WPL O705 Email Techniques - University of Oxford · to use a message format that your recipient's application supports. Microsoft Outlook offers a number of different message formats

Microsoft Outlook 2007

© Watsonia Publishing Page 1 Cluster - Email Techniques

E-MAIL TECHNIQUES

In this session you will:

gain an overview of how to manage email effectively

learn how to recall a sent message

learn how to print a message list

learn how to print an e-mail message

gain an understanding of the different message formats supported by Outlook 2007

learn how to change the message format

learn how to choose stationery for your messages

learn how to apply stationery or a theme to a single message

learn how to apply a Word theme to a mail message

learn how to turn off stationery or a theme

learn how to save an e-mail draft

learn how to reuse a saved message draft

gain an understanding of how to apply voting buttons to a mail message

gain an understanding of how to respond to voting requests

gain an understanding of how to track voting responses

learn how to create and use voting buttons.

Outlook provides a range of options to help you effectively manage your e-mails.

These options allow you to recall messages that have been sent, print message lists, format the way that messages appear, change the message editor, save messages as drafts, send messages with special voting buttons, and the many more such useful tools.

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EFFECTIVE E-MAIL MANAGEMENT

As you become more and more familiar with e-mail you’ll understand why it is so popular. Because of its wide spread use you’ll probably soon find yourself swamped with e-mails. As a

consequence you’ll need to adopt some sound techniques for managing this influx of electronic mail. Below are some techniques for managing your e-mail more effectively.

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Create A Hierarchy of Folders and Name Them Sensibly

In many ways your Inbox is a little like your hard disk – and just like the files on your hard disk you can create and name folders to help manage your e-mails more effectively. Personal folders can be created below almost any folder in Outlook, however, the most logical place is under your Inbox. For most people this is because the bulk of e-mails are ones they receive.

You should create a logical sequence of folders and name them so that you can use them quickly to locate an e-mail that you may need to reference in the future. For example, if you purchase goods online over the Internet most suppliers will send you an electronic receipt via e-mail. It is a good idea to place these e-mail receipts in a special Receipts folder so that you can refer to them at any point without having to scroll through your entire Inbox.

Move Messages Out of the Inbox

Once you’ve created a hierarchy of folders get into the habit of moving messages that you wish to retain out of the Inbox and into the relevant folder you’ve set up. Keeping an Inbox squeaky clean is akin to working with a tidy desk.

This will help you quickly see new incoming messages. Also, by parking the e-mails for follow up into more meaningful folders, there is a reduced chance that you will accidentally delete them while doing an Inbox cleanup.

Delete E-mails You Don’t Require Immediately

If you get an e-mail and don’t need it, get rid of it. You can do this permanently and instantly by

selecting the message, holding down the key and pressing . If you think you don’t

need it delete it into the Deleted Items folder (this can be done using Edit > Delete or by

clicking on the Delete tool ). Since the Deleted Items folder is a temporary location at least if

you do find you need it later you can recover it again.

Periodically purge the Deleted Items folder to free up system resources and keep your e-mail manageable.

Use Address Lists

If you e-mail the same message to a number of people on a regular basis set up address lists (sometimes known as Groups) in Outlook Contacts. An address list is simply a group of lists that you choose from existing Contacts. Outlook then allows you to save this list as a single entry in Contacts. When you need to send these people an e-mail you simply click on the Group name rather than select each address one at a time.

There are virtually no limits to the number of address lists you can have in Outlook and they provide a great way to manage your out-going e-mail messages.

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RECALLING A SENT MESSAGE

Imagine sending a message and realising that some of the information is wrong or you have forgotten to include an attachment or similar. If you sent the message to a number of people,

chances are you’ll end up with responses telling you about the error before they get to read the corrected e-mail. You could, however, use recall to get the message back before they open it.

Try This Yourself:

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File

Before starting this exercise you MUST open data file Watsonia_03.pst (also, if you have any other Watsonia data files open, use the File, Data File Management option to remove them)...

