Using Word for mailmerge

[barry melamed]

Using Word 2000 and Excel 2000. The worksheet has 300 names, addresses, city state & zip, several mergefields and a miscellaneous field that contains either a "60", "120", or "180". 3 separate Word documents. These are letters going out to people whose auto leases expire either in 60 days, 120, etc. The worksheet is sorted in zip code order and needs to remain that way. I need to print the appropriate letter to the appropriate lease customer. How can this be done, maintaining the zip order throughout the 300 ? These cannot be run as 3 batches, due to the fact that the bulk mailing must contain at least 200 pieces.

 

[Raphael]

I am not sure that I have understood your question, but try after you get to your data, merge>query options>sort records>zip code.

 

[barry melamed]

Raphael,
Thanks for trying, but you missed the whole problem.

 

[Anne Troy]

Depends why 3 separate letters. To change the 60-120-180? Don't do 3 letters, do one, then use an IF statement in the 60-120-180 merge field.

Am I on the right track?

 

[barry melamed]

I think you're right. I was thinking of that, too. Except that the 3 letters are so very different. Could I make the Word document a 3 page document, and then the If statement could refer to page 1 being the 30 day, the page 2 being the 90 day, and the page 3 being the 180 day? If so, please give me some coaching on using the If statement. I've never done that. Thanks again

 

[Anne Troy]

Perhaps I can offer an alternative, Barry. I'm not that good with the IFs.

And...your letters are quite different.

Can you--in the data--put something in a column to tell us which letter they should use, like XXXX, YYYY, ZZZZ, one for each letter.

Then, from previously typed text, find the XXXX and replace with the text of letter 1; find YYYY and replace with the text of letter 2; etc.?

If you do this regularly, we can certainly develop a macro to do this part for you. So, you perform the merge with a doc that basically only has the date, name, address, and signer (and any paragraphs that are the same within all 3 docs); and puts the "letter code" in. Run the macro. Print. Send.

You don't have to type the text for each letter each time. You can save it in another document(s) somewhere, copy it, then in the replace with box, choose clipboard contents.

 

[Anne Troy]

I've got a file set up using the IF stuff, Barry. Email dreamboat@nni.com and I'll send it by reply.