You've sent in your RSVP, forked out your $35 to $60, put on your favorite suit, grabbed a stack of business cards, and practiced your 30 second commercial in the mirror. You are all set to head out to meet your dream client over a plate full of chicken with brown sauce with mushrooms.
Then you are there, eating your chicken and wouldn't you know, your dream client IS sitting next to you. The next thing you know, you're making the rounds and you've got a pile of cards. You are excited as you mentally count all the dollars you just know will be filling up your bank account. Unfortunately, the reality is most people will never do anything with those numbers. The stack of cards ends up living in your purse, in your car or just sits in a pile on the desk. Can you see the dollars disappearing from your bank account? Don't leave your money on the table, or desk.
#1 So you've got a stack of cards in your hand, now what?
We all know that when we meet someone, we're supposed to smile, listen to what they say and then note on the card the date, where we met them and maybe an extra tid bit or two. But I don't want to talk about what to put on the card. I want to talk about where you PUT that card.
Ladies, pick a special spot in your purse to keep cards. Maybe that little zipper compartment that no one knows what to do with. Or pick up a little change purse. Just pick some place specific. Men, create a special spot in your wallet or pick a pocket. Every time you get a card or phone number, whether you are in the grocery store or out networking, it goes in the "card spot". This starts the process and eliminates, "Now where did I put that card?" syndrome.
#2 From one place to another
Now I don't know about you, but when I come home from a dinner meeting at 11pm I don't feel like entering contacts into a database. But you don't want to forget about the cards hanging out in your "card spot". You also don't want to create a pile of mystery cards.
Find a box or a pretty bowl to keep on your desk. This is your holding spot. Take your cards from your card spot, bundle them together and put them into your holding spot until you are ready to enter them into your database.
Hint: You can store phone messages, sticky notes with hand written phone numbers and other notes in your holding spot to make sure those numbers also get into your database.
#3 Enter into your database
Now if a card is in your holding spot that means it has not been entered into the database. So get typing. Even if there is a day or two between the actual meeting and you entering the info into your database, you have just made it really easy for you to find a phone number. If it's not in your database, it's either in your purse spot or in your holding spot.
How easy is that? No more tearing the office apart. Don't forget to back up your database. You wouldn't want to loose all that hard work.
#4 Take action
Wait, you're not done yet. Now that the name is in your database, send them an email, invite them to join your ezine list, hand write them a card, call them to set an appointment, mail then a sample. Do something, don't wait until you see them next time.
Here's the best part, now that you have put in all the info in your database and taken action you can throw away the card. No more clutter, yeah! If you can't bring yourself to actually throw the card away, create an entered box and put the card in the entered box.
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