Adhoc Email - Via Query
Ad Hoc Email Communication
via Query
Overview
Whenever you have a need to send a quick email to a select group of prospects or applicants, you can do so via ad hoc query. Below is the short list of bulleted steps for generating a one-time email to a select audience, via query (ad hoc emails). Be sure to give these steps a try ... there is no substitute for hands on experience. Additional/more detailed information is available in the AP-Query Management reference document (page numbers below).
What is a query (general intro) – page 1
How to write a query – pages 1-9
Sending Emails Via Query – pages 10 – 11
Quick Steps for producing emails
Via Email Management/Email Template Search, create an email template for the message you want to send.
Open an existing email template that references the same email data source (prospect or applicant) needed for this new email. DO NOT USE A TRACK specific email data source.
Click the SAVE AS button, and provide the subject name for the new email template you want to create
Open the new email template created, and edit the body of the email to include the message you want to send
Be sure the SEND IMMEDIATELY box is NOT checked on the new template you just created ... this allows you to do one final review of the emails before they actually go out
Save
Create a query that identifies the target audience for your message. NOTE: if a query already exists that identifies the very same target audience appropriate for this new message, proceed to step 3.
Identifying your target audience requires careful consideration, since the message you’re sending may not be a fit for everyone. For example, if you’re sending a holiday greeting to all of your current applicants, but have already denied some of those applicants, you will want to filter out of results (by using criteria) those applicants who have already been denied. Or, if you’re sending a message that’s intended for admitted applicants only, you want to be doubly sure that your query returns ONLY the names of applicants who have been offered admission, as well as those who were admitted but who have not already declined the admission offer. Accurate query criteria requires knowing your prospect and applicant data.
Once you’re absolutely certain you have taken all factors into consideration, and have narrowed down your target audience:
open an existing query that references the same query data source (prospects or applicants). DO NOT USE A TRACK specific query data source.
click SAVE AS to make a copy of that query for your new purpose
give the new query a new name
edit the criteria on the new query you just created as needed to identify your desired target audience ... this requires becoming familiar with your data, and then working through adding/removing criteria to achieve the desired result
add enough fields (COLUMNS tab) to display so you can verify accuracy of results returned by the query.
Below is an example of a
query that returns the names of people who are registered for the January 5,
2018 orientation session date. The query criteria specified selects
anyone who has applied for 2018 AND who is a spring applicant AND who has been
offered admission AND who has not already declined the offer of admission AND
who has submitted an orientation registration for the 1/5/2018 orientation
date.
Columns selected (COLUMNS tab)
tell the query what information to return. Below are the columns selected
from the list of columns available to select from to be returned by this sample
query ... to add a new field to columns selected, highlight the field and click
the right arrow. To remove a field from columns currently selected,
highlight the field and click the left arrow.
Run the query (click RESULTS) and review carefully the info returned to be sure this is the intended audience. If not, adjust the query criteria. Validating the accuracy of the names returned is critically important, because sending a message to the wrong people could have very unpleasant consequences.
Once you have confirmed that the query is returning the names of people you want to send the email to, click the WORK WITH RESULTS button (left side of screen)
On the screen returned, click the SELECT ALL button (bottom row of screen)
Next, click the EMAIL button
- From the drop-down list returned, select the email template you created in step 1 above ... this is the template of the email message you want to send to everyone returned by the query.
- Click SCHEDULE MAILING ... this will generate all the emails. Be sure to wait for the process to complete. How long that takes depends upon the number of emails being generated.
Open Email Management/Emails to Send Queue ... find your group of emails just generated, and double click to open. Review the message (format, content, spelling, etc.), and if OK, return to the emails to send main screen and click the APPROVE button on the group. If not OK, you can delete the entire group of emails, and go through these steps again after correcting the problem found. You cannot recall an email once approved & sent, so before approving be sure the email template and the names returned by the query are accurate.
Once you approve the emails to go out, the email process will begin sending out, and will create a contact record on each recipient’s contact history.
