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The XSite Blog

February 5th, 2012 4:32 AM

Let's look at some ways to use your XSite with existing clients, overcoming any reluctance to use your site, with the goal of saving you time and money. Per our conversation, I'm sending you a reminder of some of these recommendations. I've also included a link to our free recorded webinar training on (via streaming video) that explains these in more detail.

Using the XSite with existing clients:

Often the best way to get existing clients using the site is gradually, until all the pieces fall into place.

* SIGN UP ANY CLIENT WHO DOESN'T: If your clients aren’t actively using XSites for ordering, sign them up: This is a simple one-time step to create an account for a client. You can do this in Contacts either in Wintotal or the XSite or, if they're a brand new client, you can do this from the front of your site under Client Login. -- Note: When you first log in to the XSite as the admin login, you'll see a notification of how many clients don't have XSite logins, and be able to click there, see them, and sign them up. You can then send them their login/password any time you like.
* MAKE ALL ORDERS XSITE ORDERS: Place the orders yourself if your clients won’t - you can either do this in about 30 seconds in the XSite, under Business Management, by clicking Orders and Create New Order, or you can do this even more quickly in Wintotal Aurora, when you fill out the Order view, by checking XSite Integration on the left hand side in the Order View, and letting the order synchronize with the XSite when Net.X connect attemps to synchronize on closing the report.

* USE STATUS NOTIFICATIONS FOR ALL CLIENTS: Send status notices to those existing clients regularly - this will help reduce status-calls to see if you visited the property, what you think, etc, and it will start them taking advantage of the features. You can do this either in the XSite by double clicking the order and choosing Status, or from Wintotal in a variety of ways, including highliting any XSite order in the Appraisal Desktop and choosing Trackign Status.

* DELIVER ALL PDFs VIA XSITE: You can be proactive in complying with the GLB Act - many real estate professionals can feel the pressure to ensure secure PDF delivery that ordinary e-mail simply does not provide. Deliver the report through the XSite Delivery plugin as a PDF to your XSite for pickup, so clients log-in to get it. This way, they can see the value in having a status history, order information, etc. right at their finger tips.

* TURN ON ENTERPRISE FEATURES: If you have an Enterprise site, you can enable Client Accounting (click Business Management, then Options, then Billing Options, then Enable Client Accounting and Save), so your clients can see all their invoices at a glance. It adds an extra tab when clients log in. Likewise, on an Enterprise site, you can set up Credit Card processing (click Business Management then Credit Card) and then set up your Billing Options (as with Client Accounting) so Invoices on the Client Accounting tab can be paid instantly by credit card - yet another service to your clients. Using the collection tools in the XSite are another way to help. Setting up Client Fees and Client Options is also extremely helpful. For clients who are devoted, for now, to faxing: you can also enable DirectFax and Fax an Order features of the XSite, so clients can either fax a written order, fax an order with a coversheet, or fax from their loan origination software. Then it's a few clicks in the XSite to turn it into an XSite order.

All of these methods are demonstrated in the short webinar Walkthrough: Appraiser XSites at www.alamode.com/training and also in the webinar Online Ordering. Each of these online classes is about an hour and is available 24/7 (in recorded form). Just click and go. Don't forget:

* THE FRUIT TRAY METHOD: Schedule a 15-minute appointment with your most important clients, bring coffee or donuts or a fruit tray. Chat for 5-minutes, take 5-minutes to log them in at their desk to see their account, and spend another 5-minutes chatting. You can either create them an account in advance (make sure you've made all their orders XSite orders, logged in as them, and everything is right), or you can create a sample client and sample orders, invoices, etc. to show them.

* DO YOUR CLIENTS USE CALYX POINT software for loan origination? You can set your clients up to be come clients forever by becoming a lender favorite, so they can place XSite orders directly from their loan software. This document shows you how to help your clients configure you as a favorite: http://help.alamode.com/docs/5036.htm -- You can give this document http://help.alamode.com/docs/5636.htm to clients, once you've got them set up.

You don't have to use all of these methods at once. They're ways to get you and your clients comfortable with online ordering, for GLB-compliant security, efficiency and time savings on both ends, and improving your workflow so you generate more appraisals in less time and keep your costs low.

Over time, this should do several things for existing clients:
* Get them ordering appraisals electronically (so you can avoid retyping their orders). This saves you time.
* Get them to check status on orders via e-mail or through your site (as opposed to calls). This saves you time.
* With an Enterprise site, get them to pay you more quickly (either because you require pay on pickup or because you’re using Credit Card processing.
* With an Enterprise site, get them to check your site for account statements (with Client Accounting tools). This saves you time.

All told, this should garner you two of most appraisers' favorite things: time and money.

Posted by Daniel D. on February 5th, 2012 4:32 AMPost a Comment (0)