Top Producer^® 8i CRM: Outlook Sync FAQ

The system requirements for Top Producer Outlook Sync are below. For details on how to find out which operating system and Outlook version you are using, see the FAQs below.

Operating Systems

• Windows XP (32 bit)
• Windows Vista
• Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit)

Microsoft Outlook

• Outlook 2007
• Outlook 2010
• Outlook 2013

To find out which operating system you have, see the Which version of the Windows operating system am I running article in the Microsoft help.

To find out whether your operating system is 32 or 64 bit, see the Is my PC running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows article in the Microsoft help.

To find out which Outlook version you are using, follow these steps:

1. In Microsoft Outlook, go to Help > About Microsoft Office Outlook.

1. Your Outlook version appears on the dialog box. Below is an example of the Outlook 2010 dialog.

Yes, before you set up Top Producer Outlook Sync it is recommended that you back up your Outlook data.

Yes, the responsible agent must grant access to Top Producer Outlook Sync before their team members can set it up. For details, see Enabling Outlook Sync for Team Members.

Yes, the responsible agent (account owner) must first grant you access to Top Producer Outlook Sync. See Enabling Outlook Sync for Team Members for details on how to do this.

No, syncing Top Producer with Outlook on more than one computer is not supported as data issues may occur.

If you’ve already set up Outlook Sync on one computer, but want to sync on another computer going forward (for example, you have a new computer), you will be prompted to first disable the sync on the other computer before you can perform a sync on the new computer.

For details on setting up Top Producer Outlook Sync, see Outlook Sync Setup.

You can sync the following:

• Contacts: You can sync a contact’s name (including spouse), company name/job title, address, contact information, birth date and web site addresses.
• Appointments: You can sync your appointment details, including the date, start/end times, recurrence and reminder settings.

In addition, email integration allows you to launch Outlook from within Top Producer, add Top Producer contacts to email you send in Outlook, and copy Outlook email to Top Producer for your records.

You can choose whether you want to sync your contacts and calendar from the Integrations tab in the Top Producer Settings area. For more information, see Outlook Sync Setup.

Once you have completed the initial setup and selected the contacts and calendar you want to sync, changes you make will be synced automatically. However, you can also manually start a sync in Outlook by clicking Sync Now in the Top Producer group.

The sync is bidirectional, which means changes you make in Top Producer and Outlook will be reflected in both applications.

The changes made in Top Producer will be used and the Outlook changes will be disregarded.

For example:

1. You add a contact’s company name in Outlook.
2. You add an email address to this same contact in Top Producer.
3. The next scheduled sync session occurs.

Once the sync is complete, the contact will be updated to include the email address (because it was entered in Top Producer), but the company name will be disregarded (because it was entered in Outlook). This issue only occurs when you modify the same contact in both Top Producer and Outlook before a sync occurs.

You can start a sync session at any time in Outlook by clicking Sync Now in the Top Producer group.

You can view details of the last successful sync in Outlook:

1. If using:
   • Outlook 2010 or 2013: Go to File > Options > Add-Ins. Click Top Producer Outlook Sync > Add-in Options.
   • Outlook 2007: Go to Tools > Options. Click the Top Producer tab.
2. The date and time of the last successful sync appears at the bottom of the Add-in Options dialog.

After you initiate a sync in Outlook (by clicking Sync Now in the Top Producer group), a summary appears letting you know the outcome of the sync and how many items were added/modified/deleted.

You can log out of Top Producer during a sync without affecting the sync process. However, do not close out of Outlook when a sync is in progress.

In order to sync with a different account, you will need to remove the account from Top Producer and repeat the setup process.

1. In Top Producer, open the Settings area.
2. Click the Integrations tab, and then click Edit Settings.
3. In the Sync Type section, click Remove Outlook Account.
4. Repeat the setup process with the new Outlook account. For more information, see Outlook Sync Setup.

If you no longer want to sync data between Top Producer and Outlook, follow these steps:

1. In Top Producer, open the Settings area.
2. Click the Integrations tab, and then click Edit Settings.
3. In the Sync Type section, click Remove Outlook Account.
4. Click Yes when prompted, and then click Save Sync Settings.

The following contact details will be synced between Outlook and Top Producer:

• Name (including spouse)
• Company name and job title
• Home address information
• Phone numbers/email addresses
• Associated websites
• Birthdate

In addition, the following items will be copied from Outlook to Top Producer during the initial sync:

• Business/other addresses
• Assistants/children
• Notes

In Outlook, you select the folder that contains the contacts you want to sync during setup. All of the contacts in the folder you select will be synced. See Outlook Sync Setup for details and recommended practices.