Create a new message addressed to a colleague, type Product Report as the subject and click Send

Click on the Sent Items folder to see your sent messages

Double click on the message - it will now appear in a message window

Click on Other Actions and then select Recall This Message to display the Recall This Message dialog box

Ensure the settings are as shown and click on [OK]

Click on the Close button

of the original message

Outlook will now delete the message if it hasn’t been opened otherwise it will send a message advising the recipient that you want to recall the message. The recipient needs to open the recall message before the message itself so the original is deleted…

Click on the Inbox to see the Message Recall notification

For Your Reference…

To recall a sent message:

1. Open the message in a message window

2. Select Other Actions and Recall This Message

3. Choose the appropriate settings and click

on [OK]

Handy to Know…

The success or failure of a recall depends on the recipients' settings in Outlook 2007. For more information, use the Outlook Help window and search for assistance with recalling messages.

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For this feature to work, you must have a Microsoft Exchange Server account. Most home and personal

accounts do not use Microsoft Exchange and therefore, you cannot recall your messages.



PRINTING A MESSAGE LIST

There may be times when you want a hard copy of the messages in one of your folders. For example, you might want a list of all of the messages that you’ve received from a particular

sender. You can print a message list by using the

File > Print command when the folder is displayed.

Try This Yourself:

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Continue using the previous file with this exercise, or open the file Watsonia_01.pst...

Ensure that the Inbox is currently displayed

Select File > Print to display the Print dialog box

Use the Name box to select an appropriate printer for your training environment

Click on Table Style in Print Style to tell Outlook that you’d like the messages printed in a tabular format

If you select Memo Style, the currently selected message will print and not a list of all the messages in the current folder

Rather than clicking [OK] to print the list to paper, click [Preview] to view the list on screen

Use the buttons on the Preview toolbar to make changes to the layout and setup, if you so wish

Click Close to return to your Inbox


To print a message list:

1. Display the folder you wish to print

2. Select File > Print

3. Select the Table Style in the Print Style box

4. Adjust the print settings and click on [OK]

Handy to Know…

If you have selected multiple messages in the displayed folder, you can choose Only selected rows to print a list of only those messages that have been selected.

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PRINTING A MESSAGE

Even though the whole idea of electronic mail messaging is to avoid, or at best minimise paper usage, there will be times when you want or need to print an e-mail. You can print a message from

any of the Mail folders using the File > Print command. If you have opened the message, you could also use the Office Button and Print to print your message content.

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Double click on the last message from Brad Harris regarding Fleet Management Expenses

Click on the Office Button and then click on the arrow on the Print option

Select Print to display the Print dialog box

Ensure the Print style is set to Memo Style

Select a printer of your choice in the Name box

Click [Preview] to view your message on screen

Use any of the buttons on the toolbar to change the layout and settings

Click Print or Close and then close the message to return to the Inbox


To print a message:

1. Open the message

2. Click on the Office Button, click on the arrow for Print and select Print

3. Adjust the print settings and click on [OK]

or [Preview]

Handy to Know…

If you have attachments in your message, you can check the Print attached files option to include these in the printout; otherwise the attachments won’t be printed.

You can use the Define Styles button to make your own styles to use when printing messages or lists.

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MESSAGE FORMATS

Not all e-mail applications are alike, so you need to use a message format that your recipient's application supports. Microsoft Outlook offers a number of different message formats. The format

that you choose determines what your message can contain – such as fonts, colours, pictures, etc. If a recipient’s mail application supports the format, they will see the message as you created it.

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HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

This is the default message format used by Outlook 2007. It is also the best format to use when you want to create messages that are similar to documents you can produce in Word including features such as different fonts, colours, bullet lists and tables. By default, when you select either of the options that allow formatting (HTML or Rich Text), the message is sent in HTML format. So when you use HTML, you know that what you send is what the recipient will see, if their mail application supports that format.

Plain Text

The Plain Text format is supported by all e-mail applications. You can set Outlook to open messages that you receive in plain text format only. Plain text doesn't support features such as bold, italic, colours, fonts, or other text formatting. It also doesn't support pictures that are displayed directly in the message body, although you can include the pictures as attachments.

