Hi you're a great teacher, thank you. I'm setting up a contact management system with Outlook, (which I've also done over a decade ago for another company). My new business is probate real estate sales, and question is the difference in your perspective between groups and categories. I've been considering grouping my contacts' list view by categories, but I'm not sure if that's most efficient or necessary, if I can simply sort by categories. My considered categories would consist of: a region/county (which also only apply to a prospective client/decedent's property address and their representative, and their attorney), and a separate category for attorneys, to segregate prospect call lists by county, from affiliate contacts, (attorneys). Your video gave me the idea that I could also create hot, warm, cold, categories, and Client or listing/listed category. I guess they will eventually be no longer listed, or a client, but previous client, (untagged or swap tags to Previous Client). What about groups, which I've been experimenting with the past few days, or should I not use the grouping default feature?
Hi, @MiaBch1969. Thanks for your question. No matter which option you choose (category or group), there will be an element of manual entry for every contact. You have to build into your process adding the category (or multiples) or adding the contact to a group. There is no right or wrong here. What matters most is which method makes the most sense to you and your team and how you do business. From what you explained, I would lean towards categories because you can have multiple categories. When using groups, you can't have a contact show up in multiple groups without creating a duplicate record, as far as I know. I hope that helps!
Hi, many thanks. I have Microsoft Outlook for mobile on iOS. Is it possible to edit categories for contacts on the mobile device. i.e. add or delete a category for a contact in the mobile app? I have searched and seen a link that gives a walkthrough, however, it doesn’t work in practice. Many thanks 👍
Thank you for your question. I apologize that I wasn't able to respond sooner. Unfortunately, from what I can tell, we can't use categories for contacts in the Outlook mobile apps. I wish I had better news!
Thanks for helping me regain my sanity. "Categories" was working flawlessly before Office 365, or whatever, came along. Now it is practically unusable -- thanks Microsoft -- for NOTHING.
Yes, you can definitely apply two categories to one email. Depending on your settings, you may only see one category reflected in the inbox, but once you open the email, you should see both indicated at the top.
Thanks for your question! I'm not sure what's happening for your specific situation. Even when you're looking at your emails sorted by category, the archive button at the top should be there when you click on an email. If you're in the new Outlook, you may need to add the archive button to your ribbon/toolbar. I apologize if I'm not answering your question - it's hard to know what you're seeing. If you are still having the issue and want to look at it together, please feel free to schedule a no-charge consultation with me: www.gatewayproductivity.com/booking/
I'm using the same account with my other computer but the categories are not showing on the other device. Also, when I use tags on an email with my main computer it is not showing on the other computer. Thanks!
By the way, I already followed the suggestion below, but it is still not showing on the other computer: Open Outlook. Go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon. Make sure the "Categories" box is checked. Click OK to save the changes.
Thanks for your question. I apologize that I wasn't able to answer sooner. There are many issues that could be happening here. 1. Are both computers logged into the same Microsoft account for the Office products? Not just the email account in Outlook, but the Microsoft account that "owns" the license, especially for Outlook. Any categories will be tied to the overall Microsoft account Outlook license. Unfortunately, Outlook desktop is often tied only to that one computer that it's on. Microsoft 365 is helping to alleviate this, but it still doesn't always work the way we want it to. 2. If this is an exchange account (i.e. through your work/company), do you see your categories when you log into your account on the web? (You can go to office.com to log in if you've never done this before) If so, then I'm not sure what is happening, and you might want to reach out to your IT folks. 3. If this is not an exchange account, then that's probably the problem because the one computer doesn't have an online location to sync to that then updates your other computer. I hope that makes sense. If you'd like to dig deeper on this together, please feel free to schedule a no-charge call with me at this link: www.gatewayproductivity.com/booking/
Yes, @amnnau, you are correct. You can create a rule (ua-cam.com/video/U1Al5Pq9Eds/v-deo.htmlsi=iMz-urz_Aq8dNqL5) that automatically categorizes emails from specified email addresses.
I apologize that I wasn't able to respond sooner. When you do a search at the top, click in the white space to the right when it gives you the drop down menu. You should then see the search ribbon. There you can choose where to have it search (all folder or all subfolders) and what category to search. I hope that helps! Thank you for your comment.
Absolutely, @pwr1990. Great question! That is how a lot of people use their tasks, especially because you can use the same categories that you use for email and calendar events.
Hi you're a great teacher, thank you. I'm setting up a contact management system with Outlook, (which I've also done over a decade ago for another company). My new business is probate real estate sales, and question is the difference in your perspective between groups and categories. I've been considering grouping my contacts' list view by categories, but I'm not sure if that's most efficient or necessary, if I can simply sort by categories.
