There are many different ways to use Dynodex, but here are some tips we've learned along the way:
DATA ENTRY SUGGESTIONS:
• Shorthand Keys: Wherever possible, use this feature. It saves a lot of typing and prevents you from typos and other errors.
• List by Business or Name: List your contacts by the name you're most likely to look it up by.
• Title: If there is no title, this is a good field to store a second person's name (business partner, spouse, etc.) or the company department or division.
• Address: Dynodex provides a multi-line address field. Be aware that the more lines you use for the address, the more space it will take to print out. Try to fit it all on one or two lines.
• Phone numbers: Since you can type text in the "Phone 1-4" fields, these are good places to type "extra" information if you don't need all four fields for phone numbers.
• Key 1/Key 2/Key 3: Use these for categories ("friend", "client", "medical", etc.), for salutations ("Dr.", "Ms.", etc.) or to flag certain records as part of your holiday card list or special business promotion.
• Date: Enter a birthday, deadline, or call-back date.
FORMATTING SUGGESTIONS:
• Shorthand Phone Keys: Use lowercase letters. They take less space and look best in printouts. Type spaces instead of hyphens to separate area code, exchange, and extension. Spaces are easier to enter and look better in printouts.
• Abbreviating: Be consistent. If you abbreviate titles (Pres., VP, etc.) or streets (St., Ave., Blvd.), or if you punctuate an abbreviation, do so throughout. (For Title, use the "Shorthand Keys" pop-ups to ensure that you enter them consistently.) You can use "Find" and "Change" to edit and change your abbreviations.
• Upper- versus lowercase: Overall, we recommend using lowercase letters wherever possible. Lowercase letters save space and look better in printouts.
• Hyphenation: Avoid hyphenating wherever possible--they can clutter the display of your information. Instead, use blank spaces or bullets.
• Font: We suggest printing address books and rolodex cards in a condensed-style font (N Helvetica, Helvetica Condensed, Futura Condensed, Times, etc.) to get the most information into the least amount of space.
• Use "Find" and "Change" to edit abbreviations or punctuations. For example, you can easily issue a command to change all instances of "St." to "Street" in the Address Field. If the "Shorthand Keys" feature is available for a field, use it to guarantee that your information is entered consistently.
