Quick Letter

CV Pro

This guide is only applicable to enterprise clients using CV Pro or CV9.

ClearVantage has a built-in word processor, Quick Letters, which allows you to send customized documents to one or many individuals and/or organizations. Sending a customized letter to an individual or the contact listed for an organization follows the exact same process. You can also create name badges and mailing labels directly from ClearVantage.

Create Templates for Quick Letters

1. From the ClearVantage home screen select Pro Tools | Quick Letter. A blank Quick Letter will open afterwards.

   

2. Select File | Select Template. A Select Template window will open.

   

3. Select the New button on the right side of the Select Template window.

   

4. Complete the necessary information (Template Name, Type, Access, and Description). The type must match the type of list from which you plan to merge data.

   

5. Select OK. A blank Quick Letter will open on your screen.

   

6. Add the text for your Quick Letter.

   

7. From the Quick Letter tool bar, select Insert | Data Fields and Functions.

   

8. Add the merge fields, functions, and links applicable to the Quick Letter Template that you are creating by selecting the field and pressing the Insert button.

9. Press the Close button when you are finished adding merge fields to the letter.

   

10. Select File | Save As Template. The Select Template window will appear with the information from the template already populated.

    

11. Select OK. ClearVantage will ask if you want to replace the existing template.

    

12. Select Yes and the Quick Letter will be added as an existing template.

    

Selecting the Letter Type

Each Type of Quick Letter (Individual, Organization, Invoice, Registration, etc.) pulls information from different ClearVantage Notebooks. As a result, different merge fields are available depending on the Type of Quick Letter. When creating your Quick Letter Template, review the following frequently used Letter Types to make the most appropriate selection.

Individual

Individual Letters allow you to use information from the Profile tab of the Individual Notebook using the basic merge fields. You can include address information, membership status, and demographic information in documents such as letters to members, reminders, and marketing emails. Individual Letters must be merged from an Individual List.

Organization

Organization Letters allow you to use information from the Profile tab of the Organization Notebook using the basic merge fields. You can include address information, membership status, and demographic information in documents such as letters to member organizations, marketing emails, and surveys. Organization Letters must be merged from an Organization List.

Event

Event Letters allow you to use information from the Profile tab of the Event Notebook as well as the Certifications tab using the basic merge fields. You can include event time and date, location, and registration information in documents such as letters to exhibitors and event résumés. Event Letters must be merged from an Event List.

Registration

Registration Letters allow you to use information from a Registration record using the basic merge fields. You can include addresses, event details, and pricing in documents such as event confirmation and cancellation letters. Registration Letters must be merged from a Registration record or Registration List or by linking the letter on the profile tab of the Event Notebook.

Ind. Payment

Individual Payment Letters allow you to use select name and address fields from the Individual Notebook and key fields from the Payment Notebook using the basic merge fields. You can include fields such as the payee name, payment amount and payment date. Ind. Payment Letters must be merged from a Payment List and should be merged only for payments where the Payee Type = ‘I’. The receipt template to be used as the default template from the Email Receipt button on the Payment Notebook when the payee is an individual must be named PaymentReceiptEmail.

Org. Payment

Organization Payment Letters allow you to use select name and address fields from the Organization Notebook and key fields from the Payment Notebook using the basic merge fields. You can include fields such as the payee name, payment amount and payment date. Org. Payment Letters must be merged from a Payment List and should be merged only for payments where the Payee Type = ‘O”. The receipt template to be used as the default template from the Email Receipt button on the Payment Notebook when the payee is an organization must be named PaymentReceiptEmail.

Invoice

Invoice Letters allow you to use information from the Invoice/Order using the basic merge fields. You can include ship to addresses, balance, payment, and credit information in documents such as custom invoices and credit memos. Invoice Letters must be merged from an Invoice List. There are a few options for emailing invoices. See the section Email Invoice Letters.

