E-Mail Templates in Microsoft Dynamcis CRM 2011

E-Mail Templates are per-formatted email messages, can use in the different ways:

• Insert Single or multiple templates into the email body of the messages
• Send direct email feature by using E-mail templates to send the same message to multiple records (like 1000 contacts).
• Reference E-mail templates in workflow processes
• Use E-mail templates in quick campaigns and campaign activities

Dynamics CRM contains more than 20 E-mail templates, like  order, thank you letter, etc.

Organization E-Mail Templates, Click 'Settings' -> Under Business, click 'Templates' -> Click 'E-mail Templates' -> a grid will display all of the E-mail templates ans their types -> Select to view/modify a E-mail template or Create new one.

Template types -  Indicates whether the template is global ( it can be used with multiple entities) or applies to single entity.Data fields are highlighed like: {!Order: Name; Valued Customer}
Dynamics CRM automatically converts this data field to the entitie’s last name, otherwise you can include the data field if entity does not have a last name.

To add a data field to an E-mail template, click the Insert/Update button on the form toolbar. You can add data fields to both the subject and body of an E-mail template.

Inserting Templates into E-Mail Messages, Click 'File' tab -> Click 'New Activity'  -> Select 'E-mail' ->  Select Regarding  -> click the Insert Template button. Or Select record -> Click 'Add' tab -> Click 'E-mail'

If you want to edit or add additional content to an email message before you send it, it can’t do with the direct email feature. If you insert multiple templates, the subject is determined by the last template inserted.

Personal/Sharing E-Mail Templates, Click 'File' tab in the ribbon -> Click 'Options' -> Click the 'E-mail Templates' tab -> a grid will display all of the E-mail templates ans their types -> Select to view/modify a E-mail template or Create new one.

Convert Personal to Organization, View the E-mail template -> Click 'Actions' menu -> Click the 'Make Template Available to Organization' link.

Mass Email Messages
Dynamics CRM sends the email messages through the configured outgoing email server. There are 4 methods for sending mass email messages: Direct email, Quick campaign, Workflow process - drawback, you have to select all the records manually by page wise and  Mail merge.

Sending a very large number of messages at one time because it can affect the performance of your servers - network performance, Internet bandwidth, and the amount of load on the server.

Direct Email
Select recipients in a grid -> Click 'Send Direct E-mail' button from the ribbon -> CRM opens the Send Direct E-mail dialog box, Choose the E-mail template you want to send.

• Dynamics CRM will not send direct email messages if the Do Not Allow Bulk E-mails or Do Not E-mail attribute for the record is set to Do Not Allow.
• Send direct email messages to many different entities such as Lead, Account, Contact, Opportunity, Quote, and Order.
• Cannot preview your message before you send them.

Quick Campaign

• Send a large number of email messages to a group of recipients, only apply to leads, accounts, contacts, and marketing lists.
• Quick campaigns for E-mail, Fax, Appointment, Phone Call and Letter.
• Quick campaigns save the group of records to which you sent the message for use future reference.
• Select a group of records in a grid -> Click 'Quick Campaign' button from the ribbon -> Wizard that walks you through creating a mass email message.
• Select Activity Type - E-mail and select the Mark e-mail messages to be sent and close corresponding e-mail activities option to send the email messages automatically when the wizard is completed. If option is not check, Dynamics CRM will create the email messages as open activities but won’t send them to recipients until someone sends each message individually.
• A campaign response is a particular customer responded to one of your quick campaign efforts. Dynamics CRM does not automatically create campaign responses for you, you can create manually or data import.

Mail Merge

• Mail merge from either the web client or Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook.
• Select recipients in a grid -> Click 'Add' tab in the ribbon, Click 'Mail Merge' button -> Dynamics CRM opens the Mail Merge dialog box. -> Click Ok, Dynamics CRM will then launch Office Word -> Click the Enable Editing button, Word will update with a new tab in ribbon titled Add-ins. -> click the CRM button, Word runs a macro that loads the mail merge data into the document.
• Mail merge templates are not the same as the E-mail templates. Dynamics CRM includes approximately 10 mail merge templates or create yourself.
• Add any default data fields or custom fields. You can include a maximum of 62 data fields.

Different Mass Email Quick Look

	Direct Email	Quick Campaigns	Workflow	Mail Merge
E-mail templates	Yes			No,but can use mail merge templates
Conditional content within the message	No			Yes,using Mail Merge Syntax
Entities	Any with activities enabled, such as Lead, Contact, Opportunity, Account, Quote, and Order	Only Lead, Account, Contact, and Marketing List	Any or   custom	Any with mail merge enabled
Email recipient records	All or Select		Select	All or Select