How to Do a Mail Merge

One of the most boring document processing jobs in the world is sending the same letter with all the same content, to many recipients with different addresses. You save a letter template and then enter a name and address, save it with a name and address. Then you do the same for another name and address ad infinitum. Is there any way you can save yourself from doing this chore over and over again? Yes there is a way out of this. If you have Microsoft Word 2007 or earlier versions installed on your PC, you must learn how to do a mail merge, which can save you from this monotonous chore and make your life considerably simpler.

When you take a look at the range of features that Microsoft Word offers you with, you will realize why it costs so much! It is worth spending money on this software, precisely because it provides you with facilities like Mail Merge, which saves a lot of time for you.

Mail merge can be used to create efaxes, emails, labels, envelopes, letters and coupons. In the following section, I explain the creation of a letter using Mail Merge function in Word 2007. If you have an earlier or later version of Word, you can still follow the instructions as guidelines, as the details vary only slightly.

How to Do a Mail Merge in Word 2007?

What exactly is a mail merge? It is the integration of a simple letter, label or coupon template, with multiple information fields. In the sense that, using Mail Merge, you can insert different addresses into the same letter or fax, without having to type it into each one. You may insert multiple addresses and names in an existing letter to create multiple documents.

There are two things that need to be done on your part. One is the creation of a document which will be your main letter template and the other part is creation of a data source, which will include all the data fields that need to be inserted in the document. If you can provide these, Mail Merge will integrate them together to create multiple documents. Here is how to go about it.

• Step 1:Firstly, create a letter template with the requisite content in Word 2007.This will include all the content you need in the letter. This will be your 'Main Document'.
• Step 2: Open Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and insert all the data fields you need column wise, with a heading for each individual detail. Insert and arrange the data in such a way, that each row is a separate individual record. This is your data source. Since, this is a letter, you will need only two fields, which will be name and address.
• Step 3: Open your main document and click on 'Start Mail Merge' in the 'Mailings' tab at the top. Follow this up by clicking on 'Step By Step Mail Merge Wizard'.
• Step 4: From among the many options displayed in front of you, select 'Letter' as the Mail Merge type.
• Step 5: Then you will be asked for a 'Starting Document'. Select 'Current Document' as the starting document or main document.
• Step 6: The next step is to select recipient names and addresses from a data source. Choose the 'Select Existing List' option and open the Excel file, which contains the required data. You will see all the data that is acquired from the document. Edit it if required and then save the document.
• Step 7: Next part is to insert the merge fields into your document. Using the 'Insert Merge Field' function, insert the address and name fields in the letter, where you want them to be. This completes your task. Save the document after the fields are inserted.
• Step 8: You can then preview your letters if you want, to check if the data fields are being inserted in the right way.
• Step 9: Once you are done, just click on 'Complete Mail Merge' option. This will finally integrate the data source with the form letter and display the actual individual letters.
• Step 10: You have the option to directly print out all the letters or save them individually to be edited and saved later.
• Step 11: The procedure for creating envelopes, labels, coupons and emails or faxes is similar.

Writing business letters becomes a lot simpler using mail merge. You can save a lot of time, by using the mail merge function. However, all the above was theoretical knowledge. You will understand doing mail merge better, when you actually do it in Word on your own. In case of any confusion, just refer to the help features made available in Microsoft Word.