Let's face it, sometimes this email stuff is a piece of cake. Sometimes it's rocket science. And sometimes the only thing that separates the two is a quantum of time or sleep your brain has been denied. When that happens it doesn't matter whether this stuff is cake or rockets. You just need to know how to make it work.

That's why I write the support update. And that's why we're talking about merging lists.

The merge list feature is an integral part of the Benchmark Email software but we occasionally get calls from users who can't quite find it. Follow along and we'll solve this enigmatic geography.

First, log into your Benchmark account and click on the Lists tab (seen above).

Step 2

This takes you to your Contact List Dashboard. From here, choose a list you'd like to merge (one or the other, it makes no difference), and click on the magnifying glass under your Tools column. This is your View Contact List option.

Step 3

I've used a sample list here but your detail page will have several more addresses in it. In the Contact List Activities box there is the Merge Contacts option (indicated with the red oval). Click it.

Step 4

This brings up our Merge Lists window. You can combine the list to a new list or to an existing list. For the sake of thoroughness: to merge the list to a new list, enter the name of the new list you want to create in the 'New List' box.

To merge to an existing list, select it by clicking the 'Existing' circle and choosing from the drop down menu. Once you've chosen your list, click the blue Submit button.

Piece of cake, right? A soothing green bar should appear at the top of your screen once you press Done, telling you that your contacts are being added. If you don't see the list immediately, don't panic. The list is usually processed within 30 minutes but it will depend on the list size and details.