“The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5.
TntMPD offers two different ways to view tasks and history.
1.View items individually or for the Current Group on the Tasks/History tabs in the Contact View.
2.View all tasks and history for all contacts using the Task View and History View. In both of these areas, you can filter the list to see only relevant results.
The tasks and history tabs are in the Contact View and show the tasks and history for the selected contact or the Current Group. In most cases, you will only view tasks and history for a selected contact.
Task Tab
For many missionaries, most of their scheduled tasks are created automatically by TntMPD in response to gifts given.
Read More > Automatic Action for New Gifts
History Tab
Tasks View and History View
Tasks View
History View
You can filter your tasks or history by date range, task type, or description. On History, you can also "Combine Group History Items"; that is, display as one history item all history that was created using Group Log History.
View Details
TntMPD records the last Appointment, Call, Thank, Letter, and Pre-Call Letter. For that reason, it helps to be consistent about which task type you are using when logging history for a contact.
Read More > View Details
Tutorial: Schedule a Task
1.Select the Tasks Tab
2.Press the <Schedule> button.
3.Fill in the appropriate information related to the task. You can select from the same list of Saved Descriptions used when you Log History.
Recurring Tasks
Tip: Recurring Tasks
Although recurring tasks would probably be rare, there are times when they could be useful. Use recurring tasks to remind you to do functions you do regularly.
•Example: Manually adding a gift each month that is given by account transfer (from within your organization).
•Example: Phone calls or letters you write regularly.
•Example: Start working on your regular newsletter.
•Example: Writing a personal letter to someone. If you regularly send a personal letter to one or many of your contacts. If you do this, you can select the task to recur X days after you complete the previous task. (The Regenerate new task option will not appear on all task types.)
•Example: Recurring prayer request.
To use Recurrence, press the <Edit> button in the Schedule Task box.
Read More > Tutorial: Schedule a Task
Tutorial: Log History
1.Select the task type (such as, Call, Letter, e-mail, etc.).
2.Select the result (Attempted, Done, and Received).
3.Select the date and time if different. TntMPD will offer a time for certain time-specific task types (such as Appointment, Call, E-mail, and To Do) but not for others (all types of Letters).
4.Write a Description.
Read More > Writing Meaningful Descriptions
5.If this item is related to an appeal, select the appeal from the Appeal drop-down list.
6.Press the <OK> button.
Tip: Chance Encounters (Appointments)
Visiting your home church and meet a partner in the lobby? Walking through the grocery store and chat with a partner in the checkout line? Log “chance encounters” as an Appointment with a special code in the description, such as “CE: Met at church”. If you always use the same code, you will always recognize it. Also, using the same code helps when finding history using the Filter on the History View.
Tip: Prepared Message for Answering Machines
In an era of cell phones and busy schedules, it is not uncommon to have difficulty reaching someone by phone. Having a prepared message to leave on their voice mail or answering machine can save you time and frustration, and help you avoid "stumbling" (that is, leaving a confusing message).
Remember when leaving a message to leave it with a smile on your face (they notice). Speak loudly, warmly, and with encouragement.
A prepared message could include one or more of the following items:
•Your name and ministry
•Why you are calling
•When you will call back
•An encouraging word
•A Bible verse
•A mention that you are praying for them
Tip: Log Group History
You can log history for a group of contacts at the same time (such as sending a monthly newsletter or an appeal) instead of logging history one contact at a time.
Read More > Tutorial: Log Group History
Tip: History Tips
•Log every task you do, regardless of the result. 10 dials = 10 tasks logged.
•When you send an MPD e-mail, blind copy (BC:) yourself, then copy and paste the whole text into the description of your task. Copy both sides if your message is a response to theirs.
•An event is "Attempted" if the desired result is not achieved, such as:
➢The person you wanted to talk to did not answer (busy, no answer, babysitter, child, secretary)
➢You went to an appointment but they did not show up
➢You sent an e-mail but it was returned with a wrong address
•Save commonly-used descriptions to make your history more consistent and easier to create
Read More > Saved Descriptions
•When writing a description, be detailed!
Read More > Writing Meaningful Descriptions
•History isn't perfect. For example, if a contact calls you back and you fulfill the activity you were seeking, you may want to use "Done" instead of "Received" on the task.
•Write casual encounters as "To Dos" : "CE: Bumped into at church". (If you use "Appointment", TntMPD will record that as Last Appointment, which may not be helpful for you.)
•Log history for all the contacts in the Current Group. For example, when you send a special ask or your monthly newsletter.
