Learn how to use the external letter merge feature in this step-by-step guide. This guide will outline how to export constituent mailing data from the CRM to use in an external mailing program.
Recommended Reading Before You Start
Instructions
Create an External Letter Merge
If you plan to send a mass mailing to your constituents using an external program (i.e. not the CRM), you are able to run a report, collect the constituent mailing data in that report, and then export that report data to use as recipient information in your external mailing program. Although the mailing is not sent from the CRM, this feature also allows you to track, on an individual constituent's account, that an external physical letter has been sent to the constituent using an external program.
There are two options to begin this process:
1) The report you intend to use to collect the constituent mailing data has already been created and saved in the CRM, or
2) You need to create a new report to collect the constituent mailing data.
Both options are explained below.
Option 1: The report you intend to use has already been created and saved in the CRM:
a) Select Reports in the navigation menu and then select Reports on the drop-down menu.
b) On the Report List page, select the saved report you wish to run.
Skip down to Step 1 below (you may skip over Option 2 below).
Option 2: You need to create a new report to collect the constituent mailing data:
a) Select Reports in the navigation menu and then select New Report on the drop-down menu.
b) Select Communication and Mailing on the New Report pop-up.
c) Select Mailing Report and then select Create Report.
Continue to Step 1 below.
1. On the email report page, if needed, you may make edits to the Search Criteria or Output Columns by selecting Edit Criteria and/or Edit Columns. When complete, select Run Report.
2. On the Results page, select Export Results and then select Create Mailing on the drop-down menu.
Note: The Create Mailing option will only appear on mailing reports or re-created recipient lists. As seen in the next step, this option allows you to choose the type of merge, and it provides you the option to internally track in the CRM when a physical letter is mailed to a constituent using an external mailing program.
3. Complete the fields on the Create Mailing page, per the image and table below. When finished, select Next.
|
Field Name |
Description |
|
|
A. |
Select your preferred method of mail merging |
This option allows you to decide the format in which you would like to receive the report's constituent mailing data. |
|
B. |
Do you want to add a record of this mail merge to each account? |
Check the Track this Merge checkbox if you would like to track in the CRM that a letter (using an external program) has been sent to a constituent. |
|
C. |
Name |
Add or Select a Name for this specific export or constituent mailing information. If this is a new report/merge, select the green plus button to create a new name. |
Once you select Next per the previous step, your data has been exported in the format you chose and has been downloaded to your computer. You may now use this data in your external mailing program, as applicable.