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Task Manager Overview

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Jake Crown
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Built around a user's daily activities, the Task Manager provides a way to create and complete tasks in one location. Call or email leads without leaving the Task Manager, or link to contacts and opportunities for additional information. You can access it on any page in the application.

This article will provide an overview of the Task Manager's features.


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Accessing the Task Manager

You can use the Task Manager at any time and from any place within the SharpSpring platform. The Task Manager is a default dashboard in the Launchpad and will always be available.

To access the Task Manager, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click  launchrocket.png  Launchpad. 
  2. Click the Task Manager dashboard.

The Launchpad provides you with an at-a-glance look at your upcoming tasks, recent activity, and most important metrics. 

The Launchpad itself is a collection of different dashboards that house specific information. This information can largely be customized by using your created custom reports to better display the information that you want to see.

  


Click to enlarge.
   
 
Note: By default, the Task Manager represented by an  launchrocket.png  icon. However, if you have any pending or overdue tasks, the icon will instead change to a  None.png  number. The displayed number reflects how many tasks you should review.
   

The Launchpad will always be available in the Task Manager dashboard. This dashboard provides information on what tasks are available to you. However, you may want to display more than just your default dashboards. You can create your own custom reports and set them to be the default tab that you see when you first log in to SharpSpring during a given day.

For more information on using custom reports with the Launchpad, refer to Launchpad Overview.
     


Understanding the Task Manager Window 

The Task Manager provides information on all pending or overdue tasks that are assigned to you. By default, the Task Manager opens with a list of all pending or overdue tasks assigned to you. You may eventually have many tasks. You can navigate through your task list by filtering certain date and ownership parameters.

This information includes:

  • The type of task
  • The task name
  • The task's due date
  • Leads and their lead scores, if part of the task
  
Click to enlarge.
     

Click the All Tasks drop-down menu to filter tasks that are due:

  • Today
  • Tomorrow
  • This week
  • This month
  
Click to enlarge.
     
Click the All Task Types drop-down menu to filter tasks by type.

Regardless of type, tasks with associated leads will not have the default icon and instead have the lead's portrait and score.

The available task types are as follows:		  
Click to enlarge.
     
Icon

Type

 

Description

phone.png

 Call Task  

A task that requires a phone call. If the lead associated
with the task has phone numbers on their record, clicking
this icon will display the listed phone numbers and can initiate calls through the Sales Dialer.

email.png

 Email Task  

A task that requires an email be sent. If the lead
associated with the task has an email address on their record, clicking this icon will allow you to send a Smart
Mail or an email.

signup.png

 General Task  

A task with no defined action. This task can be used to
represent any task or action not represented by any of
the other task types.

cal.png

 Meeting Task  

A task that requires a meeting. If the lead associated with
the task has an email on their record and the Send Calendar
Invite box is checked when creating the task, the SharpSpring
user the task is for will receive a calendar invite to the
meeting in their email inbox.
       

You can also refine your search in the search bar by searching a task's name.

By default, tasks will display in chronological order, with those tasks with the closest due date appearing first.

Select either Due Date or Task Name from the
arrow-down3.png  Sort drop-down menu to sort tasks by their respective dates or names.

  
Click to enlarge.

In addition, the Task Manager provides a link to the Activity Feed, as well as available custom report dashboards.

Clicking the Activity Feed tab will turn the Task Manager window into the Activity Feed window.

Clicking a custom report dashboard tab will turn the Task Manager window into a dashboard window.

  


Click to enlarge.

When you have tasks set, time becomes a factor. 

The Task Manager will display a different color that reflects how much time remains prior to a task being due:

   TasksDueEx.png
     
  Color   Notification   Description  
  None.png   No Tasks Due  

Tasks are assigned, but they are not due within the next fifteen minutes.

  
  Due.png   Tasks Due Soon  

Tasks are assigned and are due within the next fifteen minutes. 

  
  Just.png   Just in Time  

A lead that has a task associated with them has visited or is currently visiting a specific site. Available only for the Sales Optimizer.

  
             


For Administrators: All User Tasks

Administrators have access to view all tasks assigned to users in an instance of SharpSpring.

Clicking the My Tasks drop-down menu will display a list of all users in your instance.

Clicking a user's name will display tasks that are assigned to them.

  


Click to enlarge.
     


Opening Opportunities from the Task Manager

If your task has an associated opportunity, you can open the opportunity from the Task Manager.

Tasks with opportunities will not have the lead's name. These tasks will instead show opportunity name and the expected value of the opportunity.

