The Consensus Outlook Add-in takes several feature elements available within Consensus Snap and builds them right inside of Outlook. This article will walk through Installing and Using this Add-in

Using the Consensus Outlook add-in allows Users to send DemoBoards directly from Outlook. In this article, we will cover the installation, configuration and how to create DemoBoard links right inside of Outlook

• Installation & Configuration
• Creating a DemoBoard link in Outlook
• Permissions

Installing and Configuring the Consensus Outlook Add-in

You can find the Consensus Outlook add-in right in the Microsoft App Store here. 

NOTE* When you install an add-in in Outlook.com, it will appear in other versions of Outlook as well. For example, if you install an add-in in Outlook.com, you will see the add-in when you open Outlook.

1.  Select "Get it now" and fill out the needed profile information 

   

    

2. Once you select Continue it will bring you to the Admin Center where you can determine how you want install the Add-in for your Organization 

   

   1. Determine who you want to Assign the Add-in to then select 'Next'
   2. Review and Accept the Consensus Add-in permissions by selecting 'Next' 

      

       

   3. Then Review and finish deployment by clicking 'Finish deployment'

      

       

   4. Once deployed you will see the green checkmark next to Outlook. Click 'Done' to exit the Deployment completed page.

      

       

Note* It can take up to six hours for the app to appear in Outlook according to Microsoft

Once the installation is complete, open Outlook. If Outlook is already open, you will need to close and re-open it. Once opened, you can launch the Add-in within Message Tab » Apps.

Click the Consensus Add-in which will prompt you to add your Consensus email address and password. Enter your Consensus Credentials and click Sign In or authentiate via SSO.

You are now connected to Consensus and ready to use the Add-in to send out unique DemoBoard links right from inside of your Outlook!

Creating DemoBoard links with the Consensus Outlook Add-in

Now that you have installed and configured the Consensus Outlook Add-in, you can easily create DemoBoard links for the recipients within your emails. Below we will walk you through the process of creating a DemoBoard for your email recipients with some Tips and Tricks along the way!

1. Start by Creating your Email (whether that is a New Email or a Response i] to an existing email thread)
2. Add the recipient(s) you want to be invited to the DemoBoard within the 'To' Field

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      1. Consensus will automatically add these recipients to the Recipient Invite list when you create the DemoBoard, so you don't have to do it manually.
      2. TIP* Make sure the recipients are known Contacts within your Outlook so we can pull in their First & Last Names automatically for you too!
         1. Learn how to add a recipients to your Contacts list here
   2. Anyone added to the CC or BCC fields will not automatically be included within the DemoBoard invite
      1. TIP* This is a great way to add other Team members on your email without them being added to the DemoBoard invite link.

         

          

3. Now fill out the Subject and Body of your Email
   1. TIP* We recommend using terms like 'Personalized Video Demo For' or other terms denoting the unique experience they will have with your Consensus Demo. This helps drive interest and click-through rates!
4. Once you have the Subject and Body ready to go, place your Cursor where you want the DemoBoard link to appear

   

    

5. Now click the Consensus Icon inside Apps under the Message tab to initiate the Consensus Outlook Add-in. This will bring up the modal where you can create the DemoBoard for your recipient(s)

   

   If Consensus is not appearing inside Apps, try manually searching for "Consensus" and it should show up afterward.

The first step is to click Create DemoBoard and search/select from the dropdown which Demo you want to use within your DemoBoard invite.

Use "Search" or click the filter option to narrow down and find the demo you are looking for, you can also record/upload your own Demo.

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    You can rearrange them to set the viewing order, preview by clicking the eye icon, and add it to your favorites.

   

    

Selecting next will jump you to the next step (Recipients info)

8. Start by naming your DemoBoard. Use a clear and unique name to easily identify and track it later.

Next, make sure all of the recipients you want included within the DemoBoard invite are listed.

Consensus will Populate the Organization field based on the email domain of the first recipient

You can add additional Recipients here that you want to be part of the DemoBoard by clicking “Add Recipient +”. 

• Note* These recipients will not be added to your email
• Once your recipient info is set, select next to go to the next Step

9. In the next step, you can add a Personal Intro Video (PIV) to your DemoBoard.

• If you have an existing Personal Intro Video, the Add-in will use it by default. Use the Preview Icon to review your PIV before you send it!
• You can also create a custom PIV for this specific DemoBoard

Select 'Create Custom Personal Intro Video and then click 'Upload' or 'Record New'

 You can preview your PIV, download it to your computer, or delete it and record a new one

After recording, you will have a chance to Trim your Custom Intro Video as well as set a Title for it.

Once everything is set, simply click on 'Done Editing' and your Custom Intro Video will save in Consensus and show within the Intro Video step.

If you don't want to use the PIV feature, simply select to not include a PIV within the DemoBoard

10. The 4th step is to choose who you'd like to add as a notifier for this DemoBoard. A 'notifier' can either be a specific rep or reps on your team or a group which has been created within your account. These notifiers will receive the same notifications you receive when a prospect views, shares, or interacts with the DemoBoard. From this tab you can also toggle on the show user contact info, see this Article for more info on that feature. You can also enable 2FA, enable No-View Notification, set an expiration, or mark the DemoBoard as a test.

11. The final step is click the Create DemoBoard and determine which Link Type you want to insert within your email

• Image Link - The image link grabs frames from your Demos to create an image thumbnail. You can adjust the text shown within the thumbnail as well as determine if you want the text to appear on top of thumbnail.

TIP* You can adjust the size of the image by selecting it and then dragging one of the circles on the corners.

• Button Link - This allows you to build a button you can include within your email that will by hyperlinked to your DemoBoard.

TIP* Adjust the button text, corner radius, along with the fill and text color to personalize the button as needed!

Insert Link - This allows you to insert the actual URL text for the DemoBoard invite.
 

You’re all set! The DemoBoard link should now be pasted within your email body.

You can send it to your recipients and track their activity within the add-in or Consensus webapp.

Outlook Permissions

The Consensus Outlook Add-in requires permissions from both Outlook and your OS to use it at its full functionality. Below is a review of what permissions are needed:

• Outlook

Edit Email Body

This permission allows the Add-in to insert the DemoBoard link directly into the email body. It ensures a seamless experience by automatically embedding the necessary information into your emails.
 

• Read/Write TO Field

1. Read TO Field: The Add-in reads the TO field to automatically include these recipients and pass them to the DemoBoard for simplification creating process.
2. Write TO Field: The Add-in adds any additional recipients specified during the DemoBoard creation process to the TO field, facilitating smooth communication.

• OS

1. File System Access

This permission is required to upload assets such as the Personal Intro Video for your DemoBoards. It does not grant unrestricted access to your entire file system. The Add-in only interacts with files specifically chosen by the user for upload.
 

• Mic, Camera, and System Screen Access

1. These permissions are necessary for recording Personal Intro Videos. The Add-in accesses your microphone and camera solely to create these videos and does not use these devices without your explicit initiation.

• Addressing Security:

Regarding File System Access opening up the entire hard drive, it's important to note the following:

1. Restricted Access: The Add-in only has access to files you specifically select for upload. It does not have blanket access to your entire file system.
2. User Control: You have full control over what files are uploaded and shared.

If Plugin is Disabled

If you see "Plugin was disabled because it was slow to load", please follow these steps. Outlook expects plugins to load under a second. In our testing, the Consensus plugin loads within a second to 1.5 seconds.

In Outlook, click File, then in Info click Slow and Disabled Add-ins.

On the next screen, click Always enable this add-in.