Message Writer - Overview

Message Writer is part of Alto Skills, the AI tools built directly into Alto that take on the time-consuming agency jobs you'd normally do yourself. 

Message Writer drafts your client emails in your branch's voice. Instead of writing every message from scratch, you tell Message Writer what you need in plain English and it prepares a draft for you to check. Because it's set up with your branch's voice, drafts read as though they came from you.

What can Message Writer do?

Message Writer takes the time out of everyday correspondence. It can:

• Draft emails to vendors, landlords, applicants, tenants and buyers
• Draft a reply to a message a contact has sent you, when you paste it in
• Pull names and email addresses from Alto, so you don't have to retype them
• Write in your branch's voice, set up once by a Group administrator
• Rewrite a draft on request, for example to make it shorter, friendlier or more formal
• Prepare every message for you to check before it's sent

How does Message Writer work?

You use Message Writer by typing requests in plain English, as you would in a chat. There are two parts: a Group administrator sets up your branch's voice, and anyone in the branch can then draft messages in that voice.

Set up your branch's voice (Group administrators only)

A Group administrator teaches Message Writer each branch's voice once. It reads the branch's existing templates, suggests answers to five questions about how your branch writes, then describes the result for you to confirm. Message Writer then uses that voice for everyone in the branch.

1. Click Skills on the main navigation bar
2. Click Message Writer from the list of available skills
3. Ask Message Writer to set up the voice, for example "Set up the tone of voice for my branch"
4. Reply with the branch you want to set up
5. Answer the five questions Message Writer asks about how your branch writes, covering tone, greeting, sign-off, and phrases to use and avoid. Reply "yes, that fits" to a suggested answer, or answer in your own words
6. If you like, share a few messages your branch has already sent, to help describe the voice
7. Review the summary of your branch's voice
8. Ask for any changes to the summary in the chat, if needed
9. Click Confirm to save it as your branch's voice

Draft a message

Name the person you're writing to in your request, and Message Writer finds their details in Alto.

1. Click Skills on the main navigation bar
2. Click Message Writer from the list of available skills
   1. You also have the option of using Message Writer when writing an ad hoc email from a contact, property, or tenancy record
3. Tell Message Writer what you want to send, and who to
4. If more than one contact matches, choose the right one by name or Alto Ref
5. Review the draft, checking names, dates and figures
6. Ask for any changes in the chat
7. When you're happy, click Send email, or click Copy email and send it yourself

Emails you send from Message Writer appear on the contact's Timeline, like any email sent from Alto.

Example requests

• "Draft an email to Alan Jones to recommend a price reduction"
• "Draft an email to the vendor confirming Saturday's viewing"
• "Draft an email to the landlord about the rent review"
• "Make this shorter and friendlier"

FAQs

• Is Message Writer available to everyone?

Not yet. Message Writer is in early release with a limited group of agencies while we gather feedback and improve the skill. We'll open it up more widely in phases. Join the waitlist to be notified when it becomes available to your agency.

• Does Message Writer cost extra?

No. Message Writer is currently included in your Alto subscription.

• Who can set up the voice?

Only Group administrators. The voice is set per branch, and everyone in that branch uses it when drafting.

• Is our template text stored?

No. Message Writer reads your branch's templates once to suggest your voice, and the text isn't kept. Only the confirmed voice is saved.

• What if the draft doesn't sound like us?

To adjust a single draft, ask for changes in the chat. If drafts regularly don't sound right, ask your Group administrator to review your branch's voice. Your feedback during early release directly shapes how the skill improves, so let us know what you're seeing.

• Where does it get names and email addresses from?

From Alto. Name the person in your request, for example "Draft an email to Alan Jones", and Message Writer finds their details.

• Does it know our history with a contact?

Not yet. Message Writer finds the contact's name and email address, but it doesn't read the history on their record. To reply to a message they've sent, paste it into your request.

• Why does it ask me to choose between contacts?

Alto allows different contacts to share a name, address or email address. To avoid writing to the wrong person, Message Writer lists the matches with each contact's Alto Ref and asks you to choose.

• Why is there a gap in my draft?

Message Writer only uses facts from Alto or from your request, so it never guesses. If something's missing, such as your full name, it leaves a gap for you to fill in, and the draft can't be sent until every gap is filled. If Alto holds no email address for the contact, add one to the contact in Alto first.

• Will Message Writer send messages automatically?

No. Every message stays a draft until you've checked it. You then send it from Message Writer, or copy it and send it manually.

• Can I use it on mobile?

Yes. Open it from the Alto main navigation bar on your mobile device.

• What isn't supported yet?

Editing drafts directly - for now, ask for changes in the chat instead.
Keeping Message Writer open side by side while you work in other parts of Alto.
Remembering a contact from an earlier message - for now, name the person in each request.
Writing to a group of contacts at once - for now, write to one person per request.

• Can it write property descriptions or listings?

No. Message Writer writes emails only. Listing copy will be handled by Listing writer, a separate skill coming soon.

• Can it chase solicitors on a sale?

Chasing sales progression is handled by Progression Chaser, a separate skill. It flags sales at risk of falling through, explains the risk and drafts the chase, and only sends what you approve.

• Related Help Centre articles that you may find useful.

  Alto Skills - Overview