3 Steps to Create a Distribution List from a Category
by Paul Wagner, The Software Magician

A Distribution List is really just a collection of names and emails that you can work with as a single unit. And it's great for emailing the same group of people all the time without searching and gathering each person. Thus, all the contacts in a Distribution list are kept as a named group which appears in your Contact list as exactly that...a Contact! (the contact title bar has two heads denoting that contact as a distribution list).

Creating a Distribution list is easy. You simply press Ctrl-Shift-L, name the list, and add members. If I am in a Mastermind group with 10 people, we are likely emailing each other all the time--the mail is directed to all. So, when I create a Distribution List by the name of Melanie's Gold Mastermind and I add members to it, I am creating a contact by the name Melanie's Gold Mastermind and can simply right-click on it at anytime from the address list and select New Message to Contact.

But what if I have 100 people and they are already in a category for Melanie's group. Do I need to add them one at a time? Ugh.

No.... There is a much faster way.

You can add them from the By Category view in my Advanced Toolbar--with just a small twist.

Here's how to do it in 3 steps.

Step 1: Create a view of Name & Emails

- Turn on the Advanced Toolbar if it is not already on. (Right-click anywhere in the toolbar area and left-click Advanced).
- Click on the Contacts Navigation Pane or Folder
- In the Current View drop-down box scroll to the bottom of the list and select Define Views...
- In the Custom View Organizer click on New. Name the view Copy Dist List and Click OK
- In the Customize View click on Fields and remove all fields on the right side
- Find Full Name in List on the left and add it to the right-side
- In the Select available fields from drop-down box, select the E-mail fields set and drag E-mail to the right side. Click OK
- Click on Filter and More Choices to get to the Category Filter. Click on Category and assign that category you are selecting for the Distribution List. Click OK to close the Categories and OK to close the Filter
- What is now showing is the list of emails for the category you selected.

Step 2: Copy the Email Rows

- Now, Click on the first row.
- Hold down the Shift key and click on the Last row. This will highlight all rows.
- Press Ctrl-C

Step 3: Create the Distribution List from the Copy

- Use Ctrl-Shift-L to create a new distribution list (don't be in any search field)
- Click on Select Members and click the cursor in the Members text box
- Press Ctrl-V to paste the list. Before you click OK scroll to the top, highlight and erase Full Name E-Mail. Now press OK
- Give the List a Name like Melanie's Gold Mastermind and then Save and Close.

You now have a new Distribution list which you can quickly email. In the Contacts View find the List (remember it has the 2 heads in the contact title). Right-click and choose New Message to Contact.

There are fast, smart ways of finding these records instantly which I show you in the Outlook for the Entrepreneur Video CD's.

2006 Paul Wagner

About the Author

Paul Wagner, The Software Magician is a contributing writer, teacher, coach, consultant, and radio show host who has taught hundreds of business professionals, entrepreneurs, how to get peace of mind and overcome technical overwhelm by working faster and smarter with their technology and software in day-to-day business.

To learn more about Outlook and Outlook Classes and Teleseminars, visit The Software Magician at www.softwaremagician.com

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