Subscription/Dues/Donation

Subscription/Dues/Donation Letters allow you to use information from the Dues, Donation or Subscription record for an individual or organization using the basic merge fields. You can include amounts, payment details, dues type, donation type, and subscription type in documents such as membership cards, donation solicitations and receipts. Subscription/Dues Letters must be merged from a Subscription/Dues/Donation record or Subscription/Dues/Donation List. You can do this easily this by linking the letter on the profile tab of the Subscription/Dues/Donation Notebook

Functions in Quick Letters

Whereas merge fields in Quick Letters use information directly from notebook fields in ClearVantage, functions allow you to merge information that appears in other locations or requires some manipulation. Many functions are available in all Quick Letter Types but some are limited to a specific type or two.

General Functions

These functions are available in most Quick Letter Types and are not specific to a particular record or type of record. You can easily modify the information displayed by these functions.

Function	Format Description	Example
@shortdate	The date of the merge in an 8 digit format by default. MM/DD/YYYY.	10/10/2008
@longdate	The date of the merge written in long form by default. Day of the Week, Month Day, Year	Tuesday, January 20, 2009
@shorttime	The time of the merge in a 4 digit format by default. HH:MM AM/PM	12:00 AM
@longtime	The time of the merge in a 6 digit format by default. HH:MM:SS AM/PM	12:00:00 AM
@shortplus30	The date of the merge plus 30 days in an 8 digit format by default. MM/DD/YYYY	11/09/2008
@shortplus60	The date of the merge plus 60 days in an 8 digit format by default. MM/DD/YYYY	12/09/2008
@shortplus90	The date of the merge plus 90 days in an 8 digit format by default. MM/DD/YYYY	01/08/2008
@companyname	The company name as listed in the Company Information screen.	Euclid Technology, LLC
@companyphone	The company phone number as listed in the Company Information screen.	(301) 657-8089
@contactname	The company contact as listed in the Company Information screen.	Charles Vinal
@companyemail	The company email as listed in the Company Information screen.	info@email.org
@companyurl	The company URL as listed in the Company Information screen.	www.website.org
@username	Name of the ClearVantage User as listed in the Employee Notebook.	Kate Imholt
@letterdetail	These functions can be customized by Euclid Technology to meet your needs for Quick Letters.	Custom

Individual and Organization Functions

Many functions related to contact and demographic information can be used for either Individual or Organization Letters.

Function	Format/Description	Example
@lookupchaptername	Chapter name from Chapter Notebook if Chapters are used.	S_CALIFORNIA CHAPTER
@lookupchaptercontact	Chapter contact (First Name Last Name) from Chapter Notebook if Chapters are used.	Valerie Calder
@lookupchapterphone	Chapter phone from Chapter Notebook if Chapters are used.	310-555-1234
@lookupchapteraddress	Chapter address (Street Address Suite) from Chapter Notebook if Chapters are used.	100 Rodeo Drive Suite 10
@lookupchaptercitystatezip	Chapter city, state and zip code (City, State Zip) from Chapter Notebook if Chapters are used.	Los Angeles, CA 90210
@calcaddress	The complete address in standard format while omitting blank lines. Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 City, State Zip Country	8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 710 Bethesda, MD 20814 USA
@multicompanyaddress1	Address 1 field from the Multicompany Membership Notebook if configured.	8120 Woodmont Avenue
@multicompanyaddress2	Address 2 field from the Multicompany Membership Notebook if configured.	Suite 710
@multicompanyaddress3	Address 3 field from the Multicompany Membership Notebook if configured.	7th Floor
@multicompanycity	City field from the Multicompany Membership Notebook if configured.	Bethesda
@multicompanystate	State field from the Multicompany Membership Notebook if configured.	MD
@multicompanyzip	Zip field from the Multicompany Membership Notebook if configured.	20814
@multicompanycountry	Country field from the Multicompany Membership Notebook if configured.	USA
@multicompanycalcaddress	The complete address in standard format from the Multicompany Membership Notebook if configured.	8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 710 Bethesda, MD 20814 USA
@multicompanyemail	Email field from the Multicompany Membership Notebook if configured.	info@email.org

Individual Only Functions

Certain functions use information only available from Individual Lists.

