10 Ways To Save Time In Microsoft Outlook
Many busy people are looking for new ways to save time while working. If this sounds like you, one of your best options is to start with tasks you are already doing all the time. In this video, we discuss how you can save time while using Microsoft Outlook, freeing up your work day for other important tasks.
Rules
Rules allow you to give instructions to Outlook so that it can process messages in a set way. This automates small tasks that take up tons of time. Using this feature, you can send messages to folders, assign categories, and delete or forward emails. This takes the hassle out of message management.
To create a rule, right-click your example message, hover over “rules”, select “create a rule”, choose your criteria, rename the rule, and hit “finish”. There is also a “create a rule” button under the home tab. To have your rule search for specific messages, use advanced options. If you need to change a rule, go to “rules” and select “manage rules”. Messages that already exist can have rules applied to them as well.
Favorite Folders
Favorite folders help keep your most important messages all in one place. These folders are stored above navigation, making them easy to find, and differentiating them from all the others in Outlook. To create a favorite folder, drag it to the favorites area or right-click on the folder. Like other folders, favorite folders can be rearranged or removed at any time by right-clicking on them. To move a message to a favorite folder, just drag it there.
Convert Email To A Task
Making a to-do list can be time consuming. But without one, it's hard to keep track of tasks. By converting an email into a task, managing your responsibilities becomes easy. To convert a message, right-click the flag next to the message, set the time you want to do the task (custom times are available), and add a reminder. You can also open the message, click the “follow up” drop-down, set the time, and add the reminder. Messages may also be converted by dragging them to the task area. To keep track of messages you’ve already converted, move the email to another folder.
Convert Email To An Appointment
Scheduling is another daily task that takes up time. Through Microsoft Outlook, you are able to do this more efficiently by converting emails into appointments. To use this feature, hold down the right-click on the mouse while hovering over the message, drag to your calendar, and select the appointment type. If others in your organization need to attend as well, convert the appointment into a meeting. This will allow you to invite guests.
Read Aloud
Using read aloud gives you the chance to multitask. Keep in mind that read aloud is called immersive reader in Outlook for the web. To enable read aloud, go to “file”, click “options”, select “ease of access” and then “show read aloud”. To use this feature, select “read aloud” in the message tab. When using read aloud, a toolbar will be shown. This toolbar can play or pause the audio. You can also change the speed of read aloud or the voice Outlook uses. To start listening from a specific point, double-click the word you would like to start at.
Dictation
Dictation acts as a personal transcriber, writing messages for you as you speak. This feature is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers with the Outlook desktop app. Dictation is located under the message tab, within the dictate dropdown. Punctuation is not automatically included, so make sure to add it yourself either while speaking or after the message has been written. After you have finished, make any necessary corrections.
Delay Delivery
Delay delivery helps everyone stay on the same page in terms of work day hours. Though everyone may not work at the same time, delay delivery makes sure that communication is happening within a set period. This feature allows you to write a message at any time, but send it to the recipient later. To write a delayed delivery message, create or reply to an email, click “options”, select “delay delivery”, choose “options”, and send the message.
Quick Steps
Quick steps turn many actions into one press of a button. For example, you could have a message from Pete sent to your Activities folder and forwarded to Jessica all at once. Quick steps are located on the home tab of your ribbon. Quick steps are not always active, meaning they are only used when you initiate them. They can also be created or deleted at any time.
To make a quick step, go to “quick steps” under the home tab, click “create new”, name the quick step, choose the actions that it will complete, add actions as needed, and “finish”. If you need to make a shortcut for it, you can also do that at this point. You can also change the order of your quick steps, edit a quick step, and duplicate or delete one by going to “manage quick steps”.
Quick Parts
Quick parts help save time by allowing you to create templates for subjects you have to routinely address in emails. To create a quick part, start a new message, type and edit the message, highlight the section you would like to make into a quick part, select “insert”, and go to “quick parts”. Then, click “save section to quick part gallery”, give it a name, pick the category it will go in, add a description, and choose your options.
To use a quick part, have your cursor in the body of the message, go to “insert”, then “quick parts”, select the one you’re using, and edit as needed. To replace a quick part, repeat the above steps and select “replace quick part” when prompted by Outlook. Hover over the existing quick part, right-click, and select “organize and delete” to replace one as well. You can use two or more quick parts in one message as well.
Quick Access Toolbar
With the quick access toolbar, you can assign multiple actions to one button. The toolbar is located above the ribbon, but can also be placed below the ribbon by selecting the drop-down and clicking “show below the ribbon”. Each area of Outlook has its own version of the toolbar, making it very customizable for your needs.
To customize the toolbar, click the drop-down next to the undo button and choose which features you would like to include in that area. To change the order of features shown or which ones are available, select the drop-down and go to “more commands”. You can also right-click on the toolbar and choose “customize quick access toolbar”.
Are You Ready To Start Saving Time In Microsoft Outlook?
Microsoft Outlook is a very valuable tool. And it only becomes better once you know the ins and outs of how to use it. With this program, you can shave tons of time off your workday by automating small tasks, becoming more organized, and having improved multitasking. If you have questions about Microsoft Outlook or anything we covered in this article, let us know. We are always here to help with your technology needs. Contact us online or by phone today.