1

SOS Educational Webcast:

Mastering the Mail Merge

(and other Word functions)

Elizabeth Dodge, CEP, Stock & Option Solutions, Inc.

Julie Kenia, CEP, Stock & Option Solutions, Inc.

Stock & Option Solutions (SOS) is

the leading stock administration

staffing, consulting and outsourcing

firm within the equity

compensation marketplace.

SOS People/StaffingTactical to senior experienced consultants • Day-to-day assistance

• Coverage for vacancies

• Vacation, medical, maternity leaves

• Project assistance

• Backing during high-volume

• Throughout United States

Flexible lengths of assignments • Full or part-time assistance

• On-site or remote

• Temp to perm Services

Dedicated call centers• Tender offers

• New plan implementations

• High-activity periods

Fulfillment Center• Printing & mailing of participant communications

SOS Projects/Consulting� Best Practice Assessment / Implementation

� SOS 6039 Full Service Outsourcing/SOS 6039 Xpress

� Equity Accounting Assistance

� Custom Reporting

� Stock Plan Training

� Vendor Analysis & RFP

Transactions

� Mergers & Acquisitions

� Option Exchanges / Repricings

� Vendor or System Conversions

� IPO (pre and post)

Applications

� SOS Email Xpress

� SOS Participant Portal � Online grant agreements, ESPP

Enrollment, confirmation statements, tax information, 6039 consent

� Tender Offer Website

� Consent Website (6039, Proxy)

SOS Outsourcing� The first complete outsourcing solution

� Manage some or all aspects of your stock plan administration

� Financial, Accounting & Tax Reporting

� Special Projects

2

Disclaimer

• The following discussion and examples do not necessarily represent the official views of Stock & Option Solutions, Inc. with respect to any of the issues addressed. Moreover, this presentation and the views expressed by the individual presenters should not be relied on as legal, accounting, auditing, or tax advice. The outcome of any individual situation depends on the specific facts and circumstances in which the issue arises and on the interpretation of the relevant literature in effect at the time.

• Anyone viewing this presentation should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel and/or input from their advisors.

Materials Slides

http://www.sos-team.com/pdfs/mastering_mail_merge.pdf

4

3

Agenda

Why Use A Mail Merge?

Types of Mail Merges (Paper vs. Email)

Creating Paper Mail Merge

Using Email Mail Merge

Other Word Functions

5

Why Use A Mail Merge?

• Mass Communication to Participants– Grant Notices

– ESPP • Enrollment

• Purchase Details

– Year-End Mailings• Disposition Surveys

• Cost Basis Communications

– Changes to your programs• Vendor changes

• Internal changes

• Corporate action

• Timing and Cost Considerations– Need immediate action, outside assistance not available or

too costly

4

Paper vs. Email Merge

Email

Pros

• Fast delivery

• Could add links to documents with IT help

• Read receipts

Cons

• IT constraints, junk mail, spam

• May need to limit to active participants

• Alias address required

• Attachments difficult

Paper

Pros

• Volume of documents

• Can save file for future use

and email individually

Cons

• Slow – snail mail

• Mailing costs

7

Creating Paper Mail Merge

• Prepare and organize

– Identify list (who)

• Excel file, Access database, etc.

• Audit – can’t proof your own work!

– Prepare attachments/enclosures (what)

• Static document (plan, prospectus, enrollment

package)

• Dynamic document per participant(specific

participant information – disposition survey)

– Generate your mailing

5

Who….

• Create a list from a download, text file, etc.

– Excel, Access, Text, other…

What ….

• Static documents (same for all, generally

.pdf)

– Plan

– Prospectus

• Dynamic documents (specific to individual)

– Award Agreement

– Cover letter

6

Generate….

• Don’t be afraid of the wizard….easy peasy

• Create without the wizard..lemon squeezy

Using the Wizard

• Choose Step by Step and get the wizard panel to the right

• Select which document you will be using and then get your list of data.

Step 1

Step 3

Step 2

7

Using the Wizard…continued

• Review your data file, elect who and what to

mergeStep 1

Step 2

Using the Wizard….continued

• Choose your merge field inputs

8

Generating without the wizard

• Repeat all the steps using the tool bar,

notice the menu is not shaded out

• Follow same steps as Wizard but through

the tool bar

Generating without the wizard…continued

• Slight difference, Insert Merge Fields

– Go to placement in document and pull down the

menu box, choose the item

9

Using Email Mail Merge

• Identify email list (who)

– Excel file, Access database, etc.

– Email contact list

• Prepare email message

– Static message

– Specific to participant, group, etc.

• Limited ability to add data

– Pay attention to the final product!

Basic Steps to create Email Merge

18

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

10

Other Word Functions

• Word counts

– Review/Proofing/Word Count

• Quick way to count the words, characters, paragraphs, lines, etc.

• Watermarks

– Page Layout/Page Background/Watermark

• Pre-set or Customize

• Styles

– Home/Styles

• Pre-set or Customize

• Columns vs. full page text

Columns Example

11

Watermark & TOC Example

21

Other Word Functions…continued

• Table of Contents

– Manual vs. Tool• First make sure the data you want to appear in your Table of

Contents is formatted into one of your Header styles (Header 1, 2, 3, etc. )

• Place your curser where you want the table

• Reference/Table of Contents

– Identify what layout you want or create one

• Easy to update when your document changes

• Compare

– Review/Compare• Compare the documents using a set of rules

• Combine the documents

12

Other Word Functions…continued

• Keep lines together – paragraph is not split

– Select the lines that you want to keep together• Format/Paragraph, click Line and Page Breaks tab, select Keep lines

together check box

Other Word Functions…continued

• Keep paragraphs together (including

Header)– Select the paragraphs that you want to keep together on a page.

– Format /Paragraph, click Line and Page Breaks tab, select Keep

with next check box

• Forcing a page break before a

paragraph

• Controlling the orphaned paragraph

13

Other Word Functions…continued

• Keep row headers with table splits– Point to header row, right click and open Table Properties

• Open the Row tab, check the box for Repeat as header rowOR

• Click Repeat Header Rows in the Layout/Data toolbar

Contact Information

26

Elizabeth Dodge, CEP

Vice President

Bus: (408) 385-8786

E-mail: edodge@sos-team.com

Julie Kenia, CEP

Sr. Equity Compensation Consultant

Bus: (408) 979-8700

E-mail: jkenia@sos-team.com