Improving Your Outlook

Now that you know the basics of how to create and use templates, I'm sure you'll want to put this information to use. This section provides a detailed example of how you can become more efficient with your journal by creating a template.

In our example, you have a weekly conference call with a client. The client's name is Scott Ellis, and the subject of your conference call is always his stock portfolio. Because you're very detail-oriented, you like to create a journal entry for each conference call. But creating this entry every week and entering the same information over and over is becoming very tedious. You can create a journal template to record your weekly conference calls with Scott Ellis. To create this template, use the following steps:

  1. Open a blank journal template using File, New, Journal Entry.

  2. Enter the subject for the template: Weekly Stock Portfolio Discussion.

  3. Enter the start time for the conference.

    TIP

    When creating a journal entry template, the start date and time will be preserved as you create new items from this template. You'll need to change the start date and time when you create a new item from your template. If your phone calls always take place at 9:00 am, enter this in the start time box and you'll have to change the date of the phone call only when creating a new item.

  4. Enter Scott's company.

  5. Click the Contacts button at the bottom of the journal entry form and associate the contact record for Scott Ellis with your journal entry form.

  6. Click the Categories button to define a category for this journal entry. You should now have a journal entry similar to the one in Figure 20.6.

    Figure 20.6. Templates with all static information completed will save time when you set them up for all your recurring tasks.

    graphics/20fig06.gif

  7. Select File, Save As to display the Save As dialog box.

  8. Enter a name for your template.

  9. Select Outlook Template in the Save as type drop-down box.

  10. Click Save.

You now have a preconfigured journal entry for your calls with Scott Ellis. Although these steps will save you time each week, you still have to go through the process of opening the template each week. Opening an Outlook template from the file system is a four-step process. That can take too long if Scott calls you ahead of schedule and launches into a series of stock questions. You have two quick options for launching your template:

  • Store a shortcut to the template on your desktop. Double-clicking the shortcut launches a copy of your template.

  • Create a toolbar button to launch your template. You cannot select your template directly from the Customize toolbar dialog box. You can, however, create a new button and assign a hyperlink to that button. Select your template file as the address to an existing file or Web page. Name your button and click OK and Close to save your changes.

Now, whenever Scott Ellis calls, you can open a new journal entry with just a click or two. Select today's date from the Start Time drop-down calendar, click the Start Timer button, and begin your conference call.



Special Edition Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
Special Edition Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
ISBN: 0789729563
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 426

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