Nested formula Value error

[Beth]

I have a spreadsheet with sales leads assigned to each salesperson. Several
years ago I created a summary including a formula to count how many leads
each salesperson gets per month:
=SUM(IF($A$3:$A$2870="Jan",IF($L$3:$L$2870="Joe",1,0),0)). A is the date
column, L is the salesperson column.

I added a new salesperson and can't get the formula to work! If I copy,
paste and change the "Joe" to "Luke" I get #VALUE!. If I type the formula
with the new name I get the same #VALUE!. If I type the formula & highlight
the areas, same deal. I tried the function wizard but it isn't producing the
formula.

Help! Is there a way to copy or re-write this formula for the new guy and
make it work? Beth

 

[Rick Rothstein]

That is an array-entered formula... after editing it, you need to commit the
function using Ctrl+Shift+Enter, not just Enter by itself.

 

[Dave Peterson]

This is an array formula.

Are you hitting ctrl-shift-enter when you're done making your change?

This is an array formula. Hit ctrl-shift-enter instead of enter. If you do it
correctly, excel will wrap curly brackets {} around your formula. (don't type
them yourself.)

Adjust the range to match--but you can only use the whole column in xl2007.

 

[Beth]

Perfect! You're both Geniuses! Thx a ton!

 

[Dave Peterson]

You may want an alternative formula:

=sumproduct(--($a$3:$a$2870="jan"),--($l$3:$l$2870="joe"))

Adjust the ranges to match--but you can't use whole columns (except in xl2007).

=sumproduct() likes to work with numbers. The -- stuff changes trues and falses
to 1's and 0's.

Bob Phillips explains =sumproduct() in much more detail here:
http://www.xldynamic.com/source/xld.SUMPRODUCT.html

And J.E. McGimpsey has some notes at:
http://mcgimpsey.com/excel/formulae/doubleneg.html

And if you're using xl2007, look in Excel's help for =countifs().