FAQs: MPD Phase
Do I really need to use the MPD Phase? Can I just make all of my contacts the same MPD Phase?
It matters. The MPD Phase—in combination with the Pledge amount and frequency—are the cornerstone of the lookups and analysis tools.
I’m just starting out with a bunch of names, or I have just received several referrals. What phase do I use for them?
By default, new contacts are assigned “n/a” as their MPD Phase. You should change them to “Never Contacted” until you make the initial contact, at which point you would begin moving them down the list.
What phase do I assign to family members who I want to send my newsletter to but do not intend to ask for support?
Either PARTNER-Pray or Never Ask.
I just added 100 contacts. Do I have to go to each contact individually to change them from “n/a” to “Never Contacted”?
No. Use a lookup to find the people you want to change, then select Group | Field Change from the Group menu. Select “MPD Phase” from the drop-down list, then select “Never Contacted” from the right drop-down list and press “OK”. TntMPD will ask for confirmation, and then change all of them. Tip: Group | Field Change is a useful menu item for any time you want to change a data field for a large group of contacts.
Do I have to change the MPD Phase for each contact every time they change categories?
Keep in mind the most important change a contact makes is when they make a decision. The phases above the decision line are more for your own reference and for doing lookups. Ultimately it does not really matter what their phase is if it is above the decision line, because you want to move them over that decision line.
TntMPD has a special feature that will sometimes prompt you to change a contact’s phase based upon a certain task you perform. For example, if their phase is “Never Contacted” and you record a task of some kind (such as sending a letter), TntMPD will prompt you to change their phase (below).
Read More > MPD Phase Change
Note: If you change the MPD Phase to PARTNER-Financial, TntMPD will not accept that because there is no pledge amount/frequency. TntMPD will automatically select PARTNER-Special; then you go to the MPD Tab, input a pledge amount and frequency and select PARTNER-Financial.
If you assign a pledge amount to a contact on the MPD tab and hit Save, TntMPD will automatically change their phase to PARTNER-Financial because that is the only phase allowed if a contact has a pledge amount.
When would I move a committed partner back above the decision line?
The only time you would likely move a person back above the decision line is if they choose to leave your team temporarily. For example, a regular donor informs you they need to stop giving for a while due to job concerns, but wants you to call back in a year. Keep sending your newsletter, but change their phase to Ask in Future. (Another, perhaps better option, would be to change their phase to PARTNER-Pray and create a Call task for that future date.)