As is the case with any category of hardware or software, when you're comparing contact management solutions you’ll encounter some terms that may be unfamiliar or that are used in a new context. Here's a cheat sheet to use in your search for a system.

CRM: (Customer Relationship Management) The building and maintaining of an ongoing relationship with contacts in your database. It entails activities and correspondence that may be launched automatically, as in a drip marketing campaign, or manually, when prodded by an alert at pre-determined intervals. Most contact management systems are now described as a CRM solution, or have CRM functions built-in.

Customizable: All contact management solutions come with a set of features for entering and organizing data. A system that is customizable allows you to adapt data entry, content, display, and reports to your preferences.

Field: A building block of the contact database, the field is where you enter data for such variables as name, address, employer, type of home, price range, source of referral, etc.

Dashboard: The user interface—particularly with Web based solutions—through which you can access the different components of the program.

Data mining: The process of gleaning insights from your contact database. Using search and sort features, you can drill down into your data to generate reports on any aspect of the information it contains.

Import/export: The ability to move data to and from other databases and applications allows flexibility in how that information is used. For anyone transitioning to a new contact manager from an older system, the ability to import your data should be a key consideration.

Log: A continually updated record or history of all correspondence or activity related to each contact.

Notes: Any additional information you deem relevant about that contact, or property, including details of conversations, observations, photographs, etc.

Plans and actions: Automated schedules for launching correspondence or other activity based on the type of client, or an alert system that advises you when such action should be taken.

Record: The aggregate of all information contained in fields specific to that contact.

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