AWEbase not only allows you to communicate with your clients from within the application itself, but allows you to do so within the specific context of your projects, so you and your clients are always on the same page.
Communication is handled through comments that you and the client send to each other. There are three contexts for comments:
JobOpp Inquiries: When a client sends you a JobOpp Inquiry, they are starting a conversation about an upcoming project they would like your help with. JobOpp Inquiry comments help continue that conversation.
Jobs: Once a you have signed onto a Job, you may wish to discuss additional details that aren't covered by the Deliverables, or that come up over the course of the project. Job comments help you have that discussion.
Deliverable Files: These are the most common type of comments. When you upload a file for review, Deliverable review comments help you and the client go over specific aspects of that file.
Each of these contexts is detailed below.
JobOpp Inquiry Comments
When you receive a JobOpp Inquiry about a new project, you can send a JobOpp Inquiry comment if you have questions about the project, or are interested in taking it on. In return, the client can add comments of their own, and in this way you two can have a conversation about the Inquiry.
To review and add Inquiry comments, do the following:
Go to the JobOpp Inquiries screen.
Note the "comment" button next to the subject of the Inquiry on which you wish to communicate. The icon displays a red notification dot if you have any unread comments from the client.
Clicking the "comment" button brings the up comment panel, which displays previous comments from the client and yourself. (Alternatively, you can click the subject of the Inquiry itself, and review comments on the Inquiry's screen.)
Type your comment into the box at the top, then click "Add Comment" to send the comment to the client.
You may wish to click the "reply" button on a specific comment in order to quote that comment in your new comment, thus adding context to what you write.
Click the "edit" button to open and edit your comment. (You can only edit your own comments.)
Click the "delete" button to remove your comment altogether. (You can only delete your own comments, and only so long as the client has not replied to it with the "reply" button.)
Job Comments
Once you've received a Job offer from a client, it's often useful to exchange Job comments with them in context of the Job as a whole. For example, you might want to share information that's relevant to all the Job's Deliverables, or coordinate delivery specifics that are pertinent to the entire Job.
You can communicate with the client about a Job (even before you sign the contract) by doing the following:
Go to the Jobs screen and click on the name of the Job you want to discuss.
The right side of the screen displays previous comments from the contractor and yourself.
Type your comment into the box on the top right side of the screen, then click "Add Comment" to send the comment to the contractor.
You can also click the "reply" button on a specific comment in order to quote that comment in your reply, thus adding context to your comment.
Click the "edit" button to open and edit your comment. (You can only edit your own comments.)
Click the "delete" button to remove your comment altogether. (You can only delete your own comments, and only so long as the contractor has not replied to it with the "reply" button.)
Deliverable File Review Comments
While working on a Job, you can upload draft versions of your Deliverables for the client to review and comment on. As with JobOpp Inquiry comments and Job comments, you and the client can send Deliverable file review comments and replies back and forth in the context of the specific file you have uploaded.
(See this guide for complete details on how to review, mark up, and add comments to different types of files.)