Email and text messages
Email and text customers from the lead page, see their replies in one conversation, and check every message in the message log.
You can email and text customers right from a lead. Replies come back into the same Conversation on the lead, and the salesperson gets a notification. Sales › Messages keeps a log of every email and text the system sent, blocked or received.
Before you start #
Sending is set up once per dealership under Settings › Integrations:
| To do this | You need |
|---|---|
| Send email to customers and staff | Email (SMTP): your own mail server or email provider (host, port, from address, password), switched to live. |
| Get customer email replies on the lead | Inbound email (customer replies): point your mail provider's inbound webhook or forwarding rule at the address shown, signed with a shared secret. |
| Send and receive texts | A plan with SMS (Pro and Enterprise) and SMS (Twilio): your own Twilio account, Account SID, auth token and from number, switched to live. Set the inbound webhook address shown on the integration page on your Twilio number. |
Send a message from a lead #
- Open the lead and scroll to Conversation.
- Choose the Channel: Email or Text (SMS). If the customer last replied by text, text is preselected.
- For email, check the Subject (email). Replies get "Re:" added for you.
- Type your message and select Send (or Send reply).
(open full size)- Email or text (step 2).
- Your message (step 4).
- Send (step 4).
The conversation shows messages oldest first, with the status of each one you sent.
When the customer replies #
- A text reply arrives through your Twilio number (or the shared number). An email reply arrives through your inbound email integration; quoted earlier messages are cut off.
- The reply is matched to the customer by phone number or email address and appears in the Conversation of their newest lead.
- The lead's Activity shows "Customer replied by text" or "by email", and the assigned salesperson gets a notification. Unassigned leads notify managers.
- Text keywords such as STOP and START change the customer's consent instead (see consent).
Check the message log #
- Open Sales › Messages.
- Filter by Channel, Status and Recipient (customers or staff), then select Filter.
- Select a row to read the full message.
(open full size)- Test mode banner: shown while sending is off for the platform or for a demo dealership.
- Filters for channel, status and recipient.
- Delivery status of each message.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Test outbox | Saved but not transmitted (sending is off, the provider is not live, or this is a demo dealership). |
| Sent | Handed to your email or SMS provider. |
| Failed | The provider refused it. The reason is shown on the message. |
| Blocked | Not sent because the customer has not agreed to that channel or opted out. |
| Received | A reply from the customer. |
Rules every message follows #
- A customer only gets email or texts when they agreed to that channel and have not opted out. Staff alerts are not affected.
- Texts from automated sequences add "Reply STOP to opt out." for you.
- By default each dealership can send up to 300 messages per hour per channel, which protects you from runaway sends.
- Nothing is ever sent from a demo dealership.
Tips #
- Text is best for quick "is it still available?" replies. Use email for quotes and anything with numbers.
- If a message shows Blocked, record the customer's consent on their profile first, then send again.
Permissions #
Limitations #
Screenshots show the fictional demo dealership. Something unclear or out of date? Tell your MotoDealerHQ contact or email support@motodealerhq.com.