Instructions for Master Letter Template-Redtail

Below are detailed instructions for using the Master Letter Template-Redtail to create a letter for use in Redtail CRM.

1. Download the letter from the BGM Client Portal.
   

Locate the letter in the BGM Client Portal. 

Save a copy to your desktop. 

Right-click on it. Select Open with. Select Word.

2. Create the Redtail version of the letter.
   

Save a copy of the Master Letter Template-Redtail to your desktop. Rename the template on your desktop to Name of Letter-Redtail. 

Open the template and make sure Formatting is turned on. To turn it on, got to File Options Display then check the boxes shown below: 

Then go to Home and click on the ¶. (To turn it off, just click the icon again.)

If you need to add a Header go to Insert, open the Header dropdown menu, and select Edit Header.

In Header & Footer click Pictures, browse to the picture you want to use as a Header, and select Open.

In Picture Format open the Wrap Text dropdown menu and select In Front of Text. Adjust the position of the image in the header where you want it. This prevents the image from moving the address block out of position. 

If there is a heading in the letter, replace the highlighted headline text with the headline from the letter. 

«Address3»

Replace this text with the headline, or delete it.

Dear «NicknameFirstname» and «SpouseNicknameFirstname»:

«Address3»

Summer Market Update
My thoughts on investing amid the current market situation

Dear «NicknameFirstname» and «SpouseNicknameFirstname»:

Copy and paste the text body of the Master Letter to the template, replacing the highlighted section of the letter.

Note: Do not copy any of the address, salutation, sincerely, and signature blocks. They are already in the letter or will be placed by the client.

Note: Avoid copying any line or section breaks, as those will carry the formatting from the document they came from into the letter template and replace the letter template's formatting.

Dear «NicknameFirstname» and «SpouseNicknameFirstname»:

Replace this text with the message you want to send.  See Messaging Readiness for additional instructions.

If the letter has a footnote or references after the signature, copy and paste them from the Master Letter to the template after the highlighted "Compliance approved signature."

Sincerely yours,

Compliance approved signature

It will look like this:

Compliance approved signature

1 "S&P 500 historical prices," The Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/index/SPX/historical-prices

Confirm the body text is the same font and size as the Address, Salutation, and Signatory. If they do not match, highlight the body text, and change the font and size to match. If there are headings, go through the letter and highlight each one and enlarge the font by 2 pts.

Review the document and search for merge fields. If there are any «Salutation» merge fields in the letter, copy the salutation merge field at the top of the Redtail Letter and replace it in the appropriate spots. 

 

Replace with: «NicknameFirstname» and «SpouseNicknameFirstname».

For all other merge fields, delete the existing merge field, fill in the required field with the information it is asking for. 

I have good news, «Salutation»: We don't need to know all those things.  

Replace with your company's name: 

I have good news, Reliable Securities: We don't need to know all those things.  

Save the letter with your changes.

3. Upload the letter into Redtail.
   

Navigate within your database to Manage Your Account --> Mail Merge Templates. You'll then see a library of your current Mail Merge Document Templates, if any.  In the Select Files area to the right of these, you should see an Add Files link:

Click Add Files to locate the template file you just saved on your desktop. Once you locate that file, click Open, you can then click the Start Upload button.  After upload, the template will be available for your use in your library of current Mail Merge Templates.

Note that you also have a "filter" button that will allow you to filter the Mail Merge Templates you are viewing based upon any Categories you may have assigned to them. Also, to the right of your Templates is a Templates by Category area, which is a visual representation of your Mail Merge Templates by Category (if you assign Categories to your Template).