Function	Format/Description	Example
@togglenicknamesalutation	The salutation using the nickname if populated or the full name if the nickname is not populated.	Dear Angie,
@togglenicknamefirstname	The nickname if populated or the first name if the nickname is not populated.	Angie
@orgnameifwork	Organization Name if the primary address is the work address.	Euclid Technology, LLC
@jobtitleifwork	Position if the primary address is the work address.	Business Analyst

Invoice Functions

Functions related to invoice amounts are used in the Invoice Type.

Function	Format/Description	Example
@invoiceamount	Invoice Total from an invoice	$50.00
@paidamount	Paid Amount from an invoice	$10.00
@balancedue	Balance due on an invoice	$40.00

Event and Registration Functions

Information related to events and event registrations can be pulled into either the Event or Registration Type Letters depending on whether the information is specific to a registration or booth purchase or not.

Function	Format/Description	Example
@otherspeakers	Names of speakers for the event listed on the Speaker Tab of the Event Notebook.	Charles Vinal, Susan Vinal, Kate Imholt
@boothdetail	Details on Booth Purchase from the Details for Booth window: EventCD, Booth Number, Confirmation Number, Booth Location, Size. Price, Comments, Staff, Products, Needs	ECRC_WINTER09 1001 00000029 Row 0 25 $12.00 Comment Staff Products Needs
@functiondetail	Details for the function for which the individual is registered: Function CD, Price, Date, Time	LUNCHEON $40.00 02/10/2008 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Modifying Date and Time Functions

The general date and time functions in Quick Letters utilize the local computer’s regional and language settings and must be modified on each individual computer (NOTE: The following instructions assume you are using Windows 10).

1. From the Windows Start Menu, search for “Control Panel” and click the app icon to open it.

   

   

2. Navigate to “Change date, time, or number formats” under Clock and Region.

   

3. Click the Additional Settings button.

   

4. Select the Time tab.

   

5. Here you can modify the Short Time and Long Time formats which will change the @shorttime and @longtime Quick Letter functions accordingly. You can then click the Apply button to save your changes.

   

6. You can also alter the @shortdate and @longdate functions by modifying the Short Date and Long Date formats on the Date tab. Afterwards you can click the Apply button to save your changes.

   

Adding Links to Quick Letters

Quick Letters allow you to add web links in two ways. You can type a URL into the text of your letter and when you send your Quick Letter as an HTML message, the URL will appear as a hyperlink. Quick Letters also allow you to insert links to your events, surveys, and dues/donation/subscription records created in ClearVantage which are specific to your customer.

1. From the Quick Letter tool bar, select Insert | Merge Fields or Data Fields and Functions to open the Select Fields window.

   

2. Click on the Links tab.

   

3. Select the radio button for the type of record (Events, Dues, Products, or Surveys) to which you want to create a link and the list of available records will appear below.

4. Double click on the record or select the record and press Insert to add the link to your Quick Letter.

   

5. The link can appear in your merged letter as either a standard URL or with the name of the Event, Product, Dues or Survey as hyperlinked words. a. To display the link as the name of the record, check the Include Customer Link box. You will see code such as @weblink(PRODUCT,"AAARPUB",[[CUSTOMERCD]]) in your unmerged Quick Letter but the recipient will see the name of the Product.

   b. If you want the link to appear as a standard URL, uncheck the Include Customer Link box.

6. Press the Close button when you are done.

Adding Images to Quick Letters

You can add images, such as logos from your website, to your Quick Letters. The following are guidelines for inserting images so that they will successfully merge in the Quick Letter based on the merge type:

Adding a Local Image to Quick Letters

You can add local images, which are images saved on your PC, to your Quick Letters.

1. From the Quick Letter tool bar, select Insert | Picture to open the local Pictures directory on your PC.

   

2. Highlight the image you wish to import to your Quick Letter template and click Open to insert the image.

Adding a Remote Image to Quick Letters

If enabled, you can add remote images to your Quick Letter from an FTP folder on your server that allows public access to view the images.

