Immediately Is An Email App For Sales Reps That Tracks When Messages Are Read

http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/30/immediately-launches-an-email-app-for-sales-reps-that-tracks-when-messages-are-read/

SquareOne, an email startup that launched its iOS app for organizing messages earlier this year, has now pivoted to become Immediately, an email app designed with the needs of sales reps in mind. The new app, which is currently live on the web and on iPhone, is an email client application offering features like reminders, templates, scheduling and Salesforce sync, as well as the ability to track email opens — allowing you to jump when customers and leads are in their inboxes reading your message.

On mobile, you can configure the app to send you push notifications when email opens occur by designating which emails you want to track with a push of a button in its “Compose” interface.

This is not the first app to track email opens. In March, an app called MailTracker debuted on iOS that offered similar functionality. However, in its case, the MailTracker app allows you track opens and engagement time for emails sent using Apple’s built-in Mail App. It’s not meant to be a standalone client.

In addition, Immediately offers a number of features that make it more competitive with something like Acompli, as the new app also lets you quickly share your calendar availability without having to change to a different application.

Other buttons appear below your Compose screen, letting you quickly do things like change your signature, respond with a template or create a reminder.

Contact details are available at glance, too, allowing you to quickly get background information on those you’re communicating with by pulling data from LinkedIn — a feature that’s useful for those even outside the “sales rep” space Immediately is targeting.

The company says it trialled its app across a number of companies before today’s launch, including Plethora.io, TalentBin and Visually. Now live in the App Store and on the web, Immediately’s long-term plan is to leverage data to make intelligent suggestions to salespeople — like whether their pitch is wrong, or being sent at the wrong time — that will help them become more productive.

For what it’s worth, even email apps that let you stalk your recipients can tell you everything. Email clients that offer push notifications with message previews, or interfaces like Gmail that show headlines and part of the message, are often how those with busier inboxes “read” their messages – that is, they scan their inbox to know who’s emailing them and why, and react accordingly. And no app – Immediately, MailTracker or otherwise – can track that sort of thing.

Immediately is free for individuals and will offer a paid tier for enterprises.