In Top Producer, if you select the Always Add to Sync options (see below) during setup, new contacts/leads will automatically be set to sync. However, before existing contacts are synced, you must manually add them to the sync list. For more information, see Adding Contacts to the Sync List.

During setup, you selected the Outlook folder that contains the contacts you want to sync. All contacts in the folder you select will be synced.

However, in Top Producer:

• Existing Top Producer contacts won’t be synced until you add them to the sync list. For details on how to do this, see Adding Contacts to the Sync List.
• New contacts you create in Top Producer will automatically be set to sync if you selected the Always Add to Sync options during setup (see below).

Regardless of the Always Add to Sync options you selected during setup, imported contacts will never automatically be set to sync.

To add imported contacts to the sync list, go to Contacts > Import Contacts. From the Recent Imports list, select an import > select the contacts > click More Options > Add to Sync.

In Top Producer, contacts that are set to sync with Outlook will display the Cloud icon in both the Contacts Summary (shown below) and the Contact Record.

In Outlook, all of the contacts in the folder you selected during setup will be synced. To view the contacts that are set to sync in Outlook, simply view the contents of the folder you selected during setup.

If you aren’t sure which Outlook folder is set to sync, follow these steps:

1. If using:
   • Outlook 2010 or 2013: Go to File > Options > Add-Ins. Click Top Producer Outlook Sync > Add-in Options.
   • Outlook 2007: Go to Tools > Options. Click the Top Producer tab.
2. The Contacts folder you selected appears in the Sync folders section.

In Top Producer you can change the contacts you want to sync by opening the Contacts Summary screen, selecting the contacts, and then clicking Sync > Add to Sync or Remove from Sync. You can also perform a search for the contacts you want to add/remove, and then click More Options > Add to Sync or Remove from Sync.

In Outlook, you selected the folder that contains the contacts you want to sync during setup. It is not recommended that you change this folder after the initial setup, as data issues can occur.

Yes, you can search for contacts in Top Producer that were originally created in Outlook by performing a search for the Outlook Sync contact type.

1. In Top Producer, go to Contacts > Search for Contacts.
2. In the Contact Type section, click Select from List.
3. Select the Outlook Sync check box, and then click Done.
4. Click Search.
   All contacts that were created in Outlook and synced to Top Producer appear in this list.

The Home address is synced to Top Producer from Outlook (see below). Business or Other addresses entered in Outlook will be copied to Top Producer during the initial sync. However, these addresses will not be copied if the contact’s details are already being synced.

Outlook 2010 example:

When adding a contact in Top Producer that is set to sync, all of the phone numbers you enter will be synced to Outlook. However, when editing a contact in Top Producer, if you enter a custom phone number using the method below, this phone number will not be synced.

In addition to the items that are synced between Outlook and Top Producer (see the What contact details are synced FAQ above), the following items will be copied from Outlook to Top Producer during the initial sync:

• Business/other addresses
• Assistants/children
• Notes

The above 3 items will not be synced, but rather copied from Outlook to Top Producer during the initial sync. If you update these items in either program after the initial sync, the changes will not be synced.

No, if you delete a contact in Outlook, it will remain in Top Producer, and vice versa. However, the contact’s information will no longer be synced.

The following appointment details will be synced between Outlook and Top Producer:

• Appointment title
• Start/End Time (including All Day settings)
• Reminders
• Recurrence
• Linked Contacts: If you use the Linked TP Contacts option when adding contacts to an Outlook appointment, these contacts will be synced to Top Producer. For more information, see the “Will the appointment attendees be synced” FAQ below.

Once you have completed the initial setup, all of your appointments will be automatically synced. You do not have to manually set which appointments you want to sync.

During the initial setup, you selected the Outlook calendar you want to sync with Top Producer. It is not recommended that you change this folder after the initial setup, as data issues can occur.

You can only sync one Outlook calendar with Top Producer.

Yes, assuming you have separate calendars set up in Outlook (e.g. a business calendar and a personal calendar), simply select the business calendar during the initial setup. Only your business-related appointments will appear in Top Producer, but you can view appointments from all calendars in one view in the Outlook calendar.

For details on how to create multiple calendars in Outlook, see the “Create additional calendars” article in the Microsoft Office help:

• Outlook 2007: Create additional calendars
• Outlook 2010: Create additional calendars
• Outlook 2013: Create additional calendars

If you use the Linked TP Contacts option when adding contacts to an Outlook appointment (see below), these contacts will be synced to Top Producer. Similarly, when you add contacts to a Top Producer appointment, when viewing the appointment in Outlook, click Linked TP Contacts to view any contacts linked to the appointment.

