One of the most frustrating problems facing the AOL user is the inability to use professional level email software to send and receive their email, but now help is on the way.

For me personally, it's always tough to try and explain to agents why they can't use the truly productive features that come with great programs like Eudora Pro and even Outlook Express. Tools such as autoresponders, filters and form letters are just so powerful to the business user that it's a shame AOL subscribers can't benefit from these productivity-enhancing features.

The problem has always been that AOL doesn't comply (intentionally) with the Internet standards for sending and receiving email that are used by just about every other Internet service provider. AOL is a consumer service and thus will never be as useful a tool for the business professional as a true Internet Service Provider (ISP) can be. As a result, up until now, AOL users could only work with AOL e-mail, and it's far short of what a businessperson really needs.

Fortunately, a company called eNetBot.com has come up with a software solution. They've developed a program called eNetBot, which will allow AOL users to use just about any standard email client they choose.

In a nutshell, the eNetBot software waits in the background to capture and convert email from the accepted Internet standards used by Eudora, Outlook, Pegasus and others, into the proprietary AOL format.

You can download free 30-day trail version (Windows only) from the http://www.eNetBot.com site, and if you like it, pay just $19.95 to keep it.

Hot new e-mail marketing

While smart real estate agents have been using email to prospect and keep in touch with customers and clients for years, the public has naturally become somewhat desensitized to standard email messages nowadays.

It's hard to get a "wow" any longer sending email that contain just text and maybe an attached photo or two. Even 360 degree and panoramic photos lose their luster after a short while.

Finally, someone has developed the multimedia email software that you knew you needed, but wasn't made!

Top Producer Systems has just hit a grand slam with their new software program Hot Marketer. When it comes to sending impressive multimedia email, this software has it all!

You can easily customize any of their 130 email templates and send them as attachments, or upload them to the Internet and simply send email that "links" to them. Save them to CD or floppy diskette, it's your choice.

There's a Hot Marketer email template for just about every real estate need. You can let customers know about New Listings, Open Houses or Price Reductions; use it to promote yourself with Just Sold and general follow up themes; and even multimedia save a fortune on Holiday cards while making an outstanding professional impression.

Best of all, you can use Hot Marketer with your existing Top Producer database, or use it as a stand-alone program.

To see a sample of a multimedia attachment that I put together in about 3 minutes, take a look at: http://www.canale.com/respond/John-Maxwell.exe

For more detailed information about Hot Marketer, visit Top Producer's web site at http://www.topproducer.com/hm

If you don't immediately realize how much more business this program will generate, then just show it to a seller and ask if they would like their home marketed with this tool. I can guarantee you that not one is going to say "No."

I'm seldom so enthusiastic about new software, but I simply cannot imagine being in real estate and not wanting to be one of the first agents in my area to take advantage of what's surely going to be used by every serious agent in the business, sooner or later.

Published: November 29, 2000

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