Outlook Rich Text Format (RTF)

This is a Microsoft format that only the following e-mail applications support:

Microsoft Exchange Client versions 4.0 and 5.0

Microsoft Office Outlook 2007

Microsoft Office Outlook 2003

Microsoft Outlook 97, 98, 2000, and 2002

You can use RTF when sending messages within an organisation that uses Microsoft Exchange; however, it is still recommended that you use the HTML format. RTF supports text formatting, including bullets, alignment, and linked objects. Outlook automatically converts RTF formatted messages to HTML by default when you send them to an Internet recipient, so that the message formatting is maintained and attachments are received. Outlook also automatically formats meeting and task requests and messages with voting buttons so that these items can be sent intact across the Internet to other Outlook users, regardless of the default format of the message. If the Internet-bound message is a task or meeting request, Outlook automatically converts it to Internet Calendar format, a common format for Internet calendar items, so that other e-mail applications can support it.

What Outlook Does to the Message Format When You Reply

When you reply to a message, Outlook preserves the format of the original message. However, once you’ve clicked Reply, you can then use the Options tab on the Message tab to change the format of the response to a different mail format.

Formatting Messages

If you use the HTML or Rich Text format for your e-mail messages, you can use buttons on each of the tabs on the Ribbon to format your messages in much the same way as you would format a document using Microsoft Word. You can change fonts, paragraphs, styles, you can insert pictures, tables, symbols, and you can use other features such as themes, WordArt, Quick Parts – in fact most of the word processing capabilities all within your e-mail messages.

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CHANGING THE MESSAGE FORMAT

The default message format in Outlook 2007 is HTML. However, when you create a new message, you can change the message format for that individual e-mail without affecting all other

e-mails you send. For example, you may want to send to a recipient who is using a very basic Internet mail application and Plain Text would be

more appropriate than HTML.

Try This Yourself:

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File Continue using the

previous file with this exercise, or open the data file Watsonia_03.pst...

In the Inbox, click on the New button to create a New Mail Message

Address the message to yourself and type This is a Plain Text Message for the Subject

Click in the body of the e-mail

Click on the Options tab on the Ribbon and then click on the Plain Text button in the Format group

Click the [Continue] button to proceed and then click back on the Message button

Notice that the formatting buttons on the Message tab are not available

Type the text as shown in the example and then click the Send button


To change the message format:

1. Click in the body of the message

2. Click on the Options tab and then click on the an appropriate button in the Format group, such as Plain Text

3. Complete the message and click Send

Handy to Know…

Using Tools > Options you can change the mail format for all messages. Click on the Mail Format tab and then select an appropriate option in the Compose in this message format list. Click [OK] to activate your settings.

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STATIONERY AND THEMES

Stationery and themes are available in Outlook 2007 so that you can easily add design elements to HTML-formatted e-mail messages. Stationery includes background colours and patterns.

Themes also include backgrounds and offer a set of unified design elements such as fonts, bullets, colours, and effects.

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Select Tools > Options to display the Options dialog box and click on the Mail Format tab

Click on the [Stationery and Fonts...] button to view the Personal Stationery tab

Click on the [Theme] button

Select Hand Prints from the list of available stationery and themes and then click [OK]

Click [OK] until you return to your Mail folders

Create New to create a new mail message

Address the message to yourself and then type in the text as shown in the example - you can increase the font size if you so wish

Click Send to send the message


To choose a stationery:

1. Select Tools > Options and click on the Mail Format tab

2. Click on [Stationery and Fonts...] button, choose a stationery style, and click on

[OK] until the Options dialog box is closed

Handy to Know…

To choose Outlook stationery or themes from an open message, on the Insert tab click Signature, and then click Signatures. Click the Personal Stationery tab, and then click Themes.

Outlook Stationery or Themes cannot be customised.

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APPLYING STATIONERY TO SINGLE MESSAGES

In addition to selecting a stationery/theme for new messages, you can also apply stationery/ themes for individual messages as you create them. This gives you the flexibility to pick a

design that best suits the contents of your message. Be careful not to overuse this feature by selecting different designs too regularly – your recipients may become overwhelmed!

