Question: What is the best way to e-mail forms to clients? Are signatures done on a tablet PC legal?
John
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Here in Tampa we use Forms Online Gold which downloads them in PDF. I use Windows Journal which comes with the Tablet PC. You can import PDF's and Word documents. There are a couple of issues here. One is that you can erase and change things on the contract. This of course could be a problem if one were dishonest. That is why I immediately print the contract out and give a copy to my client. Second you can e-mail these immediately however you can do it as a web page which shrinks the document, or as a TIF which is in black and white and lowers the quality. Unfortunately Windows Journal = does not convert back to PDF even though I have Adobe Acrobat Professional. I cannot write directly on the PDF's although if anyone knows how to do that let me know. I usually print out the contracts then scan them into Acrobat and then e-mail.
Jeff Launiere
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If you download a PDF printer from www.cutepdf.com you will be able to
send the document from the windows journal to the cutepdf printer and
this will turn it back into a PDF that you can e mail out from your tablet. There is no need to print them out and scan them.
Tim Pease
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After too long a hiatus from e-ProTalk, it's good to be back. I caught the post that started this thread, then this last one, so I ask your
forgiveness if I'm repeating something already said. Having used TabletPC's for 2+ years now, I thought the following might help out.
Jeff- Laws vary by state, but it's very likely that you'll need a PDF
editing &/or conversion program that has Security features built into it for any contract-signatures. By that I mean that when the client has signed the document (or yourself for that matter), both the signature & the document can be locked from additional editing or comments. PDF Converter Professional v4 (http://www.Nuance.com ~$100) offers this functionality, and is superior to the 10+ other PDF conversion programs I've tested out.
At least here in CA, the laws specify that Realtors using Tablets for
client contracts have such features in place. For CA tablet-users, related articles & updates can be found at CAR's website- Also you might be interested in the newly-revamped RELAY contract-storage service. For all others, I'd encourage researching the same information from your state board. For the especially security-conscious, I'd recommend a Tablet with fingerprint-only access/ lockout.
An intro to how PDF ConverterPro 4 works: First you print a new file
(great when using digital docs like ZipForms/ WinForms, etc) or convert an existing document into PDF Converter. Then, the program can work with full-color ink input along with text, highlighting, etc, (Great for emailed CMA's and >such!) and records these as "comments". (Note: In order for the ink to "render" well, i.e. to feel natural to hand-write, the page should be magnified to full-screen width (otherwise it's less smooth than other programs like MS Journal).
It's possible to set preferences that each type of comment is locked from further editing once the doc is complete/ saved.
One last logistic (that Tablet users likely already know): If/when the doc is paper-printed by its recipient, it's important to specify printing "Document AND Comments" or else the inked comments will be included. This option is as simple as checking a box in the print-window's Advanced Settings/ Preferences. I've simply written that into a custom signature in Outlook to avoid any confusion for the recipient.
This capability to ink-comment (& lock) PDF's directly can be a great
benefit throughout the process of client contact, not just for contracts.
IMHO, sending high-resolution CMA's & reports to prospects and local or
relo clients with hand-written notes in full-color is both impressive &
more personal than plain text (if you're yawning now you know what I
mean-Lol!). When it comes time for contract-work, I have a wireless mobile printer (Epson) in case they'd like a hard copy, and most are thrilled to get an emailed copy, so they can easily refer back to it as they need to- If there's a network where you're signing, you can send it immediately. It DOES take some learning to keep the file size down. Most of my document packets (20-30 pages) end up between 1/2 to 1 MB, and even that took getting familiar with text & image resolution settings, which can be customized for each PDF print job.
For some, this has probably been more than you ever wanted to hear. For
those who are still reading, I hope it's helpful :-). Again, check with your state Board/ Association before implementing your own systems. *Please CC: me on responses since I might miss them on the list-serv.* All the Best.
Ismail Abdullah
http://www.YourBayAreaMove.com
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