Another very important activity type is e-mail. Because Microsoft Dynamics CRM integrates with Outlook, most users write and read e-mail messages within Outlook. However, one feature that many users want to take advantage of is the ability to send an e-mail message to a large list of recipients so that each message is individually addressed (in other words, sending an e-mail message to 500 people generates 500 different e-mail messages). Microsoft Dynamics CRM refers to this mass e-mailing as direct e-mail, and you can access this feature only within the Web client.
Sending a direct e-mail message requires you to select an e-mail template. Microsoft Dynamics CRM includes several e-mail templates by default, so you can use one of those for the exercise in this section. However, you will probably want to create new e-mail templates specific to your business and use those for your e-mail communications.
To send a direct e-mail message, select one or more records in a view and click the Send Direct E-Mail button in the grid toolbar. Microsoft Dynamics CRM will open a dialog box that allows you to select an e-mail template. If you selected a view with several pages of records, you can choose to send the direct e-mail message to just the selected records, all the records on the page, or all the records on all of the pages. Finally, you can send the e-mail message from someone other than yourself. You might want to do this if you want the e-mail to come from a generic address, such as [email protected], instead of a person.
Tip
The Direct E-Mail feature will not send messages to records if their Bulk E-Mail preference is set to Do Not Allow. Direct E-Mail will simply exclude those records from the mailing list.
In this exercise, you will send a direct e-mail message to contacts by using one of the out-of-the-box e-mail templates.
Note
BE SURE TO use the Internet Explorer Web browser to navigate to your Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web site before beginning this exercise.
Navigate to the Contacts view.
Select one or more records in the view, making sure to select records with sample or test e-mail addresses instead of real customers.
In the grid toolbar, click the Send Direct E-mail button.
The Send Direct E-Mail window opens.
Select the Customer Reconnect template. Leave the other default options.
Click Send.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM submits the e-mail message for immediate delivery. If you view the history of the contact records you selected, you will see the e-mail message you just sent.
