g2x675c

Produce Results Faster by Making a Structure for your Connections

Having a contact database is a no-brainer when it comes to customers and prospects. Everyone knows they need one, whether they actually have one or not. Customers and prospects are some of the most valuable assets that a business has, and staying in touch with them en masse, in groups, or one-on-one is very important to sales success. Im not sure, however, that a broader contact database that consists of others besides customers and prospects is also considered an asset by most business owners. And it definitely should be.

A connection database, a repository for all the non-customer/prospect contacts that you have, is a very important component of your marketing and business success. This is your network, the web of people with whom you have some level of relationship, from passing acquaintance to a close and abiding link. Keeping track of your network will do wonders for your business (and your life!).

Having a structure for building and managing your connections will:

* give you easy access to resources when you need them.

* allow you to nurture your relationship through frequent communication with your connections.

* make it simple to connect people in your network.

* let you see where you might have gaps in your resource network so that you can work on filling them.

When I say structure, I dont necessarily mean a highly sophisticated tool such as ACT!, though a program like that would certainly do the job. To start with, a spreadsheet program will work fine. If you use Microsoft Outlook, you can use the contact module there (which, by the way, works with the contact section of the MS Sharepoint online workflow tool).

Whatever you use as the structure for your connection database, the main thing in setting it up is to decide what your categories and identifiers should be. Name, address, phone, and email are pretty obvious; what about other information? How about what business they are in? Web site address(es)? Names of spouse, kids, admin assistant, or other key people who are in some way connected to the person? Do you want a general note section (where you can jot down things like where/when you met, last time you talked, what transactions youve done with or for them) or do you want to categorize certain bits of information that will apply to many people?

If you are already using some kind of system for your customers and prospects, whatever you are using would work for your connection database; you may need to alter or add categories or identifiers for the new list. Alternatively, if you dont yet have a customer/prospect list, whatever you set up for your connections can certainly be used for that as well.

Of course, getting the system set up is just part of the task. The list needs to be maintained, with new names added as you make new connections and current names updated with new information. And just having the list wont do much for you if you dont use it. Keep it with you (in your PDA or laptop computer) and make use of it to ramp up your networking. You will definitely see results from the effort!