•Be ready in and out of season. Have note cards handy, with stamps. Keep an index card to write down who you sent notes to so you can enter it in TntMPD later.
•When talking on the phone, use a pen and paper to scribble notes, as typing may be distracting to the contact (sounds like an airline reservation system!)
A "Description" is a critical part of the relationship-building effort in Ministry Partner Development. Your ability to retain and use good information is based almost entirely on what you write down. When you review completed tasks months – or years – from now, you cannot rely on your memory.
Automatic Descriptions
TntMPD automatically creates Tasks for you when the "Automatic Action for New Gifts" feature is turned on (which it is by default). You can also edit the description when you complete the tasks.
Read More > Automatic Action for New Gifts
Meaningful Descriptions
Over the years, you could easily complete hundreds, even thousands, of tasks related to your ministry partner development. Don’t rely on your memory to keep track of what you have done and conversations you have had; let the power of TntMPD work for you.
Writing meaningful descriptions will help you quickly and easily review the history of your relationship-building activities with each partner so you can spend more time building that relationship and less time wondering what you have done.
Here are some ideas for writing meaningful descriptions:
Idea
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Examples
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When someone makes a decision, start your description with "DECISION:"
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DECISION: Join at $50/month
DECISION: Cannot give at this time, but wants to get letter.
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Unsuccessful attempt? Write why.
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Initial Contact (busy)
Initial Contact (busy again)
Initial Contact (4-year-old answered)
Initial Contact (wrong number: 555-1212; should be 555-2121)
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If your contact is married, put the name of the spouse you talked to on a call.
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Follow-up call from appointment (Bill)
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If you send or receive a non-financial gift, indicate that as a Letter
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Letter/Sent: "Birthday gift for Bill's 50th"
Letter/Received: "Received birth gift for Jack-Jack (pajamas)"
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When a ministry partner changes their pledge amount, record a task that clearly describes the change. This will help you keep track of their pledge changes over time.
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DECISION: Increased $10 to $60/month
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If your spouse also works on MPD, it may be helpful to record who performs the task by putting her/his name or initials in brackets at the beginning. If one of you does most of the MPD work, you may want to assume that no name means the primary person did the task
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[MIKE] Called to set up appt
[MARCY] Send thank-you for EXTRA gift of $200.00.
[MIKE] Lunch with George
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Tip: Chance Encounters (Appointments)
Visiting your home church and meet a partner in the lobby? Walking through the grocery store and chat with a partner in the checkout line? Log “chance encounters” as an Appointment with a special code in the description, such as “CE: Met at church”. If you always use the same code, you will always recognize it. Also, using the same code helps when finding history using the Filter on the History View.
Saved Descriptions
One way to consistently write meaningful descriptions is to use Saved Descriptions.
Read More > Saved Descriptions
Saved Descriptions
You can save time when creating tasks or scheduling appointments by creating some frequently used “descriptions”. In addition to saving you typing time, favorite descriptions can help with Lookups and Filters (on the Task View and History View).
To create, modify, or use a saved description, press the Select button on the Log History or Schedule Task box.
From this box you can select, create, modify, and delete saved descriptions. Selecting a saved description overwrites any description you may have already written.
Tip: Recording Your Own Activities
A good way to track your MPD activity as it relates to all of your partners is to record tasks and history on your own contact.
Ideas for recording your own activities
•Need to remind yourself to do something in the future, such as start a brochure or write a special ask letter? Create a task for yourself, and then forget about it!
•Record the date and topic for each newsletter and appeal you send.
•Record the dates of MPD trips or when you attend special events at your sending church(es).
•Record when you created a new family photo, magnet, or ministry brochure.
Read More > Writing Meaningful Descriptions
Exercises Session 6: Tasks & History
1.Save a Description for future use. You do not need to log a history item to do this; just act like you were going to log history and go to the Saved Descriptions.
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•Write "First Appointment" as the description.
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2.On the History Tab, log the following history.
•Called Cary Granite to set up a first appointment. You talked to Cary, and set up an appointment for next Monday at 7:00pm.
Go to the Tasks Tab and schedule an appointment.
•Called Lucius Frozone to set up first appointment. The phone was busy.
•You called Lucius Frozone again and got an answering machine; you left a message introducing yourself briefly.
•You called Lucius Frozone again, and set up an appointment Monday at 8:30pm.
Go to the Tasks Tab and schedule an appointment.
3.Schedule a task to send a Reminder Letter to "Annual Donor EN" (that's the contact's name!) next June 1.