For tasks with opportunities, the  arrow-right3.png  Open caret will not open the Contact Record. Instead, it will open the opportunity assigned to the task.		  
Click to enlarge.

Be aware that only the opportunity assigned to the task will be opened, and not other opportunities that the lead may be attributed to.
 


Creating New Tasks 

You can directly create tasks through the Task Manager. To create a new task, do the following: 

  1. Click + Task in the Task Manager window.
  2. Select the desired date in the Select a Date field.
  3. Select the desired time in the Select a Time field.
  4. Select from the following task types in the
    Select a Type menu:

       •   General
       •   Email    		    •   Meeting
       •   Phone Call
  5. Optionally, enter a lead's name in the Search Leads text box.
  6. Optionally, select an opportunity the lead is part of in the Select an Opportunity menu.
  7. Enter a title for the task in the Title text box.
  8. Assign the task to a user in the Assignee menu.
  9. Optionally, click the Send Calendar Invite checkbox.
  10. Optionally, enter a task note in the Note text box.
  11. Click OK.
  
Click to enlarge.

Created tasks will display in chronological order in the Task Manager.


Editing Tasks

Created tasks can be edited at any time. To edit a task, do the following:

  1. Hover over a task in the Task Manager window.
  2. Click  12more.png  Options > Edit Task.
  3. Edit the task as necessary.
  4. Click OK.
  
Click to enlarge.

Tasks that have their dates or times changed will move up or down the task list, per chronological ordering. Tasks that have their assigned users changed will be moved to that user's task list.


Bulk Editing

The Task Manager also provides a way to reassign or delete many tasks at once for a single user. 



Bulk Reassignment

To reassign a user's tasks in bulk, do the following:

  1. Hover over a task in the Task Manager window.
  2. Click the  checkbox-unchecked.png  checkbox next to the associated lead.
  3. Repeat as necessary.
  4. Click  returning-lead.png  Reassign.
  5. Select the desired user from the Select a user drop-down menu.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Click Reassign.
  
Click to enlarge.
Note: To select all available tasks, click either the  checkbox-unchecked.png  checkbox next to the number of total tasks or Select All. Click Clear Selection to deselect all selected tasks.



Bulk Deletion

To delete a user's tasks in bulk, do the following:

  1. Hover over a task in the Task Manager window.
  2. Click the  checkbox-unchecked.png  checkbox next to the associated lead.
  3. Repeat as necessary.
  4. Click  trash.png  Delete.
  5. Click Delete.

 

   
Click to enlarge.
Note: Click the  checkbox-unchecked.png  checkbox next to the number of total tasks or Select All to select all available tasks. Click Clear Selection to deselect all selected tasks.
 


Deleting Tasks

If you no longer need a task, you can delete it. To delete tasks, do the following:

  1. Hover over a task in the Task Manager window.
  2. Click  12more.png  Options > Delete Task.
  3. Click Delete in the modal window that appears.

Be aware that deleting tasks is a permanent action.
Any notes associated with the task will also be deleted.

  
Click to enlarge.
     


Writing Task Notes

Though you can write notes for a task when creating or editing a task, you can directly enter notes for a created task from the main Task Manager window itself. To write task notes for a task, do the following:

  1. Click a task in the Task Manager window.
  2. Enter a note in the Enter a Task Note text box.
  3. Set the Mark as Complete checkbox to one of the following:

       •   Checked: This will mark the task as
            complete and remove it from the list
            of tasks.

       •   Unchecked: This will not mark the task
            as complete and will keep the task active
            in the Task Manager.
  4. Click Add Note.
  
Click to enlarge.
   
 
Note: Closing the Note box with unsaved note text when in the Task Manager will not delete the entered text. However, navigating away from the Task Manager window will delete all unsaved note text.

Once a note has been entered into a task, the  comments.png  Note icon will appear next to the due date. Hover over the icon to see a list of all notes for the task.

Task notes are listed in reverse chronological order. The most recent notes appear at the top of the list.
 


Editing Task Notes 

Task notes can be edited through either the associated lead record or an associated opportunity.



Editing via Contact Manager

Task notes can be edited through the lead's record. To edit task notes, do the following:

  1. Hover over a task with a note in the Task Manager window.
  2. Click  arrow-right3.png  Open.
  3. Locate the Upcoming Tasks section in the Contact Record.
  4. Click the task with a note.
  5. Locate the target note under the Note text box.
  6. Click  12more.png  Options > Edit.
  7. Edit the note content.
  8. Click Save to save edits or Revert to discard edits.
  
Click to enlarge.
   
