The ability to send polls via voting buttons has been around since Outlook 2010, yet it’s one of the most overlooked features in the popular desktop client. You can even view the poll results right in Microsoft Outlook itself.
Polls are fantastic for when you just need a quick idea of what your employees are preferring. What drinks do they want in the vending machine? What venue should the company party be at? Would they be interested in a discounted bus trip? Think of any yes/no or multiple choice option items.
(This is a Windows-only feature, sorry Mac users.)
In her LinkedIn Learning course, Instructor Jess Stratton explains how to quickly create a poll in Microsoft Outlook.
How to Quickly Create a Poll in Microsoft Outlook
To create and send a poll, create an email message and address and type it as normal (you can also do this on a forward or reply). I like to put the choices and context in the email message itself.
Change to the Options tab, and click Use Voting Buttons.
You have the following canned choices:
- Approve/Reject
- Yes/No
- Yes/No/Maybe
- Custom
The custom choice is where voting buttons really shine. In the Properties window that opens, clear out the highlighted text and put in your choices, separated by a semicolon.
That’s it! Send your message. At the top of the message, users are directed where to click to cast their vote (I like to also mention that in the body of the email).
You’ll get an email response for every vote cast, and can view both the individual vote and the tabulated results in any of those emails. Only the original sender of the poll can view the results.
Want to learn more productivity hacks like this? Watch the LinkedIn Learning series, Monday Productivity Pointers.
Tips within the course include how to:
- Safely clearing drive space in macOS
- Delay delivery of your emails
- View or hear Alexa recordings
- Use two web browsers to streamline work
- Recover unsaved documents in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Topics: Productivity tips
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