Try This Yourself:

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Select Actions > New Mail Message Using and then click on the More Stationery... option

Select the Theme called Industrial and then click [OK]

Address the message to yourself

Enter the information as shown in the example

You can use the

and + keys to

indented and outdent the bullet points

Click Send to send your message


To choose a message theme:

1. Actions > New Mail Message Using

2. Click More Stationery

3. Select a stationery/theme

4. Click [OK] to create your message

Handy to Know…

Stationery or themes cannot be applied to replies.

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USING A WORD THEME FOR A MAIL MESSAGE

In addition to using Outlook stationery or a theme for your messages, you can also use one of the predefined Word Themes available within Office 2007 (these themes are shared between Word,

Excel and PowerPoint and can also be used in Outlook). You can only use themes within a message if you are using HTML for the message format.

Try This Yourself:

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Ensure you are working in the Inbox

Click on the New button to create a new mail message

Address the message to yourself and then click in the body of the message

Click on the Options button on the Ribbon

Click on the Page Colour button and select the Olive Green, Accent 3, Lighter 80% colour

Click on the Themes button

Select the Apex theme

Enter message shown in the example

Click Send to send your message



1. Click in the body of a message

2. Click on the Options tab

3. Use the Themes button and/or Colours,

Fonts, Effects or Page Colour

Handy to Know…

A custom theme is saved in the Document Themes folder and is automatically added to the list of custom themes so that it is available in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

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TURNING STATIONERY OFF

If you have set a permanent stationery/theme for your e-mails, you can turn it off so that new messages aren’t based on any stationery or theme. Some people prefer not to use a

standard stationery or theme but to pick between one or two different designs at the time of creating their e-mail messages.

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Ensure you are working in the Inbox

Select Tools > Options to display the Options dialog box and click on the Mail Format tab

Click on the [Stationery and Fonts...] button to view the Personal Stationery tab

Click on the [Theme] button

Select the (No Theme) option

Click [OK] until you return to the Inbox folder

Click New to create a new mail message

The mail message should not have any stationery or a theme

Close the message window to return to your Inbox



1. Select Tools > Options to display the Options dialog box and click on the Mail Format tab

2. Click on [Stationery and Fonts...]

3. Select the (No Theme) option and then

click [OK] until you close all dialog boxes

Handy to Know…

If you don't want messages that you receive to have stationery or themes in them, you can have Outlook automatically display messages that you open in plain text instead. However, doing this also removes other formatting that a message might have. Use Tools> Trust Centre and E-Mail Security to make this change.

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SAVING A MESSAGE DRAFT

Sometimes it can take time to create an e-mail message. Perhaps you are struggling for just the right words, or are waiting for additional information from another source - whatever

reason if you do not wish to complete and send an e-mail message you can save it as a draft. Saved messages are placed in the Drafts folder where they can be worked on again later.

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Create a new mail message

Type the text shown in the example

Click on the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar – or alternatively you can click on the Office Button and select Save

Now close the mail message

Notice that the Drafts folder now shows an additional message in it

By default, Microsoft Office Outlook automatically attempts to save any e-mail message that you create but do not send.


To save a message as a draft:

1. Compose the message in the normal way

2. Click on the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar or click on the Office

Button and select Save

Handy to Know…

You can nominate a different folder (as an alternative to the Draft folder) by clicking on the Save Sent Item button on the Options tab.

If you want to save a permanent copy of the message, click the Office Button and select Save As to save the file to your computer.

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USING A SAVED MESSAGE

Messages that have been saved in the Drafts folder can be opened so that you can continue working on them. Draft messages are opened in the same ways as opening other messages -

typically this is done by double clicking on the message.

Try This Yourself:

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previous file with this exercise, or open the file data Watsonia_03.pst...

Click on the Drafts folder to see available draft messages

Double click on the New Order Procedures draft to open it in a message window

Complete the message, addressing it to yourself, and click on the Send button to send it

Click on the Inbox and check that your new message has arrived


Using a saved message:

1. Click on the Drafts folder

2. Double click on the saved message to open it in a message window

3. Complete the message and click Send

Handy to Know…

You can save the message as often as you like. If you have no need to retain a saved message you can delete it from the Drafts folder.

