Most of us have stacks of business cards we've collected over time that are cluttering up our desk drawers, in-boxes, or other spots around the office. It's good to make business contacts, but a stack of cards sitting around isn't helping you or anyone else. The reason to collect business cards is to do business! How many cards do you have right now that you've never done anything with? Do you even remember all those people? Think of what you're missing in terms of new clients you could gain, services you could use, and referrals you could exchange! This is especially important if you own a small business.
Go through your stacks and toss the cards with names or companies you no longer recognize. Organize those that are worth keeping. If you want to keep the physical cards, there are all sorts of ways you can organize them so that they're no longer clutter: plastic notebook pages, rotary files, card wallets, or miniature file cabinets. However, if you want to be able to work with the information, to make use of it, convert those cards into a database.
You can do this by entering the information manually into Outlook, Google Contacts, or some similar application, or you can do it more quickly and easily using a card scanner. These clever devices read business cards and automatically distribute the information on them into the proper fields in their software. They also capture the image of the card for visual reference. There are so many advantages to converting your card collection into a database; you really ought to consider doing it.
1. You no longer need the physical cards, so you can get rid of the clutter.
2. You can add personal notes to the records to jog your memory in the future.
3. You can search for a contact if you remember anything at all: name OR company OR where you met OR what you talked about.
4. You can export the data to your phone or PDA so that you always have it with you, to use or pass on to a colleague.
5. You can export the data to your email contact list to make it easier to stay in touch.
6. You can easily update the records when phone numbers or addresses change, or when you want to add information.
7. You won't waste time wading through dozens of cards hoping to spot the one you're looking for.
If you don't have the time to do this yourself, it's the perfect task for a virtual assistant or college student. They can type the information or zip the cards through a card scanner. A virtual assistant may even have a card scanner already. If you decide to buy a scanner, they're not terribly expensive and can be a great investment you'll use for years. Or take a look on eBay. There are always people upgrading to the latest version and selling their old one that still works perfectly.
There, you've made your office look better, work better, AND you've made it more likely you'll do business with your contacts!
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