How to set up my auto-signature in Microsoft Outlook

When you send an email, is there an auto-signature at the bottom of the body of your email? If not, consider this...

When you send an email to a new recipient, they'll receive your name and email address, but no other useful contact information. Even when sending emails within your own company, a recipient might not be sure what your job function is, or what department you're from.  Generally, it's best to have some form of auto-signature that contains not only your name, but your telephone number, location, address, fax number, and job title. This is helpful not only to customers, but also to vendors and fellow coworkers. It also lends an air of professionalism to your email communications.

Here's how to do it:

1. In the upper left hand corner of Microsoft Outlook, click on File, then click on Options from the menu on the left.
2. In the Outlook Options box, click on Mail on the left hand side.
3. Click Signatures
4. Click New, and give the signature a name "work", "Mill Creek", etc..., whatever you like.
5. In the Edit Signature box at the bottom, create your signature just like you're typing a document in Word.  You can use different fonts and font sizes.
6. If you would like to attach a company logo to the bottom of your signature, click the "Insert Picture" button on the right.  It may or may not be labeled as such, but is usually the 2nd to last button on the right of the editor tools.  Browse to where you have saved the logo that you desire.  You can download the appropriate logo here.
7. After adding a logo picture, you may need to resize it in case it's too large or too small.  Click one of the four corners of the image, and drag it to the desired size and release the click.
8. Use the following format, please:  name, title, company, address, contact information, such as the example below.
9. Once you've created the signature, you'll need to set it as your default signature by dropping down the New Messages and Replies/Forwards drop-downs on the upper right, and selecting the signature you just created.
10. Click OK twice, and you're all done!

Matt Sloan
Director of Information Technology
Mill Creek Lumber & Supply, Co.
6974 E 38th ST
Tulsa, OK 74145
918.794.3640
[e-mail]

P.S. - PLEASE do not commit the cardinal sin of misspelling your own company's name.  We regularly see auto-signatures that say Millcreek Carpet or Millcreek Lumber.  Mill Creek is two words, just like Atlantic Ocean is two words.  Just one more way we can communicate a high level of professionalism inside and outside the company.