Blast Email - Mailing Types

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This article is ancillary to the Blast Email series of articles, and discusses PensionPro's available Mailing Types in greater detail. For users seeking to familiarize themselves with the basics of Blast Email, try the article Blast Email.

 

Understanding Mailing Types is crucial to utilizing Blast Email, as the Mailing Type is used to determine all of the following:

 

  • What criteria a Contact must meet to be eligible to be selected as a Blast Email recipient
  • Which column selections and filters can be applied to narrow down and sort potential recipients
  • Which Merge Fields can be used in the Subject and Body of the email
  • Who will appear to have sent the email
  • Where Interaction records are saved
  • Whether the Template can be used for Fast Blast

 

Article Contents

 

 

 

All Contacts

 

Tier Availability: Team, Business

 

The All Contacts Mailing Type is meant for communications to any Contacts stored in PensionPro, regardless of whether or not they are associated with a Plan, Proposal, or Prospect. This could be used for a holiday greeting, promotional material, or other announcements.

 

  • Any Contact saved in PensionPro can be selected as a recipient
  • Column selections, filters, and Merge Fields are limited to Contact/Relationship and Sales data
  • Can only be sent from a static email address
  • An Interaction will be saved to the Contact
  • Not eligible for Fast Blast

 

 

Census Requests & Reminders

 

Tier Availability: Team, Business

 

A Census Request Blast Email marks the first step of most Annual Administration Projects, and is used to notify a Plan's Sponsors that Data Collection is ready to be completed. A Census Reminder is sent at a later date in the event that Data Collection has not been completed.

 

The following criteria must be met for a Contact to be eligible to receive a Census Request or Census Reminder email:

 

  • The Contact is a Plan Contact Role
  • The Plan has an active Annual Administration-type Project with Web Collection enabled

 

Additionally:

 

  • A Census Request can only be sent when the first Task of Data Collection (Census Request Sent) is not complete
  • A Census Reminder can only be sent when the first Task of Data Collection (Census Request Sent) is complete, but the last Task (Final Approval) is not.

 

Other features of these Mailing Types:

 

  • Column selections, filters, and Merge Fields include Plan and Project data
  • Can be sent from a static email address, or from an Employee Plan Role
  • Allows Plan Contact Roles to be CC'd
  • An Interaction will be saved to the Contact and Plan
  • Automatically completes the Census Request Sent Task (Census Request only)
  • Eligible for Fast Blast

 

 

Distribution Requests & Reminders

 

Tier Availability: Business

 

A Distribution Request Blast Email is sent when Web Collection is enabled for a Distribution. This email notifies a Plan Sponsor that their approval is needed for the Distribution. A Distribution Reminder email is used when the Distribution has not been approved after some time.

 

The following criteria must be met for a Contact to be eligible to receive a Distribution Request or Distribution Reminder email:

 

  • The Contact is a Plan Contact Role
  • The Plan has an active Distribution-type Project with Web Collection enabled

 

Additionally:

 

  • A Distribution Request can only be sent when the first Task of Data Collection (Distribution Request Notification) is not complete
  • A Distribution Reminder can only be sent when the first Task of Data Collection (Distribution Request Notification) is complete, but the last Task (Approval and Submission) is not.

 

Other features of these Mailing Types:

 

  • Column selections, filters, and Merge Fields include Plan and Project data
  • Can be sent from a static email address, or from an Employee Plan Role
  • Allows Plan Contact Roles to be CC'd
  • An Interaction will be saved to the Contact and Plan
  • Automatically completes the Distribution Request Notification Task (Distribution Request only)
  • Eligible for Fast Blast

 

 

General Web Collection Requests & Reminders

 

Tier Availability: Business

 

A General Web Collection Request is sent as the first step of a General Web Collection Project, notifying a Plan Sponsor that they must submit the necessary information via PlanSponsorLink. A General Web Collection Reminder can be utilized in the event that Web Collection has not been completed after some time.

 

The following criteria must be met for a Contact to be eligible to receive a General Web Collection Request or General Web Collection Reminder email:

 

  • The Contact is a Plan Contact Role
  • The Plan has an active General Web Collection-type Project with Web Collection enabled

 

Additionally:

 

  • A General Web Collection Request can only be sent when the first Task of Data Collection (Collection Request Notification) is not complete
  • A General Web Collection Reminder can only be sent when the first Task of Data Collection (Collection Request Notification) is complete, but the last Task (Approval and Submission) is not.

 

Other features of these Mailing Types:

 

  • Column selections, filters, and Merge Fields include Plan and Project data
  • Can be sent from a static email address, or from an Employee Plan Role
  • Allows Plan Contact Roles to be CC'd
  • An Interaction will be saved to the Contact and Plan
  • Automatically completes the Collection Request Notification Task (General Web Collection Request only)
  • Eligible for Fast Blast

 

 

Plan Contacts

 

Tier Availability: Team, Business

 

Plan Contacts is a general-purpose Mailing Type for sending Plan-related Blast Emails to any Contacts assigned as a Plan Contact Role.

 

  • A Contact must be assigned as a Plan Contact Role to be an eligible recipient
  • Column selections, filters, and Merge Fields include Plan and Project data
  • Can be sent from a static email address, or from an Employee Plan Role
  • Allows Plan Contact Roles to be CC'd
  • An Interaction will be saved to the Contact and Plan
  • Eligible for Fast Blast

 

 

Plan Contacts - No Duplicates

 

Tier Availability: Team, Business

 

The Plan Contacts - No Duplicates Mailing Type functions as a hybrid between the Plan Contacts and All Contacts Mailing Types. Any Contact assigned to a Plan Contact Role is eligible to receive this Mailing Type; however, Plan Contacts - No Duplicates does not associate these individuals with their Plans, and should not be used for sending Plan-related data. Instead, this can be a useful option in instances where a general-purpose notification needs to be sent to many Plan Contacts, but an individual serving as a Contact Role for multiple Plans should only receive the notification once.

 

  • A Contact must be assigned as a Plan Contact Role to be an eligible recipient
  • Column selections and Merge Fields are limited to Contact/Relationship and Sales data
  • Filters include Plan and Project data
  • Can only be sent from a static email address
  • An Interaction will be saved to the Contact
  • Not eligible for Fast Blast

 

 

Proposal Contacts

 

Add-On Availability: SalesPitch

 

The Proposal Contacts Mailing Type is used when sending Proposal-related Blast Emails to Contacts assigned as a Proposal Contact Role.

 

This Mailing Type is only available with the SalesPitch add-on.

 

  • A Contact must be assigned as a Proposal Contact Role to be an eligible recipient
  • Column selections, filters, and Merge Fields include Proposal, Opportunity, and Investment Provider data
  • Can be sent from a static email address, or from the Employee assigned to the Proposal
  • An Interaction will be saved to the Contact and Proposal
  • Not eligible for Fast Blast

 

 

Prospect Contacts

 

Add-On Availability: SalesPitch

 

The Prospect Contacts Mailing Type should be utilized when sending Prospect-related Blast Emails to Contacts assigned as a Prospect Contact Role.

 

This Mailing Type is only available with the SalesPitch add-on.

 

  • A Contact must be assigned as a Prospect Contact Role to be an eligible recipient
  • Column selections, filters, and Merge Fields include Prospect data
  • Can be sent from a static email address, or from the Employee assigned to the Prospect
  • An Interaction will be saved to the Contact and Prospect
  • Not eligible for Fast Blast