 
Note: Tasks with associated opportunities will not open into the Contact Record. You will need to locate the contact in the Contact Manager to edit task notes for these contacts.

 

Editing via Opportunities

Task notes can be edited through an associated opportunity. To edit task notes, do the following: 

  1. Hover over a task with a note in the Task Manager window.
  2. Click  arrow-right3.png  Open.
  3. Locate the task with a note.
  4. Click  caret-down.png  Options > View/Edit Notes.
  5. Hover over the desired note.
  6. Click  12edit.png  Edit Note.
  7. Edit the note content.
  8. Click Update Note.
  
Click to enlarge.


Deleting Task Notes

Task notes can be deleted through either the associated lead record or an associated opportunity.

 

Deleting via the Contact Manager 

To permanently delete task notes through the Contact Manager, do the following:

  1. Hover over a task with a note in the Task Manager window.
  2. Click  arrow-right3.png  Open.
  3. Locate the Upcoming Tasks section in the Contact Record.
  4. Click the task with a note.
  5. Locate the target note under the Note text box.
  6. Click  12more.png  Options > Delete.
  7. Click OK.
  
Click to enlarge.

 

Deleting via Opportunities 

To permanently delete task notes through an associated opportunity, do the following: 

  1. Hover over a task with a note in the Task Manager window.
  2. Click  arrow-right3.png  Open.
  3. Locate the task with a note.
  4. Click  caret-down.png  Options > View/Edit Notes.
  5. Hover over the desired note.
  6. Click  12close.png  Delete.
  7. Click Yes, Delete Note.
  
Click to enlarge.


Marking Tasks Complete

Once you have completed a task, you can remove it from your task list. Certain task types have different requirements.

 

Marking Email, General, or Meeting Tasks as Complete 

To mark tasks as complete, do the following: 

  1. Click an email, general, or meeting task in the Task Manager window.
  2. Optionally, enter a note in the Note text box.
  3. Click the Mark as Complete checkbox.
  4. Click either of the following:

       •   Mark Complete: This will complete and
            close the task.

       •   newcomplete.png  Mark complete and create new task:
            This will complete the existing task and
            create a new task with the same initial
            information     as the now-completed task.
  
Click to enlarge.

 

Marking Phone Tasks Complete

Phone tasks have certain information that must be added to them before they can be marked as complete. To mark phone tasks as complete, do the following: 

  1. Click a call task in the Task Manager window.
  2. Click the Mark as Complete checkbox.
  3. Select either Incoming or Outgoing from the Select Call Type menu.
  4. Select one of the following from the Select an Outcome menu:

       •   Spoke with Contact
       •   Left a Message
       •   No Answer
  5. Optionally, enter a note in the Note text box.
  6. Click either of the following:

       •   Mark Complete: This will complete and
            close the task.

       •   newcomplete.png  Mark complete and create new task:
            This will complete the existing task and
            create a new task with the same initial
            information     as the now-completed task.
  
Click to enlarge.


Task Options

When interacting with tasks, there are different options available from the  12more.png  Options menu. The menu has the following actions available:

Option   Description
Call  

If the lead associated with the task has phone numbers on their
record, clicking this menu will display those phone numbers.
Smart Mail  

If you have Mail Sync enabled and the lead associated with
the task has an email address on their record, clicking this icon
will allow you to send a Smart Mail.
Email  

If the lead associated with the task has an email address on their
record, clicking this icon will allow you to send an email.
Add Note  

Opens the Note text box. Allows for notes to be entered into the task.
Also opens the Mark Task Complete checkbox, which allows for
completing tasks.
Edit Task  

Opens the task for editing.
Delete Task  

Deletes the task. This action is permanent.

 


Sales Optimizer Entries 

SharpSpring's Sales Optimizer provides the ability to automate the creation of opportunities, tasks, and actions based on opportunity pipeline stages. The Sales Optimizer gives you the ability to reach out to leads when it counts most, with real-time notifications for lead activities.

If you have the Sales Optimizer enabled, these notifications appear in the Task Manager.

Tasks associated with your Sales Optimizer automations and related content will appear in the Task Manager. For these tasks, a  Dot2.png  purple dot will be next to the lead's picture and lead score.		  


Click to enlarge.

In addition, the Task Manager will display real-time notifications for relevant tasks. When a salesperson is assigned to lead that visits their site, and that lead has a task associated with them, the salesperson will receive a notification. These tasks will be listed above the Just in Time line in the Task Manager and will have a  Circle2.png  purple circle surrounding the lead's picture and lead score.

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