Outlook Introduction Training Course

You need to send some important information to a client who is in another part of the country. The client needs the information today. Sending it by regular mail is not an option. The client is out of the office, so you can’t call either.

By using Outlook, you can quickly and efficiently send the information in a simple message.

E-MAIL

Electronic mail, or E-Mail, is an application that allows a user to create, send and receive electronic messages. You can send information and receive information from users within your network of computers or outside your network of computers via the internet.

When you create a new message using the ‘New E-mail’ button or Ctrl + N, Outlook displays a message form that contains text boxes in which you can enter specific information.

In the new message, you'll need to get oriented to the Ribbon. You'll see the Message tab on top, which contains the commands and buttons that you're most likely to use every time you create and send a message.

If you're having trouble finding a command or a button, you may need to look on another tab. For example, to insert a picture so that it appears in line with the text of your message, (not as a separate attachment), you'll need to switch to the Insert tab.

To...                         Email address or username of the person to whom you want to send the message.

Cc...                         E-Mail address or username of anyone who you want to send a copy of the message (carbon copy) to.

Subject:                   A brief description of the message

Message Body         The text of the message

Default Mail Editor

Microsoft Word is the default mail editor for Outlook. Therefore, when you create mail messages you will have access to a number of Word features, making it easier to create messages in Outlook.

Net etiquette or Network etiquette is a set of guidelines for ethical behaviour on the internet, including sending and receiving e-mail. You can become a responsible internet user by applying the following simple guidelines to your own e-mail activity:

               Think twice before clicking the ‘Send’ button.

o   Once you send an e-mail, you might not be able to take it back.

o   Realise that an e-mail message can be easily circulated (forward, print, and distributed)

               Be cautious with humour and sarcasm

o   Statements that are funny person to person might lose their humour in writing and appear, instead, confusing, or even vicious.

               Use CAPITAL LETTERS sensibly.

o   Statements in Capitals can suggest you are shouting at the reader. It may also be used to highlight important points.

You'll find the Address Book command on the Message tab, OR click the ‘To’ button (below the ribbon.)

The Address book is a collection of address books or address lists that you can use to find and select names, email addresses and distribution lists to quickly address messages.

Global Address List

The Global Address List is a list of all usernames and global distribution lists in a particular organisation that is created and maintained by the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator. You can only access the Global Address List if you are using a Microsoft Exchange Server email account.

Show or hide the Bcc field

If you prefer to type e-mail addresses directly in the To and Cc boxes, you may also want to know how you can show the Bcc (blind carbon copy) field so that you can type names there, too. (You can use Bcc to send messages without exposing the names of the recipients to each other — it's one way to respect the privacy of the people to whom you're sending e-mail.)

You will find the ‘Show Bcc’ command under the ‘Options’ tab.

You can modify existing signatures or create new ones, as well as set a default signature, by clicking the arrow under the Signature command which is in the Include group on the Message tab or on the Insert tab.

1.               If you created signatures previously, you'll see them listed here.

2.               To create new signatures, set a default signature, or modify existing signatures, click Signatures...

Sometimes, you need to send a message that contains important dates and times for upcoming events. You want to make sure that the dates and times stand out in the message text. By formatting specific text in a message, you will emphasise that text, drawing the reader’s attention to it.

Select the text that you want to emphasise. (To select all the message text, press Ctrl +A)

Apply the format

Under the ‘Message’ tab in the ‘Basic Text’ group you can find most of the formatting tools required.