Visit us on the Web

PropertyPro Newsletter XXXVII - November 2011


Hello to Everybody


November is a such a grey month - damp, foggy, dark, cold - and for the unlucky, colds and viruses take their toll. But for most of us by the time we get into December we seem to have acclimatised and the atmosphere lifts with bright Xmas lights, cheery music and yes .... the party season!

It doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing, the music is infectious - what other time of year do you sing your way down the aisles of Tesco? A recent visit to the German Xmas market in Birmingham has certainly lifted my mood for the ensuing weeks of Xmas preparations. You don't have to like German beer or bratwurst to enjoy these markets (although you'd be in heaven if you do) - the smells of different foods, concerts, and unusual craft stalls, all come together to give a very warm and festive atmosphere. I would thoroughly recommend a visit!



In the last newsletter we looked at how to use the Advertising feature to create flyers. This time, I'd like to show you how to record advertising (even if you are creating your adverts through the newspaper).

Seeing that it is time to think about Xmas cards, I've also included a reminder of how to send out e-cards and create labels. And then finally, there is an important section on archiving your mailbox.



Record Advertising

This will show you how you can use the advertising feature to record advertising against a property, even if you use a newspaper's 'property wizard'.

First, ensure you have the publication name set up on your system. If not, then give Support a call and they will do it for you.


From the front screen, click on Advertising

Choose the publication, and click on ok.








Click on the properties that you have advertised this week.



And then choose pictures & text.

This will extract the photo and text from each property selected










You can click next -> on this screen since you will not be using a template.


And then Yes and OK to the following 2 prompts:














You will then be asked where you want to save the picture and text files.


You can specify the folder and if it doesn't already exist, PropertyPro will create it for you.



This is the screen we are aiming at - where you can specify the date of the advert and ensure that this is recorded against each property.



When ready click OK

You will be asked if you want to remove the properties from the list - say Yes, and then click back and then close out of the advertising screen.

Advertising is recorded in each property's marketing history, under the advertising activity tab.


Note: Every now and again, empty the folder you selected for saving the pictures and text. The files have only been copied there for purposes of recording an advert and will only accumulate as time goes on.


Export Advertising History to Excel


You could go one step further and export the advertising history of properties to an Excel spreadsheet.


Go back into the Advertising Screen. This time, you don't need to select a publication as you will not be recording anything.

There are 8 columns to the right representing the last 8 weeks, and the figure 'l' against each property indicates it was advertised once in that week. (You can sort by each column by clicking on the column heading)



Now select any number of properties by clicking on each and then click export

The properties you selected will be exported into a spreadsheet, together with their advertising history, so that you can work on it further and save this information.





Xmas e-Cards

Yes, it's that time of year again. However, emailing e-cards through the Customer Search screen makes this task much easier. As in previous years, if you would like us to design a Xmas e-Card for you, please give Vicky a call on 01788 862550

Sending an e-Card

First decide which customer types you wish to send Xmas cards. The e-card can be emailed to all those who are email preferred. You can then produce mailing labels for those who are not email preferred.



A blank email form is presented and all that is needed is the name of the Xmas e-card template.



Next, this is how to generate mailing labels for all those who do not have an email address:







Click yes to produce mailing labels and select the label type and product number.

Don't forget to put the label sheets in the printer!





When was the last time you archived your Mailbox?

This is your annual nag - NOW is a great time to archive your mailbox items and empty your Deleted items.

Remember, your mailbox has a size limit - when that is reached you will not be able to send or receive any mail!

Emptying Deleted Items

Items held in this folder should only be those that you want to delete and if there are items that you want to keep, they should be held in another folder.



Archiving your Mailbox

Archiving your Mailbox is quick and simple. You specify a date and any mail older than this date is saved to a file outside of your mailbox. Archived items are then readily accessible as the archive folders are always visible under your normal mailbox folders.

Each time you archive, items are appended to these folders rather than replaced.

For Office 2010 users, select File / Info / Clean up tasks / Archive



Don't forget - when your mailbox is full not only will you be unable to receive or send more emails, but there is a chance of your Mailbox becoming corrupted.


Auto Archive

When you feel more confident with archiving and accessing older items, you may want to think about letting Outlook archive automatically. Although you specify the AutoArchive settings, you will be prompted before it runs, so you do still stay in control.



Free Training Days

The training is totally tailored to those who attend the day, and we really encourage everyone to take advantage of these free training days.

We are still running 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 a refresher for those who want to use the system more efficiently. It's an opportunity to see any new features, be reminded of old forgotten features, and update existing skills.

The next Open Training days:

Wednesday 7th December - New User (Admin) We will focus on entering customer data, property searches, creating property records, publishing details and matching and mailing.

Wednesday 14th December - Refresher + looking at Reports.

Don't forget that if a half day session is more convenient for you, please call. Telephone training may also be available for a small charge provided that a suitable remote connection is available

We look forward to a visit from you very soon!


And finally, if there is anybody else in your office who might also want to receive our newsletter, 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