Imagine you just sent out an important email asking your team for feedback on a project. But now you’re left waiting for the replies. Some responses might come quickly, others much later. And sometimes, you might even need to follow up with people who have yet to reply. It can feel unorganized and time-consuming. But what if there was a simple, efficient way to gather responses and keep everything streamlined? That’s where voting buttons in MS Outlook come in!
This useful feature allows your target people to respond with just one click, saving you time and effort. Whether you’re asking for opinions, scheduling a meeting, or seeking approval, voting buttons make it easy to collect and track all the responses. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of setting up voting buttons in MD Outlook so you can simplify your communication and get the feedback you need in no time!
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Why do we use voting buttons in MS Outlook??
We use voting buttons in MS Outlook to get quick and easy responses from people. Normally, when you send an email asking for feedback or approval, you have to wait for everyone to reply one by one. It can take a lot of time to read each reply. Voting buttons make this process faster. With just one click, people can choose an answer, like “Yes” or “No,” and you can see all the responses in one place.
For example, if you are planning a meeting and need to know when everyone is free, you can add voting buttons with choices like “Monday,” “Tuesday,” or “Wednesday.” Your team can choose their answer with one click. This saves time, and you don’t have to count all the replies by yourself. Voting buttons help make things simple and quick.
How does the voting system work in MS Outlook?
The voting system in MS Outlook works by letting you add special buttons to an email. These buttons give simple choices, like “Yes,” “No,” or “Maybe.” When you send the email, the people who receive it can click one of these buttons to give their answer. They don’t need to write a reply or send a new email. Just one click sends their vote back to you automatically. This makes it very easy for them to respond and saves time for everyone involved.
Once people start voting, you can see all the responses in one place. To check the results, go to your Sent Items folder and find the email where you added the voting buttons. Open that email, and you will see a “Tracking” option. Clicking on it will show you a list of all the people who voted and what choice they made. This way, you don’t have to read through individual replies. You can view all the votes in one organized list, making it simple to track everyone’s answers and make decisions quickly.
Access the Voting Button Feature in MS Outlook
Now you know what is voting buttons are in MS Outlook and why we need this feature. So let’s get to know where and how you can access the voting button feature of Outlook. The voting button feature is located in the options menu of the email. After composing a simple email, follow these simple steps to access the voting feature and customize it according to your demands.
- If you are in the new message window, just go to the “Options” tab. You will get it at the top of the screen.
- Now from there, look for the section called Tracking and Click on Use Voting Buttons.
- After clicking on “Use Voting Buttons”, a dropdown menu will come up. Now from there, you have to choose your voting Button Options.
Choose Your Voting Button Options
MS Outlook provides a few pre-set options for the most common type of voting scenarios. But if you want, you can easily create your custom voting options. The preset choices for voting buttons are:
- Approve/Reject: This button is ideal when you want to get approvals for project plans or seek a decision and any formal agreement.
- Yes/No: This is the most common and simple voting button in MS Outlook. People use this button to get binary questions like “Should we proceed with this or not?”
- Yes/No/Maybe: This is more useful when you seek more flexible feedback. It allows the users to use uncertainty in their answers.
- Custom: If none of these options fit your specific demands, you can use the custom voting feature. This option is for you when you want to create your own and unique voting buttons.
How can you set up the custom voting Buttons?
To set up customized voting buttons in MS Outlook, you need to select Custom from the drop-down menu that appears after clicking on Use Voting Buttons.
- When you select Custom, a pop-up window will appear labeled as “Message Options”. Under the Voting and Tracking Options, check the box for Use Voting Buttons.
- Now in the field, provided, type your voting options as you want. But remember that you have to separate the options by a semicolon. For example, you might enter options like: Yes; No; Maybe; or Need more information.
You can also add some other features with the voting buttons. You can add an expiry date, starting date, and time to vote for your emails. Moreover, you can save a copy of the voting message by check-marking the option Save a copy of sent Message. This is how you can easily customize the voting buttons in MS Outlook.
Once you have set up the voting buttons, finalize the rest of your emails as usual. You can add your subject line, message body, and any necessary attachments. When you are finally ready, click Send to distribute your email; the voting options are attached.
How do I track the responses and respond to take action?
Now that your email is sent, you can easily track the responses. This is incredibly easy. Instead of seeking individual replies, Outlook provides a consolidated view of all the feedback.
- Go to your Sent Items folder and then open the email where you have set up the voting buttons.
- In the message tab, look for the Tracking button. You will get this option once at least one person has responded to your emails.
- When you click on Tracking, you will see a summary of all the responses. You will also be able to see how many recipients have selected each voting option.
Since the voting results are organized, you can quickly review the responses and take necessary actions based on the feedback. If you want more control over how responses are handled, you can also set up Read Receipts to ensure you know when recipients have opened your emails. Besides, you can use the Do Not Forward feature if you want to maintain confidentiality.
Using voting buttons in MS Outlook makes email communication much easier. It helps you gather team feedback, confirm meeting attendance, or get approvals quickly. Instead of sending many follow-up emails, you can collect all responses in one place. This saves you time and effort and keeps everything organized. By using voting buttons, you can work more efficiently and make decisions faster. It’s a simple tool that can help you focus on more important tasks. So, start using voting buttons today and improve how you manage emails! Thank you for your time. Stick around for more exciting tips and tricks to maximize your MS Outlook experience!