MARKETER’S TOOLBOX | Keeping Your Contacts in Context

A question or lead comes across your desk (email of course) and you slowly connect the dots to someone you met at an event one time….. but who and where?! Whether the reason is workload, a job transition, or simply getting out of practice, it is too easy to fall behind in maintaining your contact list (speaking from personal experience), but a valuable practice to help build your network and develop your business.

From marketing assistant to firm Principal, EVERYONE should maintain a contact list. You never know when your memory will be tested so why not keep a cheat sheet!

These tips may seem elementary but when you let the practice lapse, it is quite daunting to catch up again and you don’t want to get caught forgetting a would-be-VIP contact:

• Take notes on the business card as soon as you can – date and event/location you met the person, work (similar clients, firm services) and personal (2 kids, vacations in FL, from your hometown) connections made.
• Set time aside each week to enter into your contact system, Outlook or other.
• Periodically back up your contacts into Excel.
• Consider researching free apps that will scan and organize business card information (there are countless free options to it may take some trial and error to find what works for you).