Action Lists are a tool to enforce office policies and procedures, ensuring high-quality customer service. Linked to contacts or properties, they schedule tasks in the To-Do List, serving as an electronic checklist for each user.
Examples of types of Action Lists that can be created and used within your office are:
- Anniversary Campaigns
- Follow up Appraisal
- New Management
- New Listing Plan
Contents:
Creating a new action list
Assigning an Action List to a Contact
Action List FAQ
- How does a Repeat work within an action list?
- How does a breakpoint work within the action list?
- Can you make changes to an action list once it has been attached?
- Is there a way to automate the process of attaching an action list to a contact?
- How do I complete an action list item?
- Is there a way to bulk-print documents for a specific action list?
Creating a new Action List
Before creating your action lists, you must ensure you have created the relevant letters, emails, SMS, and Designly templates. The links below provide more information on creating these templates.
Step by step
1. Go to: Letters/Action Lists > Maintain Action List
2. Click on Create New Action List in the bottom right-hand corner
3. Add the List Name
4. Select the Visibility from the drop-down menu (Entire office, a team, or a specific user)
You can tick Invalidate Existing Action Lists. If ticked, the prior action list attached and linked to the same contact/property will be canceled/invalidated based on access/visibility settings.
- Office Administrator has an Action Plan X, which is set with "Visible" access to them only
- Action Plan X is attached to Contact Z
- Sales Person has an Action Plan Y, which is set with "Visible" access to either themselves directly or a team they are a member of (and the "Invalidation" checkbox is ticked)
- When the Sales Person attaches Plan Y to Contact Z, Action Plan X will stay intact (as the salesperson had no access to Action Plan X)
This will create the action list, where you can add your items/tasks.
6. Click on Add Item To Action List in the bottom right-hand corner
7. You can configure the items/tasks by adding the below details:
- Timing: - This will always go off the Commencement of Action List unless you have added a Breakpoint. The commencement date of the action list is selected when added against a contact
- Type: - This is the task itself, in which you have the option to set a task/reminder, send an email or SMS template, generate a cloud or Word doc letter, send a Designly template, or repeat an action list
- Start Day: - This is the number of days since the applied commencement date that you want this item/task to be actioned
- Order in Day: - Should multiple tasks/items fall on this day, this will be the order in which they will need to be completed
- Assigned: - This is the person responsible for this task/item.
You can select the Allocated Staff Member, which will automatically populate the listing agent(s) if associated with a property. When linked to a contact, it will populate the assigned marketing contact, unless undefined, in which case it will populate the view/read access. If view/read is set to "everyone," the currently logged-in user will be assigned instead. The member (either Member #1 or #2) is chosen when the action list is attached to a contact, or you can assign a specific staff member.
- Details: - This is a description of the task that is required to be completed
If you create a task/item to send an email, SMS, or Designly email template, the system will automatically send the selected template on the day the task falls. You can, however, preview the Email/SMS once it has been attached to the contact.
8. When the action list is ready, click Add Item
Repeat the above steps to add all the required tasks/items to your action list. Once you have added all required tasks/items, you can use this action list to attach to contacts.
If you need to reconfigure, clone, or delete an action list, click the Options button in the top left-hand corner.
Assigning an Action List to a Contact
After you complete your Action List, you can assign it to a contact in your database. Once assigned, the tasks will be added to your Vault To Do List. Each day, you will receive an email outlining the tasks that must be completed.
Step by step
1. Navigate to the desired contact card you want to attach the action list to
2. Click the Action Lists tab > Attach New Action List
3. You can apply the action list and settings by adding the below details:
- Attach: - This is the name of the action list you would like to attach
- Linked: - Should the action list be in context to a property, you may select the contacts attached property address
- Start: - This will be the commencement date of the action list. (We provide the option to backdate if required)
- User Defined #1 and/or #2: - Should the action list contain tasks/items with a user-defined assigned, here you can select the user that will be applied
4. Once you have added all the required action list fields, click Attach
This will attach the action list against the contact, where you can view the due date of the task, type, details, assigned user, and status.
Should you need to remove an action list from a contact, this can be done via the Options button in the top left-hand corner. If multiple action lists have been attached to the contact, you can switch between them via the drop-down in the top right-hand corner.
Additional information
Action List FAQ
How does a Repeat work within an action list?
You have the option to add a repeat action list/task from within an action list. A repeat action list can also be set to start at any point from within the action list itself, which can be shown in the example below:
Below is an example Appraisal Follow-up action list, where I have added a repeat to start a week after the last task/item (Start Day: 28). I have then selected to repeat the same action list; however, I only want to repeat the plan from day 7 (Start at Day: 7).
When added to the action list, the repeat will start on the 28th day but will only repeat the task from day 7 onwards (Reminders for the follow-up calls). This allows me to repeat my Appraisal Follow-up action list without the need to include any task before 7 days.
Points to Note:
- If "User Defined Staff Member #1" or "User Defined Staff Member #2" is used in the current Action List, these staff members are also reflected in the "new" (repeated) action list. In the event we have Action List A with a "Repeat" configured to launch List B on Day X, and if List A has no "User Defined Staff Member 1" or "User Defined Staff Member 2", the "Allocated" user will be assigned to such staff in List B
- Action Lists with repetition are launched at midnight (local time) in each region. A newly launched Action List does not need to start on Day 0; it can start halfway through
- If an action list should not automatically "repeat" on Day X, consider a "breakpoint" before Day X - forcing the user to ensure all items are completed before the Action List is repeated
- Also note that when repetition kicks in, any outstanding task items on the "old" List are removed from the Calendar
How does a breakpoint work within the action list?
We provide an option to add a breakpoint within an action list. This allows you to "Pause" the automation of the action list to ensure prior tasks are completed before the automation resumes.
Using the example below, a breakpoint was added after a reminder to confirm that the photography had been received before ordering the marketing content.
Can you make changes to an action list once it has been attached?
You must ensure that all tasks/items within the action list are set up correctly before attaching it to a contact. If any changes are made to the master action list, they will not affect any existing attached action list. You can make changes to an individually attached action list against a contact.
- Select the action list from the drop-down menu at the top right-hand corner
- Click on Edit to make changes to specific tasks/items
or - Click on Add List Item to add further tasks/items to the action list
Updating the attached action list will not update the original master action list that was created. This will need to be done within Maintain Action Lists.
Delete Contact access in User Management settings is required for a user to delete items from a master action list. Lists assigned to a contact/property can be edited freely.
Is there a way to automate the process of attaching an action list to a contact?
Yes, we allow you to set up an event trigger to automatically attach an action list based on a client, owner, property, or purchaser process.
How do I complete an action list item?
If you are set as the assigned user on an action list task/item, this should appear in your To Do List on the date the task/item is to be completed. Learn more about the To Do List and how a task can be set as complete.
Is there a way to bulk-print documents for a specific action list?
Yes, you can bulk-print all documents associated with a specific action list.
- Go to: Letters/Action Lists
- Click Bulk Print Documents
You can set a date range and action list. Once you have created your search, you can bulk print and/or bulk mark the action list task as complete.