When you move into a new home and you have all this new storage space, you envision that there is a place for everything and everything will be in its place. Before you know it, drawers and cabinets are full and no longer orderly; you can't find anything when you want it.

It is not a lot different with your database. You need a plan of how to organize it before you start storing items. And periodically, you'll need to go in there and straighten things out.

The following suggestions can help you to maximize the results you can expect from your contact manager.

1. All names should be entered in upper and lower case letters so that when the data fields are merged into documents, they will appear correct. It will look odd to the recipient of correspondence if words scattered throughout are in all caps.
   
   
2. All records should have a full address with street, city, state, and zip code. You may not have all the information at first but make an effort to get it.
   
   
3. Record as many phone numbers, fax, email, and other numbers in each person's record. More information is better than less.
   
   
4. Apply as many different categories to a person as are appropriate. For instance, a person could be a friend, neighbor, and a past customer. This will allow them to appear in different searches.
   
   
5. Read all letters and other correspondence prior to using them to make sure they convey the message you want. Some pre-written letters have phrases in parenthesis to tell you what to insert to make them effective. If they go out like that, they will absolutely look like a form letter.
   
   
6. Put your photo and company logo to personalize all mailings. Having your photo and company logo scanned so that it can be included in all of your materials is inexpensive and very effective.
   
   
7. Develop or adjust action plans for the way that you work. Some contact managers only come with sample plans to show you what can be done. These tools are at the core of the automation process and turn software into a powerful asset.
   
   
8. Enroll contacts on appropriate action plans. Having a variety of action plans for different situations will help you automatically stay in touch with them to insure a high level of service.
   
   
9. Schedule activities to your calendar to make sure that they are not forgotten. By scheduling them directly to your calendar, remembering to do important things will not be an issue.
   
   
10. Create associations between people and property. Linking people to each other can help you understand your business better. Common links would be "referred by", "associated with", "influences", "owns", and "is interested in."
    
    
11. Get in the habit of scheduling callbacks. Too many good leads actually go undeveloped because lack of follow-up. After working with a prospect, in person or by phone, make a determination when to get back together with them and schedule it to your calendar.
    
    
12. Take advantage of custom 3rd party libraries like Dave Beson's and Howard Brinton's. Instead of trying to create sales materials, find an effective source so you can work face-to-face with buyers and sellers.
    
    
13. Make a letter template to look like stationery for faxes. Create a template that looks like letterhead with your logos, address, and phone numbers so that you can quickly fax directly from your computer without having to print a page and then, take it to a fax machine.
    
    
14. Change your complimentary close to "Your real estate professional." Instead of saying "Sincerely yours" which almost implies that sometimes you are not sincere, "Your real estate professional" conveys the role you want to assume.
    
    
15. Start collecting email addresses now so you'll have them when you are ready to use them for marketing. As email becomes more popular, you'll be ready to capitalize on a much more efficient method of communication.
    
    
16. Gradually collect birthdays and anniversaries as recurring events. People love to be remembered on special occasions and sending cards or phoning on birthdays and anniversaries show that you are interested in them.
    
    
17. Use drop-off dates on Action Plan items that are not critical. Scheduling activities to your calendar is powerful but if you don't get around to doing each of them, your calendar quickly becomes cluttered and over-whelming. Drop-off dates automatically remove these items after a specified number of days.
    
    
18. Get a good-quality telephone headset to allow both hands free to work on your computer. No one will know you are using a quality headset and your neck will feel much better at the end of the day because you won't be holding the phone with your shoulder.
    
    
19. Eliminate duplicate names of prospects. Not only is it confusing but it wastes money through unnecessary mailings. Some contact managers will locate these duplicates automatically and allow you to make a decision on whether they actually are the same names.
    
    
20. Update names and addresses daily. Each time you send out a mailing, some will come back with a change of address. Record those changes immediately. A database of customers should be like a well-manicured garden that will produce abundantly.
    
    
21. Send service reports weekly to all listings and pendings. This simple act can overcome the number one complaint from Sellers that their agents don't stay in touch with them.
    
    
22. Buyer and seller statuses are temporary and shouldn't be in the categories. A person is a buyer or a seller for a limited amount of time. Friends, relatives, neighbors, and past customers are examples of permanent categories that are legitimate contact types.
    
    
23. Import names electronically for farm areas when possible. Instead of manually typing names for a geographic farm, see if you can get them in ASCII format so that they will automatically be loaded into your contact manager.
    
    
24. Put your name in the database and enter it in all categories so that you are included in all mailings. This will show you exactly what kind of delivery you are getting for each mailing that goes out.
    
    
25. Open your database daily to do the scheduled things. Most agents know what they need to do to be successful. The difference between the very successful and the mediocre is the discipline it takes to do the right things. Using some of the ideas mentioned would help tremendously but you must get in the habit of opening your contact manager every day.

Pat Zaby is the President of PREP™ Software, developers of the REAL Suite that includes contact management, presentation, financial, and multimedia in one integrated package. He has been a REALTOR� since 1968 and has been involved with automating real estate agents for over 12 years and speaks to tens of thousands of people a year on the subject.

PREP™ Prospecting is easy-to understand, requires less keystrokes, and gives you more control than any other contact manager. It comes loaded with valuable letters, postcards, action plans, and telephone scripts that you can start using immediately. Wizards guide you through tasks effortlessly that are tedious routines in other programs. The data moves seamlessly throughout the entire PREP™ suite of products.

If you are thinking of changing from another contact manager, PREP™ Prospecting has automatic imports to transfer your data effortlessly so you can start enjoying the marketing power you expect from PREP Software. For information on competitive upgrades, phone 972-991-1998 or [email protected] or the website at http://www.prepsoftware.com.