7 Steps to program Outlook and run your whole real estate business in 5 minutes
Being a salesman, I love networking. I use Outlook for most of the emails and contacts I get from networking. I don't like having to open up different programs for different applications. Outlook syncs well with my Blackberry. I want to run all my real estate prospects, clients, tenants, and investment property from Outlook. I was bored one day while watching the Matrix for the 7th time and started fooling around with Outlook. I realized that like Neo, studying all those little green lines flowing down the computer screen, I can be the "one" as well. I can program Outlook to do all things...here is how. I can totally customize all my prospects: I can manage all my tenants (including rent roll collections): I can compute all my investment analysis...all from one application...Outlook.
Step One ( Yes I know as a professional salesman, I shouldn't waste my time programming a customized CRM.....and I should stop blogging, just buy a program that does it all and find new clients now!!)
Step Two...( what, u still here...ok ...ok)
I use Microsoft Outlook 2007, this may work with earlier versions. We will design a basic form to collect new prospect info. Once you learn this you will be able to apply it to any other customizations you need in Outlook.
In Outlook Select Tools from top bar>Forms>Design a Form...Pop up window should say "Look in"..."Standard Forms Library"...select "Contact"...open
Step Three..( we will begin building the Matrix...)
You are now about to create a new combo box. In the Tools select ...Control Toolbox>In small pop up" toolbox" window>left click and drag "combo box" to far right empty space, near the gray box with small dots, beside "Business phone number" in your new contact form. You have now created a new combo box.
> hover mouse over new "combo box" and right click mouse>select Properties>In new pop up window "Properties" select the "value" tab.>select "new" button
>type in Prospect Type>click ok>you should still be in "Properties" pop up window and "Value" tab>In "Possible Values" type> Buyer,Seller,Investor,Contact. Make sure you put a comma after every word, no spaces.>click ok
Step Four
In "toolbox" pop up select "label">left click mouse and drag to immediate left of your new combo box.>hover over new label and right click mouse.>select "properties">select "Display" tab and in "Caption" type Prospect Type. Click ok
You're done. Now get creative and think of all the unique bits of information you can collect from your prospects and create your new form.
Once you've added all the boxes you need to your new form you now have to save it and use it.
Step Five
While still in new form select "Publish" ( from top Developer section) > select "Publish Form as....">In "Look In" dropdown select "Personal Forms Library" ( you ma have to move dropdown arrow up to find it)>Once in Personal Forms Library>type in "Prospects" in Display name box >click publish
Step Six
Now that we have saved your form we are now going to create your new contact folder to store and use your new prospects form.
On far right of Outlook is Mail items> right click "Personal Folders">then select "New Folder">In new pop up window type in "Prospects" or your name>In "Folder Contains:" from dropdown select "contact items">then in "select where to place the folder" section click the"+" sign beside "Personal Folders">click ok
Step Seven
Now on the right side bar of Outlook is all your folders>right click on your newly created "prospects" contact form>select "properties">In the General tab find "When posting to this folder use" and select "prospects" from dropdown>click ok
You are done. Now every time you enter in a new prospect your new form will come up automatically. From this little tid-bit of information you should be able to add anything else you want to customize Outlook for important CRM info. If you have any questions on more advanced programming or ideas on Outlook...please share....As well, if this has helped you, please let me know.....Now go out and make some money!
Mana Real Estate Group
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