From the Quick Letter tool bar, select Insert > Remote Images.

1. Select Insert from Remote to select an image previously saved to the FTP folder.

2. Select Insert from Local to insert an image from your PC and save it to the FTP folder.

Note

If the letter is to be sent as an e-mail, it is important resize the image as necessary before inserting to the Quick Letter template or saving it as a new remote image. Name the image file without any spaces.

Adding Web Images to Quick Letters

You can also add images, such as logos from your website, to your Quick Letters.

1. From the Quick Letter tool bar, select Insert | Web Image Link to open the Insert Web Image window.

   

2. Enter the URL of the image that you want to include in your Quick Letter. To find the URL of the image:

   a. Open the webpage with the image in your web browser.

   b. In Internet Explorer, right-click on the image and select Properties. The Address listed is the URL for the image.

   c. Copy this URL into the Insert Web Image Link window.

3. Press OK and the image will be inserted into your Quick Letter.

Merging Letters

Merge Types

Quick Merge: Merge one record so you can preview the merged file before printing, faxing, etc.

Print Merge: Merge records directly to the printer you select.

File Merge: Merge the files into emails and send the emails.

Fax Merge: Merge the files into faxes and cue the faxes to be sent. Fax Merge capability requires integration with a separate fax program. Ask your System Administrator for more details.

Auto Merge: Merge the files according to the contact preference that is indicated under Contact Status in the Individual or Organization Notebook. ClearVantage will send a fax to those who prefer faxes (if Fax Merge is configured), an email to those who prefer email, and print a merged letter for everyone else.

Selecting Merge Options

Options

The Options tab shows a summary of the records and allows you to select other options (Save Documents and Create Action Items).

1. The Select Merge Options window defaults to merging only the Current Record. Be sure to select Entire List to complete your merge. If you select Current Record and complete the merge, you will need to close the Quick Letter and begin the process again to complete a merge of the Entire List.

2. Use the check boxes below to choose Create Action Items, Save Generated Documents, and Use Custom Address.

   

If you have selected a Print Merge, you will have the option of choosing whether to Print as One Document or Print Each Individually. If you are printing to a file (such as a pdf), selecting Print as One Document will join all the merged letters in a single document. Selecting Print Each Individually will save each merged letter as a separate document.

Action Item

The Action Items tab allows you to select information for Action Items that will be created once the merge is complete. This tab allows you to quickly record the communication in each Individual or Organization Notebook being used.

• This tab is only available if the Create Action Items box is checked on the Options tab.

• Complete the Action Item fields as you would for a single Action Item. The Action Item will be associated with each individual or organization that appears on your List.

Document Storage

The Document Storage tab allows you to select information on the Document records that will be created once the merge is completed. You will maintain an actual copy of the generated letters or emails.

• This tab is only available if the Save Generated Documents box is checked on the Options tab.

• You must enter a Title for the document.

• You may also enter a Subject, Description, Priority and Classification for the document.

Email

• The Email Options tab contains several options for sending the communication via email including the ability to include multiple attachments.

• This tab is only available if you select Email Merge.

• Select the Your Outgoing Mail Box radio button if you want the emails sent from your email address. Please contact Euclid Technology if you have questions about setting up email addresses through ClearVantage.

• Select the Use System Mail Server radio button if you are sending this email from a mail server.

• Enter the appropriate email addresses in the From and Reply To information and the subject.

  • Use the format [Email address: [name] (the name is optional)

  • Example: From: support@euclidtechnology.com or support@euclidtechnology.com: Support Team

• When you select Merge, you may see the following Microsoft Outlook warning: “A program is trying to automatically send email on your behalf. Do you want to allow this?” Choose Yes to continue the email merge or No to cancel it.

• Send as Attachment will send the merged Quick Letter as an attachment. You will be prompted for the message to enter in the body of the email.

• Attachments allows you to link as many static attachments as needed.