One of the features that makes Outlook even more efficient is the ability to use templates for emails. Templates allow you to save time and effort by creating a pre-made email that can be reused multiple times.
Creating a template in Microsoft Outlook is simple and pretty straightforward.
Follow these steps to create your first template:
Open Microsoft Outlook and click on "New Email".
Compose your email with the subject, body, and attachments you want to include in your template.
Click on "File" and then "Save As".
In the "Save As" dialog box, select "Outlook Template" from the "Save as type" dropdown menu.
Choose a name for your template and save it to a location on your computer.
Now that you've created a template, it's time to use it. Follow these steps to use a template in Microsoft Outlook:
Click on "New Email".
Click on "Home" and then "New Items" and select "More Items" from the dropdown menu.
Click on "Choose Form".
In the "Choose Form" dialog box, select "User Templates in File System" from the "Look In" dropdown menu.
Select the template you want to use and click "Open".
Compose your email by adding the recipient, CC, and BCC if necessary.
Click "Send" to send the email.
Using templates in Microsoft Outlook can save you a significant amount of time and effort.
Consistency: Using templates ensures that your emails are consistent in terms of format, tone, and style. This is particularly useful for business emails, where consistency is crucial.
Timesaving: Creating a template takes only a few minutes, but it can save you a lot of time in the long run. Instead of typing out the same email repeatedly, you can simply use a template.
Efficiency: Using templates allows you to be more efficient in managing your emails. You can quickly respond to emails with pre-written templates, rather than taking the time to type out a new email each time.
Personalisation: While templates can be pre-written, they can also be customized to suit your needs. You can add personalized details such as the recipient's name, company, and other relevant information.
Do note that if you have a signature in Outlook, leave this off your template as this will be stamped when you open a new email message.
I would also recommend adding the ‘Choose Form’ function to your Outlook Ribbon. Doing this, also with other functions you use often, can save you more time. You can edit the ribbon in all your Office Applications by clicking on the down arrow at the end of the icons on the blue ribbon, as shown in the screen shot.
Do note that if you have a signature in Outlook, leave this off your template as this will be stamped when you open a new email message.
For further consistency with emails, you may wish to utilise an application like Crossware Signature Manager. This is an email signature management tool that can help streamline the process of creating and managing email signatures in Microsoft 365 Outlook. By using Crossware Signature Manager, you can ensure consistency in your email signatures across all devices and platforms sent from your customers Microsoft 365 tenancy.
Easy-to-use interface: Crossware Signature Manager has an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it easy to create and manage email signatures. With just a few clicks, you can create professional-looking email signatures that are consistent with your company's branding.
Centralized management: With Crossware Signature Manager, you can manage all your email signatures from a central location. This means that you can make changes to your email signatures quickly and easily, without having to manually update each signature individually.
Consistency: One of the key benefits of using Crossware Signature Manager is the ability to ensure consistency in your email signatures. You can set up templates for different departments or teams within your organization, ensuring that all signatures follow the same format and branding.
Mobile compatibility: Crossware Signature Manager is compatible with both desktop and mobile devices, which means that you can create and manage email signatures on the go. This is particularly useful for organizations with a large number of mobile workers who need to access their email signatures from multiple devices.
Compliance: Crossware Signature Manager can help ensure compliance with regulatory requirements such as GDPR and CAN-SPAM. It allows you to add disclaimers and other legal text to your email signatures, ensuring that your organization is meeting its legal obligations.
Crossware is a reseller tool that you manage for your customers, resellers get billed monthly, in New Zealand dollars via Dicker Data. Easy peasy!
Please don’t hesitate to email sales@dickerdata.co.nz or myself if you want to know more about Crossware, and of course contact me if you have any questions or need any further assistance at all.
Have a great April and be well.
Carol
