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TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR INBOX 5 tips and tricks every user should know Created by: Jessica Marschik Outlook 2010 and 2013 Training HELP!

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Page 1: Take Control of Your Inbox

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR INBOX5 tips and tricks every user should knowCreated by: Jessica Marschik

Outlook 2010 and 2013 Training

HELP!

Page 2: Take Control of Your Inbox

OverviewNot all of your emails get treated the same way, so why use the same tools to manage them? These simple customizations are designed to make organizing your inbox quick and easy. You will find that there is no “one size fits all” solution, so get creative and make Outlook work for you!

• Automate actions with Quick Steps• Manage incoming and sent email with Rules• Prioritize email with Categories, Flags and @ACTION Folders• Use Quick Parts and Outlook Templates to save time composing

repetitive email messages.• Use Conditional Formatting to make important messages stand out.

“Organizing is what you do before you do

something, so that when you do it, it is not

all mixed up.” - A. A. Milne

Page 3: Take Control of Your Inbox

What are Quick Steps?Quick Steps apply multiple actions at the same time to email messages you receive to help quickly manage your mailbox with one click.

For example, if you frequently move messages to a specific folder or forward messages to the same addresses, Quick Steps can help simplify the task by automating tasks so that you save time.

Page 4: Take Control of Your Inbox

How to use Quick Steps Quick Step Action

Move to: Moves the selected message to a mail folder that you specify and marks the message as read.

To ManagerForwards the message to your manager. If your organization uses Microsoft Exchange Server, your manager's name is detected in the Global Address List and inserted in the "To" box, or you can specify the recipient.

Team E-mailForwards the message to others in your team. If your organization uses Microsoft Exchange Server, your team members names are detected in the Global Address List and inserted in the "To" box.

Done Moves the message to a specified mail folder, marks the message complete, and then marks it as read.

Reply & Delete Opens a reply to the selected message, and then deletes the original message.

Create NewCreate your own Quick Step to execute any sequence of commands, name it, and then apply an icon to help you identify it.

Configure existing Quick Steps or Create a new Quick Step.

Once you have configured your Quick Step, choose an email message and then click the Quick Step you want to execute.

Yep, it’s that simple!

Existing Quick Steps:

Page 5: Take Control of Your Inbox

Configure Quicks Steps

• In Mail, on the Home tab, in the Quick Steps group, click the More arrow at the side of the Quick Steps box, and then click Manage Quick Steps.

• In the Quick Step box, click the Quick Step that you want to change, and then click Modify.

• Under Actions, change or add the actions that you want this Quick Step to do.

• If you want, in the Shortcut key box, click a keyboard shortcut that you want to assign to that Quick Step.

• If you want to change the icon for a Quick Step, click an icon next to the Name box, click an icon, and then click OK.

• In Mail, on the Home tab, in the Quick Steps group, in the Quick Steps gallery, click the Create New Quick Step.

• Click an action type from the list or click Custom.• In the Name box, type a name for the new Quick

Step.• Click the icon button next to the Name box, click

an icon, and then click OK.• Under Actions, choose an action that you want

the Quick Step to do. Click Add Action for any additional actions.

• To create a keyboard shortcut, in the Shortcut key box, click the keyboard shortcut that you want to assign.

Configure existing Quick Step: Create a Quick Step:

NOTE: New Quick Steps appear at the top of the gallery on the Home tab in the Quick Steps group. Although changed Quick Steps keep the same location in the gallery, you can rearrange them in Manage Quick Steps.

Page 6: Take Control of Your Inbox

Managing email with RulesA rule is an action that Microsoft Outlook takes on an arriving or sent message that meets the conditions that you specify in the rule.

Unlike Quick Steps, Rules don’t operate on messages that have been read, only on those that are unread. The rule is executed automatically as messages are sent or received, helping you stay organized.

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”

- Albert Einstein

Page 7: Take Control of Your Inbox

Email RulesRules fall into three categories:

Stay organized - These are rules that help you to file and follow up on messages. For example, you can create a rule for messages from a specific sender, such as Bobby Moore, with the word "sales" in the Subject line, to be flagged for follow-up, categorized as Sales, and moved to a folder called Bobby's Sales.

