Mail Lists - what are they?

In Theatre Manager, a Mail List is a collection of patrons that fit a particular criteria that you define. Mail Lists can be used to create Mail Labels, merged with Form Letters or executed to gather statistical data. Mail lists are different from reports.

	Mail Lists are always about WHO. If your question is WHO has purchased tickets or WHO has made a donation your answer is likely to be found in a Mail List.
	However, if you are looking for WHAT they donated, or WHEN they volunteered, or WHY they bought tickets, then your answer will be in a report - not a Mail List.

A mailing list can be directed at a certain group of patrons based on some attribute they share, such as age, location or a viewing choice. Many mail lists can be created and a patron can belong to numerous lists. Several lists can be combined to create one list. Mail lists are easily deleted when no longer required. A mailing list has a number of applications, particularly in marketing. By targeting a mailing list to specific patrons information is aimed at those most likely to be interested while saving money by avoiding those who are not. For example:

A Musicals mail list can be created for all patrons who have attended musical productions, or manually added to the list because they have shown an interest in purchasing a ticket to a future musical. You can then use this list to send personalized letters, print labels, or create reports.

This list can also be used to create another mail list. For example:

You can use the Musicals mail list to create another mail list that includes everyone on the musicals mail list but exclude patrons who have purchased tickets to the current musical.

Theatre Manager's reporting capabilities also create lists. For example, mailing labels for patrons who bought tickets today can be created using reports. Similarly lists of patrons with tickets to a particular play, lists of personnel, a general mail list, and lists of donors can be created from reports.

The difference between lists generated from Theatre Manager's report module and lists generated from mail lists are:

• A patron must be added to a mail list to be included in a report.

• The patron record remains attached to a mail list until it is removed.

• Mail Lists can include patrons selected at random.

• A list generated from reports requires the included patrons must meet the specified criteria.

• The reporting module's search capabilities locates records that meet the search criteria entered. If the criteria changes, or the data recorded on the patron record changes, the patron may no longer be included on the list the next time a report is generated.

Mail lists should be avoided for things that Theatre Manager does for you automatically such as general mail lists, ticket purchases, and actual donors.

Mail Lists can be accessed in the menu through Setup >> Mail Lists.

You can download the Cheatsheets (1-2 pages) and Screencasts (online video demonstrations of the functions with narration) by clicking on the icon.	Cheatsheet (pdf)	Flash ScreenCast	MP4 ScreenCast
Create a Mail List
Creating a Query
Deleting Mail Lists
Merging Mail Lists
Conditions Cheatsheet