Get More Done, In Less Time with Toolbar Macros

Almost anything anyone does repeatedly in GoldMine can be done in less time and with less effort through the use of Toolbar Icons/Macros.

GoldMine lets you modify the existing Toolbar in order to add and delete icons. You can also create a custom toolbar with macros for the features you use frequently and activities you do often. I like to place my personal “activities toolbar” running vertically down the left side of my screen and leave the standard toolbar along the top.

A right click on the empty section of the toolbar displays the local menu where you can select to insert icons from a standard list of prerecorded and unassigned icons. It’s on this same local menu that you’ll also find the choice to start recording a macro. Once you start recording, it remembers all your actions in GoldMine, including mistakes. It may take a couple tries to get it right. But it’s well worth it for all the time you’ll save!

Toolbars are user and computer specific. So if you’re intending them for others, you’ve got to go around and record them for each user.

Toolbar icons/macros can be used for more than scheduling and completing activities. They can assign Automated Processes that can do just about anything in GoldMine. They can also be used to launch a particular telemarketing script.

Brainstorm those things that make sense to have macros for. Then plan them out down to the last detail before you start to record them. Don’t overlook anything, including even standard reminder notes you may wish to have inside your activities. If you’re missing an appropriate activity or result code, add it to the lookup list before you record the macro!

Basic Steps in Building a Macro:

1. Plan it out in advance – make sure all the lookup selections you want are already in the lookup lists and that you know what you want to type into any notes boxes.

2. Right click on an open space of your toolbar and select “Insert Item.”

3. From the “Insert Toolbar Item” menu, select “Macro” from the drop down list.

4. Select the icon that you desire to assign for your macro from the scrolling list of available icons. Hold your left click on it and drag it up to your toolbar. Release the left click to drop the icon in place. Use your right click to drag it around after.

5. Go back up to the open space on your toolbar and right click to get the toolbar menu again and select “Record Macro” to begin the recording process. You’ll notice the little recording button toolbar opens. The recording process has already begun, so you don’t need to press any of the buttons unless you want to pause or stop the recording.

6. Using your keyboard as much as possible to perform the steps you want your macro to do. (If you make an error, continue below but press “Cancel” at the very end of the process and then start over at step #5 to re-record your macro.)

7. When you are through performing the steps of your macro, press the Stop Recording button. This will automatically bring you to the next step below.

8. Scroll to find and select the same icon that you dragged onto your toolbar in step 4 above. Fill in the description boxes with an explanation of what the macro will do. The top box appears as rollover text on the icon, so keep it as brief as possible (3 words max.). If you are displaying “Button Text” on your toolbar for all the icons, you’ll need to keep the description even shorter. The second box allows you type a much longer description and will scroll to give you more space. This description will appear in the lower left hand corner of your status bar at the bottom of your GoldMine application window. If you want, you can assign the macro to an available “Function Key” as well.

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