How to create your own RealePlans™
 
What are RealePlans?:
RealePlans are a set of predefined activities that can consist of appointments, tasks, meetings, phone calls, faxes, emails and document preparation that you can apply all at one time to a prospect or property.  There may be from 1 to dozens of activities in any plan.  This page will walk you through making a simple plan.  If you are in need of a specialized complex plan, we can work with you to create it.
 
Creating a custom RealePlan:
First, select the RealePlan folder, then select the RealePlan Templates tab.
Note:  For this example we are right clicking the RealePlan folder and selecting Open in New Window.  We did this for the example so we could show a smaller window here.  You can do that, or just select the folder with a normal left mouse click.

Either way you should see a window something like this after the view loads and you choose the RealePlans Templates tab:


Start by clicking the toolbar button,
This item will appear in the list of plans:
For this example I typed this plan name:
Press the Enter key to finish:

Note:  The latest version of RealeSeller (2.5 and newer) has plan items that you can add or remove by simply checking or unchecking a box next to the item before you apply it.  This allows you to have the same plan with alternate items to use depending on the situation.

You now have a new plan in your list of plans.  Since there are no plan items currently associated with your new plan, the plan items list will be empty.  Now we are going to create some plan items for this new custom plan.

Before creating this plan you need to know exactly what tasks and/or appointments will need to be created in order to accomplish the mission this plan is supposed to remind you about.  So, we are going to create a fictional plan called My Custom Plan (which I have made already).  My fictional plan will remind me to follow up on a listing I have which is about to expire.  We would apply this plan at the same time we accept a listing.  For this example the listing agreement is good for 90 days.  Depending on how many days you usually sign a client to, 3 months, 6 months, etc., you will base the plan on this information.  When you add a listing to your properties, you would normally add the Listing Date and an Expiration Date (these are found under the Stats tab).  The Listing Date is obvious, but the Expiration Date is based on the length of time your client agreed to allow you to try and sell their home.  These dates are key to the application of your plan items.  Most plan items are based on a date of some kind.  So, let's make a list of the things we will need to do once the listing is close to expiring and hasn't been sold.  This list might consist of the following items:

  Again, assuming the client agrees to re-list, apply a new selling plan.

Now that we have our plan organized, let's create the plan items.

Creating your plan items:
First, press this toolbar button:
You will then see this added:


And, you will automatically see this screen:



In the Subject field, type: Listing To Expire Soon
Since this activity is a Task, select Task from the drop down list next to Activity Type.
This task is a phone call so in the Activity Icon list, select Phone Call.
At this point your window should look similar to the above:



Now click the Schedule Type button.  You should now see this window:

At this point, you have 3 choices.
1)  You can pick a specific date this task will occur.  You would do this if this event only occurs one time and on a known specific date.
2)  The date is one in which it occurs a known number of days before or after a certain date.  That date could be any date listed in a property or a prospect.
3)  The date happens (recurs) the same time every day, week, month or year.

We're using an Offset date for this example, so click Offset.  You will then see this window:

Looking at our plan outline, we want this plan to start 7 days before the Listing Expires date. 
Change the Start date to 7 Days Before
Change "Plan's" to Applied Property's
Change Field to Expiration Date
Change Due to 1 Days after start date
When you are finished, it should look like this:



Now you can put a check in the Reminder box and select 0 Days Before.  This causes the reminder to occur on the day it is scheduled.  You can schedule a reminder to occur minutes, or days before it happens.  This is a kind of "heads up" that prepares you for something.

Next type in the Message Text: Notify the client that the listing will expire soon.  Ask to renew the listing.
Press Save & Close.  This finishes the first plan item. Creating a plan item that will perform an action is explained in the Active Plan Items section.
 
The rest of the plan items:
The next 3 plan items for our plan are made exactly the same way.
Update MLS Information would look like this:



Get Signed Listing Agreement would look like this:



Apply Selling Plan would look like this:



After everything is finished, the list of plan items would look like this:

 
 
That is all there is to making a standard plan.  You can attach letters, postcards, and other things you might want to print when the time comes.  What occurs is up to you and your imagination and needs.

Read about creating an Active RealePlan here.  An Active plan item is one that performs a function like printing a letter or sending an email automatically.


How to create a task that shows up in your calendar.
Many people want to have all of their "to do" items show up in their calendar instead of separating them into appointments and tasks.  Tasks only show up in the "Task List" and not in the Outlook Calendar.  To create an appointment that looks and acts like a task, click here for "how to" instructions.  Obviously you can apply this knowledge to the creation of your specialized plans using the method to create an "appointment task" item shown in the link.