How to Create Mailing Labels with Mail Merge using Excel/Word

This process is not difficult but there are a few steps to watch so I'd recommend the video but I will outline it in text as well in case you like that method of learning.

Step 1: Create Excel File

1. Open a new blank workbook in Excel.
2. In the top row - detail the types of data. For example, First name, Last name, Address etc.
3. Add addresses and save (remember where you save it).

Step 2: Create Label Template in Word

1. Open a blank document  in Word.
   
   
2. Click Mailings...Start Mail Merge..Labels...
   
   
   
3. Choose the type of label and click OK. On the labels is a size, the most common label type is 5160.
   
   
4. You will now have a word document that shows the borders of the labels you've chosen.

Step 3: Link the Excel file to the Labels

1. Click Select Recipients on the Mailing ribbon.
   
   
2. Select Existing File and browse to the file you saved in step 1 and selec the sheet that contains your addresses (if multiple sheets).

Step 4: ...

The Power of Email Merge

What is it?

When you use Word/Outlook/Excel to send a individual of emails to a list (usually in Excel)  with unique content specific to each user. This is not when you send the same email and put every user's email in the BCC field.

When do you use it?

Although there are a few scenarios, the most common one is when you export a list of users and related information from another program and need to send specific content to a group of users. For example, you want to send each customer an email that contains their name, shipping address and history of their orders last year. Another example, you want to send your employees an email that contains the benefit choices they have selected.

Can I (Should I) Use Constant Contact or Mail Chimp Instead?

Products like Constant Contact or Mail Chimp allow you to send large amounts of emails to groups of users. Most often, this content is mostly generic. These are great for newsletters, announcements and the like. 

Wh...

Reason #3 to Use OneNote: Sharing Notebooks

Sharing notebooks in OneNote is so easy and powerful. It allows you to take notes in a meeting and share it with attendees, take notes on a client meeting and share with a colleague, collaborate on a project and more.

If you want to share a notebook with someone in your organization, you can easily do that. This is a great way to collaborate and share notes or minutes. If you have on-going sharing you know you will be doing with a team or colleague, consider setting up a notebook for that purpose.

Sharing Notebooks with Microsoft Teams

IF you are a Microsoft Teams user - you can do this right in Teams too. SO EASY AND COOL! It can be setup as a tab across the top within your Team.

How to Share a Notebook

• Select or create the notebook to be shared.
• Right click on the notebook and choose...Share this notebook...
  
• Select one of the sharing options.
  • Get Sharing Link  - allows you to share with anyone who you share the link with. This
  ...

Why Use OneNote Reason #2: One Word - Search!

 In my humble opinion, the most valuable feature of OneNote is Search and here's why...

Most of you know after reading this blog for a while and maybe even working with me a little about my business. I won't bore you with the details but only as it relates to OneNote.  I provide software consulting, virtual help desk support, access database support and development, Microsoft Office training and courseware development and content. I have phone calls and emails with prospective clients probably at least daily, RFP's (request for proposals),  referrals and inquiries. Before OneNote, I used notebooks to document this information and refer to later. Often times, as a result of my initial phone call, I need to follow up, do research, put together a proposal and such. In the past, I would use a note book to make these notes, contact info, project details, items to research and proposal information and maybe verbal pricing and/or budgets.Now the...

Why Use OneNote - Reason #1:  Anytime, Anywhere Access

Reason #1: Anytime, Anywhere Access

Who hasn't had that moment when you need something you wrote in a notebook you left at your desk!! CRAP!

One of the most powerful things about OneNote, is it's ANYTIME, ANYWHERE access. Because OneNote is cloud based - you can easily find ALL the information you store in OneNote whether you're on your own computer, on your phone, or anywhere you might be logged in. 

I can't count how many times I've needed information I've written down on a post it on my desk, or in a notebook in my car or somewhere else. The AWESOME benefit of a virtual notebook is it's ANYTIME, ANYWHERE access. You only need to have one of your devices with you - phone, laptop, or tablet and you can find anything in a click.

Because OneNote is cloud based, you can not only have access to this information from many devices, but you can also share the information easily, search the information quickly, as well as collaborate...