Only your appointments will be synced. Other types of activities you create in Top Producer (for example, to-dos) will not be synced.

When entering an appointment in Top Producer or Outlook, setting a reminder will result in a pop-up reminder from within Outlook. You can also set up email reminders for your appointments when entering your appointments in Top Producer.

In addition, if you currently sync Outlook with your mobile device, you can also receive mobile alerts for your Top Producer/Outlook appointments on your phone or tablet. For more information on the types of reminders available, see Syncing Your Calendar.

If you currently sync Outlook with your mobile device, you will receive additional functionality, including the ability to receive mobile alerts for your Top Producer/Outlook appointments on your phone or tablet. For more information on the additional benefits, see the Outlook Sync Overview.

Appointments older than 14 days will not be synced. After the initial setup is complete, all future appointments and appointments within the last 14 days will be synced.

No, currently there is no way to sync appointments older than 14 days. Appointments within the last 14 days and all future appointments will be synced once you’ve completed the initial setup.

Yes, even if you mark an appointment done in Top Producer, any changes made to this appointment in Outlook will also appear in Top Producer.

Yes, the appointment will be deleted from Top Producer as well. Similarly, if you delete an appointment in Top Producer, the appointment will be deleted from Outlook.

Outlook Sync enables you to copy Outlook email to Top Producer for your records, add Top Producer contacts to email you send in Outlook, and launch Outlook from within Top Producer. For more information, see Using the Outlook Sync Email Integration.

No, email integration is automatically enabled once you complete the initial setup. However, if Outlook isn’t used when you compose email in Top Producer, from the Top Producer Settings area, click Email > Edit Email Setup and ensure the Use Outlook as Email Editor option is set to Yes.

For details on how to use the email integration, see Using the Outlook Sync Email Integration.

Yes, when you compose email in Top Producer, Outlook will be used. However, Top Producer will still be used when sending mass emails or scheduled plan emails.

Yes, when composing an email in Outlook, click Select TP Contacts to search for and select your Top Producer contacts.

No, this integration does not sync your email, but rather enables you to copy Outlook email messages to Top Producer for your records. You can copy email to all associated contacts (the sender/message recipients) and contacts who didn’t send/receive the email. Any email you copy appears in the Contact Record’s Activities tab in Top Producer.

You need to manually copy email in Outlook in order for it to appear in Top Producer. For details on how to do this, see Using the Outlook Sync Email Integration.

If you’re using Outlook 2013 and don’t see the copy options when you’re replying to/forwarding an email, just double-click the email to open it in a new window and they should appear.

If you want to avoid this in the future, you can set your Outlook options to always open a new window when replying to or forwarding an email.

To do this, in Outlook, go to File > Options > Mail > clear the Open replies and forwards in a new window option (or Use inline replies when replying or forwarding depending on your Outlook version) > click OK.

The content, subject, attachments, date and time are copied to Top Producer.

Copied email will appear in the Activities tab in the Top Producer Contact Record.

1. In Top Producer, open the Contact Record of the person associated with the email, and then click the Activities tab.
2. Select Complete from the Show drop-down list, and then click the View email message icon to view the email content.

The Copy Email to TP option in Outlook enables you to copy the email to everyone associated with it (the sender/message recipients).

The Search & Copy to TP Contacts option enables you to copy email to contacts who didn’t send/receive the email.

For more information, see Using the Outlook Sync Email Integration.

No, Outlook email messages must be copied to Top Producer one at a time. For details on how to copy email, see Using the Outlook Sync Email Integration.

No, you need to manually copy email in Outlook in order for it to appear in Top Producer. For details on how to do this, see Using the Outlook Sync Email Integration.

When you choose Copy Email to TP (after an email has been sent) or Send and Copy Email to TP (when composing an email), the email will be copied to everyone associated with it (the sender/message recipients).

You can also copy email to contacts who didn’t send/receive the email by choosing Search & Copy to TP Contacts after the email has been sent. For more information, see Using the Outlook Sync Email Integration.

If an email address doesn’t match a contact in Top Producer, you can search for the contact you want to copy the email to or create a new contact. If you selected the Always Add to Sync options during setup, this contact will automatically be set to sync. Otherwise, you must manually add this contact to the sync list before their contact details will be synced.

You can copy an email while composing it by clicking Send and Copy Email to TP rather than the standard Outlook Send button.

Any email that has successfully been copied to Top Producer will display the Top Producer label in Outlook.