Stay up-to-date - These are rules that notify you in some way when you receive a particular message. For example, you can create a rule that automatically sends an alert to your mobile telephone when you receive a message from a family member.

Start from a blank rule - These are rules that you create from scratch.

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Creating Rules: Outlook Rule Templates• Click the “Rules” button in the Move Group in the ribbon• Click Manage Rules & Alerts.• In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, on the E-mail Rules tab, click New Rule.

• Step 1: Select a template, select the template that you want from the Stay Organized or Stay Up to Date collection of templates.

• Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value. For example, if you click the people or public group link, the Address Book opens.

• Click Next.• Step 1: Select condition(s), select the conditions that you want the messages to meet for the rule to apply.• Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any condition that you added, and then specify the

value.• Click Next.

• Step 1: Select action(s), select the action that you want the rule to take when the specified conditions are met.• Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any action that you added, and then specify the value.

• Click Next. • Step 1: Select exception(s), select any exceptions to the rule, and then click Next.• Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any exception that you added, and then specify the

value.• Click Next.

• Step 1: Specify a name for this rule, enter a name.• Step 2: Setup rule options, select the check boxes for the options that you want.

• If you want to run this rule on messages that already are in the Inbox, select the Run this rule now on messages already in “Inbox" check box.

• By default, the new rule is turned on. To turn off the rule, clear the Turn on this rule check box.• To apply this rule to all email accounts set up in Outlook, select the Create this rule on all accounts check box.• Click Finish.

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Creating Rules: Design a Custom Rule• Click the File tab.• Click Manage Rules & Alerts.• In the Rules and Alerts dialog box, on the E-mail Rules tab, click New Rule.• Under Start from a blank rule, click either Check messages when they arrive or Check messages after sending.• Click Next.

• Step 1: Select condition(s), select the conditions that you want the messages to meet for the rule to apply.• Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any condition that you added, and then specify

the value.• Click Next.

• Step 1: Select action(s), select the action that you want the rule to take when the specified conditions are met.• Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any action that you added, and then specify the

value.• Click Next.

• Step 1: Select exception(s), select any exceptions to the rule, and then click Next.• Step 2: Edit the rule description, click an underlined value for any exception that you added, and then specify

the value.• Click Next.

• Step 1: Specify a name for this rule, enter a name.• Step 2: Setup rule options, select the check boxes for the options that you want.

• If you want to run this rule on messages that already are in the Inbox, select the Run this rule now on messages already in “Inbox" check box.

• By default, the new rule is turned on. To turn off the rule, clear the Turn on this rule check box.• To apply this rule to all email accounts set up in Outlook, select the Create this rule on all accounts check box.• Click Finish.

Page 10: Take Control of Your Inbox

Creating Rules: From an Email MessageA rule can be quickly created from any message. The advantage of creating a rule in this manner is that rules are suggested based on the message sender or recipients. For example, when you start with a message, one rule that is suggested moves all messages from that sender to a folder that you choose.

• Click the message for which you want to create a rule, and then on the Home tab, in the Move group, click Rules.• Suggested rules appear based on the message sender and recipients.• Do one of the following:

• Click one of the suggested rules, click a destination folder, and then click OK.• For more rules options that are based on the sender, recipients, or subject of the message, click Create Rule.

• If you chose Create Rule, the Create Rule dialog box appears. Continue with the following steps.• Under When I get e-mail with all of the selected conditions, select the check boxes for the conditions that you

want.• Under Do the following, select the check boxes for the action that you want the rule to take when the specified

conditions are met.• Select the Move the item to folder check box.• Click an existing folder or click New to create a folder to store the messages.

• To add more conditions, actions, or exceptions to the rule, click Advanced Options, and then follow the rest of the instructions in the Rules Wizard. This is the same wizard that appears when you click Manage Rules & Alerts in the Backstage view (by clicking the File tab).

• Click OK.

Page 11: Take Control of Your Inbox

Categories, Flags and @ACTION Folders

Categories & Flags

Assign categories to like messages or clients so that you can quickly sort to see those messages in the category group.

Flags can be used to prioritize email on your to-do list to help you stay on top of projects, requests and

@ACTION Folders

@ACTION Folders appear at the top of your folder list and can be used to prioritize email so that important email doesn’t get lost in the void of your inbox.Tip: Use Rules or Quick Steps to sort email into your @ACTION folders and save even more time!