It's 3 Times Simpler! 

That might seem like a bold and even maybe a little broad but hear me out....

Anytime we can simplify (in ANY part of our life) it usually pays dividends, but in this case - this translates to not just a single way to simplify but 3 main ones.

There are so many reasons people use Microsoft Teams as we've covered in these last 4 posts that have been part of our series - Why People Use Teams. I've saved the best and easiest for last. Simplicity.

1. It's Always Simpler to have Less Apps

Most of us are using more and more apps. There's a study from a few years ago that had some interesting findings including the average number of apps used by a worker is 9.39 and67% believe it would be easier and less distracting to work in a single app. Enter Microsoft Teams. Check out the study for more interesting stats - but in a nutshell - we're more productive if we don't have to switch between lots of apps. Teams can eliminate apps like Slack, Zoom, Monday, Dropbox, Box e...

Communicating Before, During & After Meetings

Now most of us know that Teams is very often used for meetings. Whether you use the video, audio or screen-sharing features in the meeting, there are some other underutilized features built into meetings as well. Teams does an amazing job of offering a variety of ways to communicate with your meeting participants before, during and after a meeting.

Ways to Communicate

• Chat with participants
• Share files
• Take "Meeting Notes"
• Whiteboard
• Post meeting recaps
• Meeting recording

Once a meeting has been scheduled and participants have been invited, you can take advantage of the "chat with participants" feature. In this screen, you will have access to all the above ways to communicate.

If the meeting takes place in a channel, you can also find the communication and files  in the channel.

How to Chat with Participants of a Meeting

1. Go to your calendar and find the scheduled meeting.
   
   
2. Click on the meeting and see a dialog box similar t
...

Co-Authoring aka Document Collaboration in Teams

Reason #3 to use Teams is Co-Authoring/Document Collaboration. They mean the same thing. Have you heard these terms thrown around in relation to Teams? Although the features has been around since 2013 - using the feature within Teams brings it a whole new meaning and ease of functionality.  

Co-Authoring or document collaboration is when 2 or more people are working on a document simultaneously in Real-Time!  It's an amazing collaborative tool that is most often and most effectively used within Teams. Although you CAN collaborate in real-time - you don't have to and you can still take advantage of the great collaboration of this feature. 

This feature is one of the reasons that takes Teams to the next level as more than a virtual conferencing tool for Microsoft Office (O365) users. This type of virtual collaboration allows users to edit an office document with other users.

When can you Co-Author a File?

• A file stored in Teams
• Wor
...

Why Teams? Reason #2

Anytime and Anywhere and Why It Matters

This might not seems like a big deal in this always connected world we're living in, but with Teams it's different...hear me out.  With Teams, it means more than just emailing or calling people anytime and anywhere, it means access to all the information IN Teams, anytime AND anywhere.

Now if you're like me - you're wondering, is this actually good? To be UBER connected all the time? Well - in this case - YES! Here's why, in 2 parts. Part 1 - staying in touch and part 2 - all your "stuff" is in the cloud.

Part 1: Staying in Touch

Since Teams is a cloud based app which you can install on your laptop, computer, smart phone and/or tablet, it allows you to not only be connected via chats and calls, but by doing it within the Teams app, you don't have to give out your personal digits. In other words, clients, co-workers and customers can contact you anytime and anywhere, when you have your Teams app installed on y...

Teams is a Paradigm Shift in HOW you Work

As I teach more and more Teams classes, one of the most common responses after our training users say things like, "Wow, it's a lot more than I thought?" or "Oh man, it's so much more than just chat."

One of the things that is hard to learn without training - is that using Teams as an organization is a paradigm shift. It is more than just, checking to see if anyone sent you a chat. Full Teams utilization means collaborating with your colleagues in an easy, seamless, organic way to co-work on documents, share files, meet virtually, call and work collaboratively.

Why Chat? 

The idea of when to chat and when to email is confusing for most people  at first in Teams. Initially, Teams just seems like more work, yet another app to keep tabs on. However, after you learn more about Teams and when to use it and when not to, it starts to come together and actually SAVE time. And don't we ALL want to SAVE TIME!

Emails Versus Chats

Emails will probabl...