How can I prepare myself for the Contact Converter?
The Contact Converter is a convenient tool for converting all different lists to a single database. All information of your contacts is stored in this database, centrally at one location rather than spread across various lists. Of course, you do not always send a campaign to just one list. Therefore, this database can be divided into various segments. Your contacts can be in a specific segment multiple times, but the data of the contact remains the same everywhere, also if changes occur.
We will not merge all lists just like that. The Contact Converter is a kind of wizard that guides you through the process. For you as a user it is important that you choose what needs to be done. You select the lists that need to be retained and the lists that need to be deleted, the contact information that needs to be kept, etc.
We go through all the lists step by step, and you decide what we have to do. So there is no need to worry that information gets lost.
Preparation
We can imagine that you feel a bit ill at ease about going through the steps of the Contact Converter. That is quite understandable, for these are all your contacts that are going to be converted, all the contacts you need for your campaigns.
Here are some tips to help you not to worry. A good preparation is a major step.
The Contact Converter is not only required for GDPR compliance, but it is also an ideal opportunity to reorganise your contact management.
- How do you manage your contacts at the moment?
- Which lists do you need?
- Which lists haven’t you used for a long time? Do you still need them?
- How do you want to categorise your contacts? Which information do you want to use as a basis for setting up target groups?
It is best to ask yourself these questions beforehand.
Choose a good moment to start the conversion process
Do not forget that Flexmail will not be accessible for you and your customers during this process, so make sure you do not perform the update just after a mailing. During the process, Flexmail will be inaccessible for you and your contacts. This means you would run the risk of missing some contacts with your mailing. We recommend that you postpone converting or mailing for a while.
Although you can pause the process at certain moments, we recommend that you convert all your lists in one go. If you pause the process, you will be unavailable for your contacts longer.
Also consider the time you choose to go through the steps of the GDPR Contact Converter. If you start the update later on the working day or in the evening, it will be considerably faster than between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The more contacts you have, the longer the merging process will take. This is nothing to worry about.