Mail Merge

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For this assignment, you will create a Word document that is mail merged with an Excel customer contact table. Mail Merge can be used to create bulk labels, letters, envelopes, and emails. You will be creating letters to send with the newsletter you previously edited (Links to an external site.). Follow the directions below, then submit your assignment. If you get stuck on a step, review this module and ask your classmates for help in the discussion forum.

You have been tasked with mailing the newsletter you previously created to customers of Rowan Retail. In order to accomplish this task, you need to merge the customer contact information in the Excel file with a Word document in order to make mailing labels. Follow these steps to accomplish the task.

  1. The first step is to download the customer contact Excel file (Links to an external site.) and save it to the Rowan folder on your desktop.
  2. Open Word and create a new document by clicking on the Blank document option in the window.
  3. Save the document by using Save As and rename the document to BA132_LastName_MailMerge.docx, replacing “LastName” with your own last name. (Example: BA132_Hywater_MailMerge)
  4. Select the Mailings tab then the Start Mail Merge button and select Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard.

A blank Microsoft Word document is open. There are three green arrows on the document, the first arrow shows that the mailings tab in the ribbon menu has been selected. The second arrow is pointing at the start mail merge button and the third is pointing at the step by step mail merge wizard button.

  1. In the Mail Merge menu, click the Next: Starting document link.

A blank Microsoft Word document is open. A mail merge menu has opened to the right of the document and there is a green box highlighting where it is located. A green arrow points at the option to go to the next starting document.

  1. You will be creating letters for the contacts who will receive the newsletter, so leave the document type in Letters and click the Next: Select recipients link.

A blank Microsoft Word document is open. A mail merge menu has opened to the right of the document. A green arrow points at the option to go to the next: select recipients button.

  1. You already have a file with a contact list. Leave the selection Use an existing list selected and click on the Browse link. This will open up a dialog box for your computer.

A blank Microsoft Word document is open. A mail merge menu has opened to the right of the document. A green arrow points at the option to use an existing list and another green arrow points at the button to browse.

  1. Select the correct folder and scroll through the files until you find the Rowan Retail Customer Contacts.xlsx file. Either double-click on the file or select it and click the Open button.

A blank Microsoft Word document is open. A mail merge menu has opened to the right of the document. A select data source dialog box has opened in front of the word document. There are two green arrows in the file finder, one is pointing at the selected data source and the other is pointing at the option to open the file.

  1. A different dialog window will open that allows you to choose the different tabs in the Excel file. The Customer Contact Data$ is the one you want. Either double-click on the file or select it and click the Open button. Note: Leave the box checked since your data file’s first row is a header row.

A blank Microsoft Word document is open. A mail merge menu has opened to the right of the document. A select table dialog box has opened with three green arrows highlighting different features. The first arrow is pointing at which table is set to be selected. The second arrow is pointing at a check box which states first row of data contains column headers and the third is pointing at the ok button to accept changes.

  1. After you have clicked the OK button, a final dialog box appears. It shows all of the contacts in the file. Find Richard Castle and Britney Spears and uncheck their boxes. They do not need a newsletter. Now click the OK button and then the Next: Write your letter link.

A blank Microsoft Word document is open. A mail merge menu has opened to the right of the document. A green arrow points at the option to go to the next: write your letter. Another green arrow is pointing at the ok button. A mail merge recipients dialog box has also opened in front of the blank word document.

  1. Now begin to compose the letter by first placing your cursor in the document page where you want the address. Click the Address Block option from the wizard or the ribbon button, select the naming style, then click OK.

A blank Microsoft Word document is open. A mail merge menu has opened to the right of the document. In the mail merge menu a green box shows that the address block has been selected. In the mailings tab under the ribbon menu also has a green box highlighting the address block option. An insert address block dialog box has opened and a green arrow is pointing to one of the names in the address block. A second green arrow is pointing at the ok button.

  1. Next, place the cursor where you would like the greeting to be in the letter. Select the Greeting line from the wizard or the ribbon button, decide the style of greeting, and click the OK button.

A Microsoft Word document is open. A mail merge menu has opened to the right of the document. In the mail merge menu a green box shows that the greeting line has been selected. In the mailings tab under the ribbon menu there is also has a green box highlighting the greeting line option. An insert greeting dialog box has opened and a green arrow is pointing at the ok button. A green box on the document is open showing where the greeting line will be inserted.

  1. Paste the following text to serve as the body of your letter.

Enclosed is the quarterly newsletter for Rowan Retail. Please enjoy the information therein and pay special attention to the dates for the special sales this summer. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us as soon as possible.

  1. Close the letter with “Sincerely” and then your name. Save your work, then click Next: Preview your letters.

A Microsoft Word document is open. A mail merge menu has opened to the right of the document. There are two green boxes highlighting the page, one is showing where the content of the letter goes and the other shows where the save button is in Microsoft Word. A green arrow points to the next: preview your letters option.

  1. Scroll through the letters by clicking on the arrows. You should be missing Britney Spears and Richard Castle in the recipients. Now click on Next: Complete the merge.

A Microsoft Word document is open with a letter on it. A mail merge menu has opened to the right of the document. There are three green arrows on the page, the first one shows where the finish and merge button is. The second arrow points out where the recipient number is found and the third arrow points at the next: complete this merge button.

  1. Your merge mail file is now complete! Save your file once more, this time as a PDF (use the .pdf file extension), and submit the PDF to Canvas.