When it comes to business, one of the most important factors to keep in mind is convenience. Whether you're trying to reorganize the whole operation or enable another department to go through its tasks as smoothly as possible, having everything in one place does make any job easier.
Though there are several ways to share contact info, only one of them will allow for updates in real-time, as well as synchronization across various devices, without breaking the bank.
Method #1: Try CRM
CRM, or customer relationship management, is a must-have system for larger companies that are looking for a way to make each task as smooth as possible.
Many platforms offer this type of software, with Hubspot being one of the most popular ones. With it, your sales team will have no trouble going through its workflow, as each aspect is neatly organized. Of course, since it allows for Gmail integration, sharing contact information between team members is fairly effortless. What's more, the platform allows for seamless automation, and you can even log each customer interaction.
Main Benefits: CRM applications go beyond sharing Google contacts; they are a powerful solution for larger companies that need to track and organize every part of their workflow.
Potential Drawbacks: Since CRM applications are rather powerful, it goes without saying that they aren't the most affordable solution for trying to sync Gmail contacts between different users.
Method #2: Opt for CSV Files
Though it's one of the least efficient methods for sharing Google contacts, many companies are still using it. That's because they believe there isn't anything better out there or because it's entirely free. The gist of it is quite simple: all you have to do is export your contacts as a CSV file; then just send the file to the person who needs to upload those same contacts with their Google Contacts manager. They can import the list with only a few clicks.
Main Benefits: The fact this is a free "feature" sits well with most companies. There's no need to pay for any plugins or sophisticated software.
Potential Drawbacks: Importing and exporting CSV files is extremely tedious, to say the least. You will have to click on each contact you want to export, send them to the other user, and then hope no information gets lost in the process. Besides that, the contacts aren't updated in real-time; you will have to repeat the process if there is any change in the address book or contact information.
Method #3: Use the Delegation Feature
The Google Delegation feature is seemingly a great solution, but once you go through it a bit, you'll realize that it's somewhat rudimentary. For one, you can only share contacts with those who are logged into the same account as you. Additionally, you cannot choose which contacts you can share; you have to share all of them!
To use the Delegation feature, go to Google Contacts > More > Delegate Access. Then, just search for the person you want to share your contact list with and select that account.
Main Benefits: The user you pick will be able to edit and delete contacts as they wish. It is an excellent feature to use if you want your assistant to take over the bulk of the work from you.
Potential Drawbacks: It's a somewhat limited method. You cannot share your contacts with groups of users or use the delegated contacts in Gmail. You won't be able to search for them with the Google Contacts search engine. On top of that, you need a paid G Suite version to use this feature, and there's no way to allow the delegated user access to your contact groups.
Method #4: Make Your Life Easier With Share Email Contacts
As you can already tell, none of the previous methods are the one-size-fits-all you are looking for. Thus, it's best to opt for Share Gmail Contacts App - an innovative solution that allows for cross-domain sharing, managing user permissions, auto-syncing across devices, and smooth Gmail integration.
To use Share Email Contacts effectively, you should organize your contacts into Labels to share them with others. That way, you will not only have a neater contact list but will be able to share groups with the right users. For example, you could share your Staff label with everyone in the company. However, you may want to limit access to the Clients label to those who will have to stay in contact with customers for the foreseeable future.
Creating a label requires only a few steps:
● While you're in Google Contacts, you'll see "Labels." Select Create label and give it a name (e.g., Vendors)
● Click Save. Once you're ready to add contacts to the label, go to Google Contacts again. Select each contact you'd like to include.
● At the top of the page, you'll see Manage Labels. Find the label you'd like the selected contacts to go to, click it, and confirm the selection by choosing Apply.
How to Use Share Email Contacts
To share your Google contacts with Share Email Contacts, follow these three simple steps:
● Sign up and log in to your dashboard.
● Go through your contact groups (labels) or your contact lists and select the ones you'd like to share
● Now it's time to choose the users who can access those contacts. Once you do, just click on "Share.
Main Benefits: Apart from being rather efficient and quick, Share Email Contacts comes with other advantages, such as the ability to select permissions for users. You can choose "Read Only, "Can Add and Edit," and "Can Add, Edit, and Delete." Also, it features enterprise-grade security, and you can even utilize the logging features to monitor updates in your contact groups and shared contacts.
Potential Drawbacks: You have to sign up to get access to all of these features, as well as get the G Suite Admin to install it domain-wide and manage permissions. However, the admin only has to do this once; after that, any employee will be able to use the ap
