size changes when you resize the window. This item affects only the terminal from which the selection is made. Empty the Trash This dialog box controls how long a contract file is retained by the system after processing before it is automatically deleted from the data directory. The maximum retention time is 45 days, 23 hours. The minimum is zero days, zero hours, which means all processed files will be deleted as soon as they are either accepted by DeltaFlex Traffic or rejected. This is a system-wide setting, affecting all terminals that use SalesLink. Marketron recommends that you set this control to 7 days. If you set it too short, you may not be able to retrieve and resubmit a contract that was sent or rejected in error. If you set it too long, you may clutter your hard disk with obsolete contract files, which will slow up each refresh cycle Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 10

12 Sample Empty Trash Screen Network and Data Folder This dialog box controls the location of the SalesLink data folder. Navigate to the appropriate SalesLink data folder and click on the Select button. Click on the Cancel button to return to the previous screen without making any changes. Sample Specify Network Folder Screen Refresh Rate The Refresh Rate determines how often SalesLink polls the data directory for new contract files. You may set any interval from 0 to 60 minutes and from 0 to 59 seconds. Selected from the "Options" Menu, this dialog box allows you to change the interval of the refresh rate. Type the number of minutes and seconds, or use the spin buttons to change the values, then click on OK or press ENTER to save your entry. Click on CANCEL or press ESC to exit without changing the refresh rate. This item affects only the terminal from which the setting is made. Refreshing the display for one terminal involves accessing every file in the \SLDATA directory every time the SalesLink window refreshes, including those already processed. In addition, if any zipped contract files exist in the \SLDATA directory they will be unzipped when the display is refreshed Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 11

13 If you keep a large number of contract files in the directory, refreshing too frequently could bog down your computer, even though the refresh is running in the background. If you have a large number of SalesLink terminals all refreshing frequently, every terminal will access every file for every refresh cycle. This could cause network slow downs. On the other hand, refreshing too infrequently means Marketron recommends that you use a 5-minute refresh rate. If you feel that your system is bogging down due to refreshing SalesLink, experiment with various settings of the refresh rate and the length of time processed contracts are kept in the trash to see if you can make things better. Sample Refresh Rate Screen Window Size Selected from the "Options" Menu, this dialog box simply saves the present SalesLink window size, location and font as the default for ensuing SalesLink sessions. Once you get your SalesLink window set up the way you like it, you should save the window size so SalesLink will always use that configuration on your terminal. To save the present window size, location and font, click on OK. Otherwise, click on CANCEL to exit. This item affects only the terminal from which the setting is made. Sample Window Size Window Fonts Selected from the "Options Menu", this sub-menu controls which font size is used in the SalesLink window. The settings for Fonts will be saved whenever the Window Size is saved. Scale Dynamically Allows the font size to change as the window is resized. The font size used is based on the horizontal size of the window. Use this method when you want change the size of the window and make sure all possible information is still displayed Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 12

14 Scale and Lock Will select the optimum font size for the window size currently selected, then "lock" that font size. When you resize the SalesLink window, the font size stays the same. This allows you to hide some of the information in the SalesLink window if you wish. Specific Font Sizes Allows you to specify the font size you want. It has the same effect as "Scale and Lock" except that the font size is not automatically determined. Sample Font Window Help Menu The SalesLink help menu contains the following items: Help opens the help manual for SalesLink. Show Status Information displays a dialog box showing the paths of the network and data directories used by sales link. To close the box, click on OK. About SalesLink displays a dialog box showing information about SalesLink. To close the box, click on OK. Status Information This dialog box shows the directories used by SalesLink, as well as the number of contract files in the data directory, and how many of them are unprocessed Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 13

15 Sample Status Information Screen Favorites Toolbar The Favorites toolbar displays a list of predefined web sites. Click on any of the available website buttons to navigate to that website. Sample Favorites Tool Bar Managing Favorites To modify the favorites that display on the favorites toolbar click on the Manage Button. Use the Manage Favorites Dialog in the following ways: 1. Favorites Location. To change the Favorites location, click on the Browse button to browse to the location where your favorites are stored. The default location is the location where the SalesLink.exe file is installed. For example: C:\Wicks Broadcast Solutions\SalesLink. 2. Add. Up to 20 favorites can be added to the Favorites toolbar. Complete the following instructions to add new favorites: A. Click on the Add button to display the Add Favorite dialog. B. In the URL field enter the full URL of the website that you would like to add. For example: C. Click on the Test button to test that the favorite has been entered correctly. If entered correctly the "The URL appears to be valid. Would you like to navigate to it using your default browser?" message appears. Click on the Yes Button to open the favorite in a new internet session. D. In the Name Field enter the name of the new favorite up to 256 characters. The name entered cannot include any off the following characters: /\:*?"<>. E. Click on the OK button to add your new favorite and return to the Manage Favorites dialog. 3. Delete. To delete favorites, complete the following instructions: F. On the Manage Favorites dialog, select the favorite that you wish to delete Marketron Broadcast Solutions help@marketron.com Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 14

16 G. Click on the Delete button. H. The "Are you sure you want to delete this item?" message appears. Click on the Yes button to delete this item and return to the Manage Favorites dialog. 4. Rename. To rename existing favorites, complete the following instructions: Status Bar I. On the Manage Favorites dialog, highlight the item you want to rename and then click on the item again. Rename the item as appropriate. J. Click on the Done button to return to the SalesLink main screen. The status bar at the bottom of the main SalesLink window shows the selected contract (.cnt) file, the amount of time until the screen refreshes and whether the CAPS LOCK and NUM LOCK functions are set. The symbol at the extreme right of the status bar indicates that you can click and drag there to make the SalesLink window any size you want. You can choose to display or hide this toolbar using the options under View Menu > View Status. Sample Status Bar 2010 Marketron Broadcast Solutions Updated: 8/24/2010 Page 15