My considered categories would consist of: a region/county (which also only apply to a prospective client/decedent's property address and their representative, and their attorney), and a separate category for attorneys, to segregate prospect call lists by county, from affiliate contacts, (attorneys). Your video gave me the idea that I could also create hot, warm, cold, categories, and Client or listing/listed category. I guess they will eventually be no longer listed, or a client, but previous client, (untagged or swap tags to Previous Client). What about groups, which I've been experimenting with the past few days, or should I not use the grouping default feature?
Hi, @MiaBch1969. Thanks for your question. No matter which option you choose (category or group), there will be an element of manual entry for every contact. You have to build into your process adding the category (or multiples) or adding the contact to a group. There is no right or wrong here. What matters most is which method makes the most sense to you and your team and how you do business. From what you explained, I would lean towards categories because you can have multiple categories. When using groups, you can't have a contact show up in multiple groups without creating a duplicate record, as far as I know. I hope that helps!
Just what I needed. Thank you and I have subscribed to your channel. :)
You're welcome, and thanks for subscribing. I'm glad the video was helpful for you.
Hi, many thanks. I have Microsoft Outlook for mobile on iOS. Is it possible to edit categories for contacts on the mobile device. i.e. add or delete a category for a contact in the mobile app? I have searched and seen a link that gives a walkthrough, however, it doesn’t work in practice. Many thanks 👍
Thank you for your question. I apologize that I wasn't able to respond sooner. Unfortunately, from what I can tell, we can't use categories for contacts in the Outlook mobile apps. I wish I had better news!
Good video, well explained. Thank you.
Thanks for the comment! I appreciate your feedback, and I'm glad the video was helpful for you.
Thanks for helping me regain my sanity. "Categories" was working flawlessly before Office 365, or whatever, came along. Now it is practically unusable -- thanks Microsoft -- for NOTHING.
You're welcome. I'm glad you found the video helpful.
Nice video and great content
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad the video was helpful for you.
sell explained.
thx for the efforts
You're welcome!
Can you apply two catagories to the one email, eg, Accounts / Cheque Written
Yes, you can definitely apply two categories to one email. Depending on your settings, you may only see one category reflected in the inbox, but once you open the email, you should see both indicated at the top.
Hi! I cannot archive emails from the categories. Is there a way to fix that?
Thanks for your question! I'm not sure what's happening for your specific situation. Even when you're looking at your emails sorted by category, the archive button at the top should be there when you click on an email. If you're in the new Outlook, you may need to add the archive button to your ribbon/toolbar. I apologize if I'm not answering your question - it's hard to know what you're seeing. If you are still having the issue and want to look at it together, please feel free to schedule a no-charge consultation with me: www.gatewayproductivity.com/booking/
Thanks a lot by the way ❤
You're very welcome, @amnnau!
I'm using the same account with my other computer but the categories are not showing on the other device. Also, when I use tags on an email with my main computer it is not showing on the other computer. Thanks!
By the way, I already followed the suggestion below, but it is still not showing on the other computer:
Open Outlook.
Go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
Make sure the "Categories" box is checked.
Click OK to save the changes.
Thanks for your question. I apologize that I wasn't able to answer sooner. There are many issues that could be happening here.
1. Are both computers logged into the same Microsoft account for the Office products? Not just the email account in Outlook, but the Microsoft account that "owns" the license, especially for Outlook. Any categories will be tied to the overall Microsoft account Outlook license. Unfortunately, Outlook desktop is often tied only to that one computer that it's on. Microsoft 365 is helping to alleviate this, but it still doesn't always work the way we want it to.
2. If this is an exchange account (i.e. through your work/company), do you see your categories when you log into your account on the web? (You can go to office.com to log in if you've never done this before) If so, then I'm not sure what is happening, and you might want to reach out to your IT folks.
3. If this is not an exchange account, then that's probably the problem because the one computer doesn't have an online location to sync to that then updates your other computer.
I hope that makes sense. If you'd like to dig deeper on this together, please feel free to schedule a no-charge call with me at this link: www.gatewayproductivity.com/booking/
Thanks
You're welcome! I'm glad the video was helpful for you.
But can we not categorise a certain company name so every time we receive an email from them it goes blue directly ?
Yes, @amnnau, you are correct. You can create a rule (ua-cam.com/video/U1Al5Pq9Eds/v-deo.htmlsi=iMz-urz_Aq8dNqL5) that automatically categorizes emails from specified email addresses.
I came here to learn how to search all emails with the one category, even if the emails are separated into different folders. 😟
I apologize that I wasn't able to respond sooner.
When you do a search at the top, click in the white space to the right when it gives you the drop down menu. You should then see the search ribbon. There you can choose where to have it search (all folder or all subfolders) and what category to search. I hope that helps! Thank you for your comment.
Can you catergorise tasks and sort tasks by catergory?
Absolutely, @pwr1990. Great question! That is how a lot of people use their tasks, especially because you can use the same categories that you use for email and calendar events.