Microsoft Word Mail Merge Tips

Mail merge is a word processing feature which allows users to personalize letters with names and addresses from a database.

The five primary steps in setting up a mail-merged letter are :

• Create the database with fields for the names and addresses of the individuals to send the letter to.
• Compose the letter by using a word processing package and connect the letter to the database.
• Make use of a query to discover a subset of relevant individuals and send a targeted letter to them.
• Using the mail merge wizard, enter codes in the letter exactly where the name and address of your customers should appear.
• Merge-print, taking the information from the database and adding it in the letters, creating one letter for each individual in the subset of appropriate people from the database.

Advantages

• One regular letter can be written and sent out to all customers without needing to manually add each name and address.
• The letter could, in fact, be personalized so that it looks as though the letter has been written to the individual person.
• It’s a very effective and efficient way to create hundreds of personalized letters.