Countif lookup by email/contact

Hello - 

I have a sheet ("Sheet 1") where users enter various entries/plans, etc. via a form and to associate it with themselves, I have them use their email address which logs into a contact column.

In another sheet ("Sheet 2")- I have a list of everyone who is expected to put in information. I have a contact column with the email address, however Smartsheet recognizes their user info and creates a contact for them that shows the name, email associated, and icon.

On sheet two, in a column to count the # of entries by user, I've tried to use the formula =COUNTIF({Who}, Email@row) where {Who} looks at the column of email addresses inputted by the form on Sheet 1. Email@row looks at the contact column of Sheet 2 where I've inputted email addresses that auto recognize as user contacts.

The formula will not count the 'plain' email addresses from inputting on the form. If I go into sheet 1, and start typing the email address - Smartsheet will replace with the user contact info and the formula will count a value. It seems that if entered by form though - there is no way to have this be recognized.

Any thoughts on either having the email address associated with a contact by used as criteria - or having email addresses from forms becoming associated with known user contacts?

Thanks in advance.