Customer Reviews

ACT! by Sage For Dummies

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'm an engineer so this stuff should come easier to me than most. Right? However, ACT! has many features and it is taking me a long time to figure out how to use it properly not to mention how to manipulate the many options.
I found this book adds to the confusion. Four issues:(1)The author tries unsuccessfully to make it a "fun read". She adds sarcasm and verbiage that make it more difficult to follow. Plan on re-reading key points several times to get her meaning. (2) Far worse, the book is laid out poorly. Very poorly! Plan on constantly moving from one chapter to another and back again. Although you probably would be doing this anyway - the Title blocks do not follow an orderly pattern and again are with verbiage that leave you asking - is this what I'm looking for? (3) The graphics are adequate but not good enough to stand alone - I would not recommend reading without your computer in front of you. (4) The book is far too wordy. Please do us a favor in the future. If you can say it with 20 words don't use 120. This more than anything else drove me crazy.
Final comment - maybe I'm being a bit too tough. I've been trying to learn this system far longer so Karen forgive me. But I do believe my recommendations are real and should be implemented in future revisions. This book is far from perfect.

I ordered this because it features a CD-ROM.

No CD-ROM came with the order. No CD-ROM came with the order that was supposed to fix that error.

This book isn't featured on the Dummies website.

I'm wondering what the deal is...and thought I'd try to prevent others from having my flustration.

Purchased this for an executive friend of mine whose company was implementing this product. He reported this book was perfect for an executive level person who wanted to get a feel for ACT was capable of doing for his sales operations.

found act to be fairly user friendly on it's own....but the book made the learning curve easier and faster....received product in a timely fashion...as i was a new user the book was a great help..

This book is fabulous. It takes the dummy and shows him how to use a piece of software that manages all of your contacts. In addition to learning the features of the software, it suggests ways to improve your business with the features of the software. Do you know how to track how your client found your business? Do you know where each of your prospects or clients is in the pipeline? Can you classify all of your contacts by various categories? These answers and numerous more business tips are given and explained.

Oh yes. The sense of humor in the book is compelling.

This book is a very basic guide to understanding how to use the ACT! product. If you need more than entry-level help, try elsewhere. Writing style is infantile and cutsie at times - a real distraction when trying to figure out an ill-explained process. No help at all with editing templates for printing. I should have borrowed the book from the library before deciding whether to buy it (I wouldn't have bought it).

Good book, not perfect, but good... and there's not much else out there. Go ahead and buy it, I'm confident that you won't regret it.

Be careful. I thought I was buying ACT college prep test and that is not what I got. I got some computer programing book. NOt what I need and not what I want.

Wasn't too happy and sent it back. It didn't indicate it for in a business format and lost more than half my money on the return.

ACT for Dummies is not only extremely informative, it is fun and easy to read. It is a great starting place to learn the many aspects of the program and it is a great reference once you are using the program regularly. Buy ACT for Dummies and get yourself on track fast.