RealTown's e-MailHeaven

Create useful subject lines. This will help in sorting and locating messages in the future. Important messages can contain key words in the subject line to attract the recipient's attention (or set to a high priority in your e-mail software).

. Be as sure as you can be that there are no misspellings - use the spell check capability of your e-mail software - e-mail is your presence to the world! Protect and project your best image at all times. Have the spell check review each piece of e-mail before you send.

. Respond promptly -- online users expect it. Check your e-mail multiple times daily, as often as you would your voice mail if not more so. Remember: The first reply usually wins the contact. Imagine that you are one of several professionals getting requests for information from a single prospect.

. AVOID USING ALL UPPERCASE LETTERS. THAT IS LIKE SHOUTING A ND IS HARD TO READ.

. Use Emoticons, but don't use them excessively. E-mail is not the same as talking on the phone and statements can be misunderstood very easily.
:-) Smile
;-) Wink
:-( Frown

. Watch the size of attached files - Many documents and files essential to a real estate transaction will be routinely attached to e-mail in the near future.

. Use good professional judgment when talking about others in an e-mail message. E-mail is easily forwarded.

. Limit your line length to 75 characters. Otherwise, some e-mail programs will not properly wrap the lines. If you use more than 75 characters, the recipient might see = (the equal character) at the end of each line.

Saul Klein
President, InternetCrusade

How do you feel about printing certain words or phrases in different colors for emphasis?

I like it.   Sometimes other people send messages like that to me, and my eye is immediately drawn to whatever is different -- different color, different or larger font, etc.  I don't like it when a message is so full of different things that I begin to lose the thread of the conversation, though.  (Short attention span?)  :)

Tracy Howard
Broker/Owner
Prairie Star Realty
Colorado
 

Pros and Cons of fancy Signature with agent photo, logo, tag lines... What do you think?  I like the professional look some people have with their elaborate Signatures, but not sure about the ease and quickness of loading for each email sent.

You bring up great points to elevate the use of MS Outlook.

Thank you

emphasis with color works great in an email along with confirming a meeting

time and place - used just for this purpose, color works well. if it is used too much

it loses it emphasis and looks unprofessional

Carol,

I like using a customized signature in Outlook. I have my company logo, name, title and office information. I like that it is not too much yet it does grab attention.

Does everyone just use the Outlook "Signatures and Stationary" feature to construct their salutation or did they purchase a custom one?

I like an e-mail that has a semi fancy signature it reassures me that the person I am dealing with is a professional. He at least knows how to use his e-mail properly.

Saul, et al : I'll just add a perspective here, for a decade I was an Advertising Exec. Ok now I'm in Real Estate ---which may help you understand my threshold for pian ;o)

Anyway I treat the subject line just as I would the main headline in a ad in a major publication (read $$$$$).

THE preeminant attribute in such an ad is STOPPING POWER---and yes I am shouting. Absent that nothing else matters.

EG: Dear joe: 4 BR 2.5 Bath

Dear Joe: Must see this---EVERYTHING aligns with your need