Mail Merge Guide

The Oxford dictionary defines the term mail merge as the following; ‘The automatic addition of names and addresses forma database to letters and envelopes to facilitate sending mail, especially advertising, to many addresses”. In short mail merge can be used as a time saving device when you need to send out mass emails or letters but with a personalized touch.

Users of Mail Merge

They are a great asset to businesses, schools, advertising and even individuals who want to send out season’s greetings card. They can be used by schools to send out personal progress reports to parents, or department stores to offer a relevant range of products to individual customers, and doctors’ offices to inform patients of relevant immunizations and pharmaceutical care. It can also be used to create address labels for envelopes.

Advantages

There are many advantages to the mail merge tool, for a start you only have to create one template document; you can then personalize the document by changing fields such as name, address, greeting, etc. to make the document appear as if it has been specifically written for the individual party. For example if you were sending out 200 report cards for individual students you would only have to create and type up one document.

The pros seem to outweigh the cons when it comes to choosing to use the mail merge function. It is an important time saving and often hassle free device. However remember that your computer may run slower if you have more than one software program running and that if it is an email merge some or all of the data may be visible to all the recipients.

This is a great way of managing both small and large businesses by ensuring your clients feel they are receiving personal communication. You can use mail merge to send out invoices, newsletters, personal thank you emails, and product upgrades and offers.

Step by Step

Word offers this tool with all packages and even has a step by step mail merge wizard instruct you through the process. To find the mail merge wizard, go to your tool bar and click on the mailing icon, there will be an option to start mail merge. You then go down and click on the option mail merge wizard to be guided through the setup from start to finish. The first step is to open or compose the document you want to mail merge, this can be a letter, an envelope or anything else that you want to send out. You can also use the current document open on the page.

In the Tools menu bar select Mail Merge. Select Get Data in the “Data source” field. Select Create Data Source from the drop-down menu, you can use previously stored data from databases such as excel, or you can chose to use your outlook express contact list, or you can simply add the new data.

Select each of the field names you did not include in your form letter and click Remove Field Name to remove each of them. The fields are what you want to change to make the document more personalize, for example the names and address. Also be sure to take out generic information that doesn’t apply to each of your clients.

Review the list of fields; if the list includes everything in your form letter, click OK; if not, enter the Field Name you want to add and click the Add Field Name button.

Save the file with the name Data Source. Click the Edit Data Source button and enter the necessary data, check names, email addresses, etc. for the first person you want to send the letter to.

Click Add New to add a new entry to the Data Form window; click OK when you have finished adding entries.

Common Errors

• It is much easier at this stage to rectify errors and mistakes before you go to the final merging stage.
• Check you inserted the correct field in the right location.
• Check you have used the correct text formatting.
• Check your grammar and punctuation.
• Check the spacing is correct.

The Next level

There are many companies online offering to take mail merge to the next level for your company. It takes the basic mail merge system and uses personalized language software to make contact with clients more personalized and professional looking. There is also software that will embed your signature into mail merge so you don’t have to manually sign all documents.

Although most word programs allow the same uses offered. You can import graphics, for example personalized letterheads and stationary, which is also cost efficient to your company. Save money and save time by clicking on mail merge next time you need to send a mass letter, email or even Christmas card.