PropertyPro Newsletter XXI – January 2010

Happy New Year to everybody!


It's certainly been a very cold and snowy start to the year, and there are rumours that we've not seen the last of it, however I hope you haven't been too badly affected.

It took its toll on my garden - as soon as my pond had thawed I had to remove 8 dead frogs and one fish. So sad! The trouble is, I'm sure there are more mice taking refuge indoors, and I thought they were supposed to hibernate!



Being the start of the year, we thought it was an appropriate time to tell you about Google Calendar.....

Do you have Google Calendar?

We have been working on synchronising the PropertyPro calendar with Google Calendar which is web-based. This will give you the immediate benefit of being able to access your calendar from any p.c.and the good news is that it is completely free.

For starters, you will have to create an account with Google - completely free - and then set up your calendar and synchronise with PropertyPro. This means of course that you can access your calendar when you are away from the office - from a laptop, mobile phone (internet enabled), in another office, or from home.

Let's have a look at what it has to offer and how it can benefit you.

1. Work from anywhere and any p.c.

   - the real benefit is that you can work from any p.c. that has access to the internet but it does not have to have any data loaded on it.




2. Automatic 2-Way Synchronisation

   - the PP Google Sync program is set for every 5 Minutes. You can add or edit events in your Google Calendar which will reflect in your PropertyPro calendar when synchronised.




3. Get your calendar on the go

   - if your mobile phone supports it, you can access your calendar while you're away from your desk with two-way synchronisation to your phone's built-in calendar or a mobile version of Google Calendar that's made for the small screen, .




4. Reminders

   - you can customise reminders and choose to be notified by email or get a text message sent direct to your mobile phone.




5. Daily Agenda email

   - you can set Google Calendar to email you the following day's schedule on a daily basis.




6. Google Maps

   - viewing events display a location map of the viewing address.

Unfortunately it has not been possible to synchronise tasks with Google Calendar. Google have yet to release a program interface to do this but may do in the future, and we will continue to monitor the situation.

I have put some notes on our website that include instructions on how to register a new account with Google and how to install PPGoogleSync. It is very straight forward but do please ask if you need any help.
Google Calendar Notes (PDF)


The next question is ...

Do you Spellcheck your emails?

This may seem a daft question if you email direct from PropertyPro since there is an automatic spellcheck. However, if you email from Outlook, the automatic spell check has to be turned on. So don't let your typos let you down, here's how to turn on the automatic spell check in Outlook:

1. Select from the Menu bar, Tools / Options



2. Choose the Spelling tab



3. Tick 'Always check spelling before sending'



4. Click 'Apply' and then OK

Relevant Quote of the Day: 'Success or failure in business ultimately depends on how effective a communicator you are!' (James Eicher)

Default Email Message

As you all surely know, you can change the default covering email message sent out with matching properties to suit what you want it to say. But if you haven't already thought about it, it's an ideal place to put in an extra paragraph such as:

'Please reply to this message if you do not wish to receive any more mailings from us, and we will remove your details from our current mailing list immediately'

'Please reply to this message if your requirements have changed and would like to receive details of other properties from us'

'Please reply to this message if you would like someone from this office to contact you'

And just in case you have forgotten, to edit the default message, go to the Edit menu on the front screen and choose Email message.

SMS Signature

For those using SMS, you can set up your own default closing message. This could perhaps contain your company name and telephone number. It could also of course include a similar paragraph to one mentioned above but shorter.

Do remember that you have a limit of 108 characters for the actual message and 50 for the SMS signature (+ 2 for safety) - a total of 160 characters for a text message

To change the SMS signature, go to the Edit menu on the front screen and choose SMS Signature.

PropertyPro Training

When was the last time you or your colleagues had any refresher training? And how much of what you know has been handed down by others?

Do remember that we run a new user day each month alternating between Admin and Negotiator. If you have a new starter, then please send them along for training. From their viewpoint it eases the pressure of operating a new software program whilst getting used to a new office environment and procedures.

The second session each month is generally on a theme - however, the content is dependent on the needs and questions of those who attend. Over the past months the refresher training has proved very popular. Although the content for the session is suggested, I will also ask whether there is anything in particular anybody would like to cover and also maybe skip because it is not required. This means that the session could cover anything from Newspaper Advertising to Lettings but will always ensure that everyone is up to date with the new version.

Open Training Days :

Next month's open training days are as follows:

Tuesday 2nd February - New User (Negotiator). We will look at Property Search, Mailing properties, Appointments, Offers and the Chain.

Wednesday 17th February - Marketing. We will look at marketing activities, customer contact, Customer Search, mass mailings, Customer Reports .


Don't forget that if a half day session is more convenient for you, please call.


We look forward to a visit from you very soon!


Finally, is there anybody else in your office who might also want to receive our newsletter? If so, please let us have their email address and we will add them to the mailing list.

Kind regards

Kate

Kate Hoare (Training Manager)
kate@propertypro.co.uk
Direct dial: 01788 862517

PropertyPro • 6 Somers Road • Rugby • Warwickshire • CV22 7DE
Tel 01788 862550 • Fax 01788 862525 • E-mail sales@propertypro.co.uk
www.propertypro.co.uk
Directors H McClean • L M McClean • Company Registration No 3450574