A short presentation I did as a part of a lot of other techie smarty pants that use technology to get stuff done in their non-profit life. My piece shows how, by using a mail merge to Outlook, we increase event signups significantly.

1. Chad Leaman
NetSquared
Vancouver

2. Microsoft Office workflow
for mass email
• Stop laughing! There is a good reason!
– Targeting a small, distinguished group
– Between CRMs
– Many contacts to invite were not properly tracked
(had to dig for information)
– A mass mail and a direct mail had already been sent,
to poor results
– Emails from a person > emails from a mass mail
program

4. Microsoft Office workflow
for mass email
Outlook –
become boss
Word – write
simple copy
Excel –
build the list
Unplug ethernet
Merge
Personalize
Plug in and send

5. Excel Build the List
• The standard contact fields
• I also added columns for the process:
– First Email
– Snail Mail
– Personal Mail
– Phone Call
– Can’t attend
– Confirmed

6. Word – Write simple copy
• I wrote it as my boss would. Couple short sentences:
Hi «First_Name»,
I wanted to personally invite you to the Neil Squire Society’s
30th Anniversary VIP event.
It is a private reception for supporters on June 18th at the
Vancouver Club from 5pm to 8pm. Please let me know if you
are able to make this event. You can RSVP on our website
(http://www.neilsquire.ca/30vip/) or email me.
You’ve been an important part of our history and I hope you
are able to celebrate with us.
Gary

7. Outlook – Become the Boss
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/bb676368(v=exchg.141).aspx

8. Unplug Ethernet
• Because mail merge puts everything in Outbox

9. Mail Merge
• Under your Mailings tab in Word

10. Outlook - Outbox
• Change the Send As / “From” on each one.
• Can delay the send time (so you don’t look like
a spam bot to mail servers)
• Spend 15 seconds to personalize.
– After event did this process again, added a picture
of them to the email.

11. Plug in and send

13. What I learned
• This took process drove 70% of signups. The
mass mailer and direct mail before this drove
20%.
• People will email back saying yes, or no and
why not (I’m away but wish you the best).
They don’t go to signup form linked.