Contact
Information
Who are
all these people?
Making use of all those business
cards and scraps of names and notes!
As
people checked into our hotel, they filled out a little registration card. We
would enter their names into our register, which logged their names into the
rooms they were assigned.
For
years, we would hang on to the registration cards and register for each year, referring
back to them each winter for our annual holiday card mailing and each spring
for our peak season reminders. Occasionally, we would sort through them to send
out a special card or reminder to invite people to visit us again for a
specific event.
Even
then, we knew that maintaining good relationships with people was critical to
our business success. I do wonder, though, how many opportunities we lost because
we didn’t have any capturing systems for people who just called in and asked
for rates or for those visitors we had to turn away when we were filled to
occupancy. Be that as it was, it was through this manual and rudimentary system
that we maintained our database. Today, there are much more sophisticated
systems.
Here are some keys to managing all of your contacts, which can help in
managing and nurturing your client database and personal relationships.
Keep everything in one place
Organizing
your contacts keeps your mind free to think, create, and innovate. Tools can
hold the details for you (e.g., MS Outlook, ACT!, Goldmine). A manual or
electronic database with a space for addresses will work.
Know where you put those names.
If you
require multiple databases to organize your contacts, schedule regular or
automated synchronization between them.
Clear
inactive names
Clear
out inactive names you no longer need. If you cannot picture the face of a
contact, delete from your database.
Keep
in touch with contacts
Stay
in touch with your contacts. This shows them you are reliable and they can
count on you. If hand-writing notes all the time does not work for you, use an
automated web-based program that helps you select a card, write your message
from your keyboard, and send it (e.g., www.Sendoutcards.com/5117).
File
business cards
A small
card binder is easy to carry and provides ready access—wherever you go. Or scan
the cards and incorporate the data electronically (e.g., CardScan).
Stay
up to date
With your
contact lists current, you can always find that important person. Microsoft
Exchange seamlessly updates your Blackberry database and synchronizes with your
computer. This prevents time-wasting duplicate entries (e.g., www.sherweb.com).
Employees
running amok? As
time went on and I started to sense that our guests were picking up on a
chaotic work environment, I knew there had to be a key to help us run the hotel
more efficiently. A better, easier way to grow our business.
That’s
when I joined the Chamber of Commerce. I was hoping to learn something that
would help. At sixteen, I was the Chamber’s youngest member.
My
fellow hotel owners were generous with their time and advice. They gave me a
crash course in hotel management. That’s when it finally registered: I had a
talent for strategizing and organizing.
You can use these key tips for improving your relationships––whether it
is for your internal customers, your colleagues, or your customers and clients.
Communicate
Encourage
employees for their input, and listen. Each employee needs to take time to
listen to ideas as well as instructions.
Put
everything in its place
Can
you and others find what is needed when it is
needed? Maybe it needs its own place—physically
or electronically or both. Labels help.
Pool
resources
Sometimes
it takes more than one brain to figure out what works for everyone. Brainstorm!
Make a computer file index
This is an efficient
way to track what everyone is doing, because each project has its own process
and work phases (e.g., Excel, SharePoint, or The Paper Tiger.)
Write an office procedures manual
Write
one—or reorganize and rewrite your old one. A written document keeps your
mission statement and work goals clear. These outlines of guidelines and
practices helps employees know what to expect of their jobs, what is expected
of them, and company practices.
Make
personal work spaces
Allowing
employees to personalize their work spaces gives them a comfortable working
environment and helps them feel they belong. Happy workers are the most
productive.
Allow
personal desk lighting
Natural
or full-spectrum lighting helps people focus on their work and reduces
eyestrain, which increases productivity and enhances innovation. Good lighting
also creates an inviting work space.
When
you have the right key, the right systems, for maintaining relationships and
managing processes, physical and emotional clutter disappears. And when it
does, it becomes much easier to manage your time and energy.
This blog post is an excerpt from Anne McGurty's book, Lost In Your Own Office. Available on amazon.com
http://www.annemcgurty.com 303-881-0174
http://www.facebook.com/strategizeandorganize
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