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What To Do With All Those Business Cards?
© Jan Jasper 2000-2002
Get Rid of Those You Don't Need
Everyone collects lots of business cards, and nobody really knows what to do
with them. We're afraid to throw them out. But there's little benefit in saving
them in a jumble in your drawer. There are a variety of containers available,
from plastic to electronic.
But to think first about storage misses the point.
Before you think about "What's the best place to put them?" ask
"Would I really need this again, and if so, why --and when?" Be firm;
get rid of cards from people you are not likely to contact in the future. If you
have a great many business cards, it can actually backfire-the more cards you
have, the harder it is to find a specific one when you need it. Less is more--
It's easy to keep them in order, and easier to find when you need them. And
remember, the point isn't to collect the cards, but to keep them in a way that
makes it easy to use them.
Add Useful Details
Once you've decided which cards are keepers, jot a note on back of each card
stating where you met the person and what you might contact them about. This
should be done as soon as possible, especially if you return from a networking
event with a pocketful of cards--otherwise when you come across the cards later,
you'll have no clue as to who these people are.
Different Ways to Store Your Cards
Now that you've culled your cards and made notes on them, you're ready to
think about where to put them. Don't use plastic business card books with a
dozen or so slots per page--it's impossible to keep cards alphabetized. If you
insist on staying low-tech, use a Rolodex with alphabetical tab dividers. The
alphabet's easy for people whose names you'll recall later, but what about
service providers who are recommended to you that you're merely keeping in case
you need them later on? Let's say your friend Jane Smith recommends a great
cyberlaw attorney named Joe Moon. If you file it under Moon you won't remember
the name. File it instead by category-under Lawyer, under L in your Rolodex. Do
the same for plumbers and accountants and anyone else you might do business
with.
The Power of Software
But the old fashioned Rolodex is limited. It's much more effective to use
contact-management software (Outlook, Act, Goldmine, Maximizer, are some popular
brands). This gives you the best of both worlds-if you tag Joe Moon's record
with the word "lawyer," you can locate him by looking up
"Moon" or "lawyer" and find him either way. If you also note
that Jane Smith recommended him, you can look it up this way too. Such software
does more than automatically alphabetize your entries by contact name, company
name, and type of business. It also provides almost unlimited room to type notes
on each contact. You can record when you last talked to them and about what. It
can also save a record of e-mails you sent to or received from them. Used fully,
contact management software keeps a record of all your dealings with each
person. This does more than supplement a faulty memory. It permits you to slice
and dice your data in a variety of ways. You could search for all referrals who
were sent by a certain person, all the prospects who phoned you in July, all
clients in a certain zip code, all clients who spent over a certain dollar
amount, etc.
Should You Buy a Card Scanner?
If you have a great many cards, you may not want to type them all into your
software. There are small, inexpensive scanners made specifically for business
cards that capture all the text information on the business card (name, company
name address, phone, fax, and e-mail address) and feed it directly into your
contact management program. This could save a lot of time if you collect tons of
cards, for example if you attend trade shows and plan to follow up by doing a
big mailing. But I've heard mixed reports about the accuracy of the card
scanners. They are often thrown off by graphics, unusual fonts, speckled paper,
and so on. It can take time to get the hang of it. Card scanners probably aren't
worth the bother if you only have a small number of business cards.
About the Author
Since 1988, Jan Jasper has been helping clients streamline their systems,
use technology efficiently, manage information overload, and form optimum work
habits. Jan is the author of "Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control
of Work, Information, & Technology" (St. Martin's Press). Through
her consulting, seminars, and book, she has helped thousands of people work more
effectively. Visit www.janjasper.com.
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Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control
of Work, Information, & Technology