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USING VOTING BUTTONS TO TRACK RESPONSES

Messages are sometimes sent to solicit some sort of answer or response. For example, you might send a message asking a colleague if they can attend a function or to ask their decision on a

business issue. Outlook allows you to add voting buttons to a message. When the recipient receives the message they can simply click on the Yes or No buttons and the reply is automatically sent.

1 Adding Voting Buttons to a Message

To start with, you can create your message in the normal way, addressing it to any number of recipients.

Once you are in the main body area of the message, click on the Options tab and then click on the Use Voting Buttons button to select the type of responses you want the recipients to select.

Custom Voting Buttons

If you click the Custom option on the Use Voting Buttons command, you can specify what buttons you want recipients to click for their response. For example, you might use Monday;Tuesday;Wednesday to find out which day most suits them or Fish;Meat;Vegetarian to find out their dietary requirements for a function.

When you’ve finished your message and have specified your voting buttons, you can then simply click the Send button to send the messages to the nominated recipients.

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RESPONDING TO VOTING REQUESTS

When someone sends you a message with voting buttons you are presented with several buttons to indicate how you wish to respond to the request of the sender. Outlook allows you to

open the message and respond to it, or respond to it directly from buttons on an InfoBar in the Reading pane.

1 Responding to a Voting Request

When you open a message that includes voting buttons, you don’t have to click Reply. Instead, you can use the Vote button on the Message tab. The InfoBar at the top of the message header also tells you that this is the action you should take.

Click on the Vote button and then select an appropriate response. A dialog box appears, asking what your next action is. If you simply want to vote, click the Send the response now option and click [OK]. If you want to write your own reply to accompany your vote, click Edit the response before sending option and then click [OK].

If you choose Edit the response before sending, you will be placed in the normal window where you can reply to your message. You can use all the features and functions that you can usually use when replying to a message. If you have selected the Send the response now option, your reply is sent immediately and you can then close the original mail message to return to your Inbox.



TRACKING VOTING RESPONSES

If you send out a message with voting buttons, you will need to track who has replied and what vote they have given. By default, responses appear in your Inbox but you can also track the

responses using the original message in the Sent Items folder. This is particularly useful especially if you sent out your voting message to a large number of people.

1 Viewing Voting Responses in your Inbox

When people reply to your voting message, their response appears at the start of the Subject line as shown in the example below.

Tracking Responses using the Original Message in Sent Items

Because people will respond at different times, using replies in your Inbox can be a bit more difficult to track. An easier solution, particularly when you have a large number of people responding, is to use the original message in the Sent Items folder. Simply open the message and then click on the Tracking button in the Show group to review responses. The InfoBar at the top of the message will also show you the total number of responses for each voting button – again very useful when you have lots of people voting. It is important to note that the Tracking button and Message buttons only appear when you have received at least one response to a voting message.

If you want to have further control over how your voting responses are processed, use Tools > Options, select the E-Mail Options tab and then make changes to the Tracking Options.



CREATING AND USING VOTING BUTTONS

You can easily create messages that contain voting buttons that will help you track responses from the recipients. For the purposes of this exercise, you will need to work with a few of your

colleagues. Decide who will be the message creator and who will be the recipients who need to respond using the nominated voting buttons.

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Before starting this exercise you MUST open the file [Primary File]...

If you are the message creator, create a new message, address it to your colleagues and then type the message shown in the example

Click on the Options tab, click Use Voting Buttons and select Yes;No;Maybe

Click Send

If you are the recipient, when your message appears in your Inbox open it and then make your vote sending it immediately

If you are the message creator, use the original message in the Sent Items folder to track your responses


To insert voting buttons into a message:

1. Create your message in the usual way

2. Click on the Options tab, click Use Voting Buttons and then select a voting button list

3. Click Send

Handy to Know…

You can also easily respond to voting buttons if you have the Reading Pane turned on. Click the voting message and then, in the Reading Pane, click on the InfoBar and select a voting button on your choice.

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NOTES:

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Documents

WPL O705 Email Techniques - University of Oxford · to use a message format that your recipient's application supports. Microsoft Outlook offers a number of different message formats