The Salesforce Outlook Add-in transforms your inbox into a student management dashboard. Instead of just reading emails, you can view a student's academic status, log critical correspondence to their permanent record, and access standard response templates—all without leaving Outlook.
Viewing Student Context (The 360° View)
Before you even reply to an email, the side panel provides a snapshot of who you are talking to. This allows you to give informed answers without toggling screens.
- Academic Status: See the student's current Program, Start Term, and Enrollment Status immediately.
- Activity Timeline: Scroll down to see the last 3-5 interactions the student had with other departments (e.g., Financial Aid or Advising). This prevents you from asking for information they have already provided.
- Open Cases: Check if the student already has an open support ticket regarding the issue they are emailing about.
Logging Emails & Attachments
Logging ensures that communication isn't trapped in your personal inbox. It makes the conversation visible to anyone with access to that student's record.
Best Practices for Logging
- Select the Right Record: The panel may suggest multiple people (e.g., if the student cc'd a parent). Always log the email primarily against the Student Contact record.
- Link to Applications (Opportunities): If the email is about an admissions requirement, use the "Related To" search box to find their active Opportunity. This ensures the email appears in their application file.
- Handling Attachments:
- Scroll to the bottom of the log screen.
- Check the boxes next to relevant files (e.g., Transcript.pdf).
- Uncheck irrelevant images (e.g., email_signature_logo.png) to keep the database clean.
Productivity Tools: Templates & Tasks
The add-in offers more than just data entry; it includes tools to speed up your daily correspondence.
| Feature |
How to Use It |
| Email Templates |
Instead of typing the same "Missing Transcript" email repeatedly:
- Draft a new reply in Outlook.
- In the Salesforce panel, click the Templates icon.
- Search for your department's standard responses.
- Click to insert the text instantly.
|
| Create Tasks |
If you can't answer an email right now:
- Click the Log Email button.
- Ensure the "Create a Task" option is checked.
- Set a due date for tomorrow.
- This adds the email to your Salesforce Task list as a reminder to follow up.
|
Creating New Contacts
If an email arrives from a new inquiry who isn't in Salesforce yet, you can create a Contact record immediately.
Note on Opportunities: Do not manually create Opportunities (Applications) via the Outlook plugin. These are generated automatically by the system when a student applies. Only create Contacts manually.
- Check First: The panel searches automatically. If it says "No records found," it is safe to proceed.
- Create New: Click the (+) icon in the panel header and select New Contact.
- Auto-Fill: Salesforce extracts the name and email from the header. You only need to select the "Contact Type" (e.g., Prospective Student).
Troubleshooting
Panel Not Loading? If the side panel is blank or spinning, click the Menu icon (three lines) in the panel and select Refresh. If that fails, close and reopen Outlook.
- Grayed Out Buttons: If you cannot click "Log Email," ensure you have actually selected a specific email in your inbox. You cannot log from the general inbox view.
- Desktop vs. Web: Remember that while the features are the same, the icon location differs.
- Desktop: Home Ribbon (Top)
- Web: Message Header (Three dots ... menu)