We all know the value of referral marketing. So why do so few of us make a real effort to index and categorise the most valuable information we collect when we are business networking?
What to Do
Scan
Start by scanning the cards you are given into a digital format that avoids the need to manually transcribe all that contact information. There are a variety of ways to do this. Some Smart-Phones have applications available that instantly transform a photograph of a business card into a contacts entry. Business card scanners are available at modest cost.
Import
Import this valuable data into your CRM system. If you use spread-sheets or if you use one of the available CRM tools, the rules are the same. Import data into your CRM system and classify the cards based on the information you wrote on each when you were in front of the owner.
Classifications
The categories you use to classify business cards will be function of your business. Some people will be useful to know for one reason or another, others less so. Think in terms of your business and the type of people you want to meet. Here are some suggestions for classifications to consider:
- Suspect - somebody that you suspect might one day, with careful nurturing, turn into a prospect.
- Prospect - a person you meet who will be buying services like yours sometime soon.
- Referrer - those people you meet who are most likely to be looking for a business like yours to complement their own operation. These are the gold standard businesses who regularly have opportunities for you which they share out.
- Supplier - when you are networking, be on the look-out for good quality businesses which have little or no overlap with your own business and to whom you can easily pass referrals.
- Resource - knowledgeable individuals who can help your contacts with information and advice.
- Card collector - we have all met these. These people attend a myriad of networking events wasting everybody's time. Be careful though. Your card-collector might be my prospect.
- Salesman - Too busy pitching and selling to take any notice of the people they meet.
Plan Follow-Up
With a classification for all these cards, you can now plan and implement your follow-up in a timely manner. And you can start to keep the promises you made when you collected the cards.
Still Struggling
There are a lot of articles and information on the web to help you become a better networker. This blog post is not designed to help with your networking skills. Rather it is concerned with the systematic approach to information collection, collation and action points.
