Thread: Insert addresses for mass mailing

Users who frequently send emails and address them to lists made with Excel
For example, problems occur if the first name of the addressee is missing from the database. The conformity of the address to a template is hard to manage if the first name of the addressee is missing.

The reason for that is the blank space that normally separates first and last names. But you can easily correct this. While writing your email, keep in mind that Word has a 'Mail Merge' function. To access it, right-click near a visible tool bar and place a check mark in front of 'Mail Merge' in the context menu. Now, position the cursor in the place where you want the first and last name of the addressee to appear. Then go to 'Insert I Field " pick the category 'Mail Merge' from the drop down list, and select 'Merge Field' from the Field names list. Uncheck the 'Text to be inserted after' option to confirm that the field is not followed by a blank space. Alternatively, you can click the 'Insert Merge Fields' button on the Mail Merge tool bar,



Next, click the 'Insert Word Fields' icon on the toolbar and select 'If ..
Then ... Else' from the context menu. In the following dialog box titled 'IF', select the 'First name' entry in the 'Field name' combination box. Under 'Comparison'.
opt for 'is not blank'. Subsequently, place the cursor in the 'Then insert this text' field and press the [Spacebar] to enter a blank space. The condition implies that Word will insert a blank space in case the mail merge has been allocated a 'First name'. This character separates the first and last names from now on. Insert the field 'Otherwise insert this text' in the 'Condition field' dialog: 'IF' remains blank. The text entered here uses the word processor if testing the condition leads to a negative result. Thus. it will be applied if there is no 'First name'. However. Word should not do anything in this case.

Under 'Comparison', the application also offers other options such as 'Equal to', 'Not equal to' and 'Less than'. In order to set the value with which the application should be compared to the content of the field name, use 'Compare with'. Confirm with 'OK'. Subsequently. insert the mail merge field 'Last name' again without a blank space.
The final result of this tweaking will ensure that only if a record of first and
last names is available while sending the email, then Word will separate both components with a blank space from the field 'Otherwise insert this text'.

NOTE: In our tests. Word 2007 automatically did without the blank space in records without first names. However, even this version has the option of defining different text inputs for mass mails, with the help of conditions. Open the corresponding dialog in the Ribbon bar with 'Control' in the 'Programs' tab.