vlook to generate a drop down menu

[Tacklemom]

What I am trying to do is you type in the customer's name which generates the
mailing address using V look (let say from the customers data base ) But
what I want to do is from the customer look up I want to be able to have let
say the column with that particular customers contacts be a drop down menu
and once you choose the contact again through V look up it will generate the
phone, fax and email.

I know how to do the lookups just not sure how to handle the drop down menu

 

[JLatham]

If I understand correctly, you want the drop downs to contain the customer
names. Those names are also somewhere in a table that you use for the
VLOOKUP(). Perhaps on another sheet even.

Dropdowns are usually done using Data Validation (Data menu, Validation
option). It needs a list of cells containing the items to be in the list as
a parameter. Normally those have to be on the same sheet with the validated
cells. But we can get around that using Named Ranges. Here's how:

Go to the sheet with the list of customers on it. Select all of the
Customer's names, plus perhaps 1 empty row at the bottom of it - I'll tell
you why later. Now up in the upper left corner where it shows you the
address of the cell you have selected type in a name for this list and press
the [Enter] key. Let's call it CustomersList. Now that range of entries can
be referenced in this workbook by that name. I said to choose 1 blank row at
the end. You really didn't have to, but if you add entries to the list, you
will need to INSERT new rows within the existing named range so that the new
entries will remain part of that named range. By having that extra blank
row, you can go to it, use Insert -> Row and make an entry and it'll still be
part of the list.

OK, now back to the cells that need Data Validation. Choose them, either
one at a time, or as a group and use Data --> Validation and choose

• in
  the type of data to "Allow" and where it asks for Source type in
  =CustomersList
  and click OK. Now your drop downs will have the customer names in it, which
  helps assure matches for the VLOOKUP() done to get the rest of the
  information.
  
  Hope this helps.