Page 12: Take Control of Your Inbox

Prioritizing email with Categories and FlagsCategories help organize the emails in your active Inbox so you can quickly determine the status of each email; for example: Important, Due, “Client A”, etc.

Applying a flag to a message or a contact in Microsoft Outlook gives you a visual reminder to follow up on it in some way. You can use flags with default dates, such as Today, Tomorrow, and Next Week, or customize your flags with specific dates.

Page 13: Take Control of Your Inbox

@ACTION Folders

Create a set of folders to help you manage your email more effectively - a set of folders that make it possible to clear your Inbox and help insure nothing slips through the cracks.

Like other folders in Windows, these will be sorted alphabetically and beginning the folder name with the “@” symbol insures it will remain at the top of your list. Using all capitals is another effective way to insure the folders remain conspicuous.

To add a folder, click the Folders tab or right click on a folder from the list and choose “New Folder”

Page 14: Take Control of Your Inbox

Quick Parts and Outlook TemplatesHow often have do you reply to email with the same text? Do you find yourself sending the exact same email to dozens (or more) people with nothing changing except the recipient's name and email address?

Save time with Quick Parts to create canned responses or use Outlook Templates to make composing repetitive email a snap.

“Change begets change as much as repetition reinforces repetition.”

- Bill Drayton

Page 15: Take Control of Your Inbox

Using Quick PartsThe Quick Parts gallery is a gallery where you can create, store and find Auto Text.

After creating Auto Text, simply begin typing the Auto Text Name and Outlook will give you the option to automatically add the text to your email message.

Click ”Quick Parts” to access the AutoText gallery. You can save AutoText to the AutoText gallery by selecting the text you want to reuse, clicking ”Quick Parts”, and then clicking ”Save Selection to AutoText Gallery”. By filling in the new building block information you store the content you save to use again and again.

Page 16: Take Control of Your Inbox

Creating Outlook Templates• Open a new message window and compose your message

(not including any personally identifying information such as to name).

• Click File tab and then “Save As”• Save your message as an “Outlook Template”

Page 17: Take Control of Your Inbox

Using Outlook Templates• Click the “New Items” button on the main Outlook ribbon• Click “More Items” then “Choose Form”• Navigate to the “User Templates in File System” menu option• Double click on the template you wish to use and a new email

window will open.

Page 18: Take Control of Your Inbox

Conditional FormattingConditional Formatting is a handy feature lets you create customized attributes that will automatically be applied to incoming emails to make them stand out in your inbox.

Like Rules, Conditional Formatting is applied to email messages that have not been read and is automatically applied to only those emails that you have specified.

“Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.”

- Oscar Wilde

Page 19: Take Control of Your Inbox

Conditional FormattingMake important emails less ambiguous by changing the font type, size and color when specific conditions exist.

For example, you can change the font attributes: underline, bold, italic, and the colors based on a rule (or condition) that you define in the "Conditional Formatting" section of Advanced View Settings.

Page 20: Take Control of Your Inbox

Creating Conditions

• If you are using Outlook 2010:• Click on the View Tab and then “View Settings”

• If you are using Outlook 2013:• From the File tab's "Current View" group, choose View Settings.

• Click the Conditional Formatting button then, in the Conditional Formatting dialog box, click the Add button and enter a descriptive name for what this rule/condition does. I entered “Example" in the example shown above because I want my example emails to really stand out and grab my attention.

• Click the Font button to define the format for the typeface; i.e., font name, color, and attribute such as Underline or Strikeout (for bold and italic, choose a font that offers these attributes as part of the typeface). Click OK when you're done.

• Next, click the Condition button and define a condition; for example, you can choose a specific word (or words) in the email or subject line, an email address From or To, where your email address appears in the email (To, From, CC, etc.), and/or a general time or date (today, yesterday, last week, last month, etc.). Again click OK when you're done.

• When the dialog box closes, click yet OK again in the Conditional Formatting dialog box, then click OK again in the Advanced View Settings dialog box. Now, whenever I receive an email from Paul, all those emails will display on my screen in a bold, 10 pt. font.

Page 21: Take Control of Your Inbox

Have some tips and tricks you’d like to share? Email me at [email protected]

Thanks for watching!

Resources:Instructions and more information, go to: https://support.office.com/