Open Internal Email (in Manual Mode)

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This is a Level 7 feature

This feature provides you with a built-in email client which allows you to send invoices to customers with the press of a button.

It is accessed from the Main Invoice Screen.  Near the "Email" address field (mid, right of the screen), and you'll see four buttons.  The first button (a bluish icon) opens an external email client.  The second button ("Opt") opens a dialog box that provides various options for using an external email client.  It's the two buttons just below the Email field that we are concerned about here.

EmailAllButs

One of these buttons is named "Auto Send" and sends a standardized cover letter and an attached copy of the invoice to the customer.  The last button ("Open") opens the internal email program and allows you to personalize the message before sending the invoice to the customer.

The information, below, is about the "Open" button. For information about the "Auto Send" button, see Auto Email

 

"Open" can also be activated by selecting MAIN TASKS >> OPEN INTERNAL &EMAIL PROGRAM - MANUAL MODE.  It also has a quick key combination:  CTRL+G.

The Email Screen appears:

EmailScreen

In order to use the Internal Email program, you must, first, enter some information in Basic Program Set-up.  To do so, select FILE and BASIC PROGRAM SET UP from the Menu Bar. Click on the "Email Set-up" tab on top of the page.  The Email Set-up page will appear: More Information

IMPORTANT NOTE: to use AnyOrder's internal email program, the email account that you use must be with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).  AnyOrder's internal email is not designed to work with Yahoo, Gmail, HotMail and other web-based email.  We can customize the program to work with web-based mail, but it does required extra charges in order to do that.  ISP email accounts are very inexpensive (some less than $20 US a year).  You can have multiple accounts and pick your own identifiable domain name.

In Basic Set-up, you will be able to enter the various email parameters that allow AnyOrder to access the Internet Service Provider's (ISP's) email server.

Once you've entered information in Basic Set-up, you can use the "Open" button.

 

"Open" Button (Manual Mode - Internal Email Program)

The "Open" button is used when you want to personalize the message before sending the invoice to the customer.  You may also wish to add some additional instructions or ask for price quotes.

When you click on the Open button, a form appears (shown above) on which you type out a message to the customer.  By default it will attach a copy of the invoice.  If you don't want to attach the invoice, remove the checkmark.

You can also insert your standardized message.  Do that by clicking on the "Defaults" button.  The standardize message along with any CC,  BC, or Reply To addresses that you have indicated in Basic Program set-up will be pasted in place.  You can, if needed, alter the standardized text and send the mail to the customer when you are ready.

Note that, as mentioned above, AnyOrder doesn't use a "Sent" mailbox to store copies of your sent Invoices, but you can send blind copies to another company mailbox as a way of tracking your sent mail.

Additionally, since AnyOrder doesn't currently have receiving capabilities, you'll want to use your normal email program to monitor responses from the customer.

 

Other Features

There are quite a number of features available.  Those are explained in more detail here: Email Screen

 

Long Email Addresses

On rare occasions you may run into an email address that doesn't fit in the email address field on the Main Purchase Order Screen.  In those cases, leave the email address field blank and enter the address in the "Notes" area.  Surround the address in double angle brackets, like this:

    <<jacqueline.zimmermann@someverylongnamedcompany.com>>

If you click on either the "Open" or "Auto" buttons and if AnyOrder doesn't find an email address in the email address field on the Main Invoice Screen, it will look in the Notes area.  If it finds an address surrounded by double angle brackets, it will use that address.

Note that if you wish to add a name along with the above address, then you must surround the email address, itself, with a set of angle brackets:

  << Jacqueline Zimmermann <jacqueline.zimmermann@someverylongnamedcompany.com> >>

Including name with the email address in the "Notes" area is explained in more detail here: Email Screen: Notes Area

 

Notes Area: Adding More Email Addresses.

You can add more email addresses to the Notes area.  You can also include names along with the email addresses.  That's explained in more detail here: Email Screen: Notes Area