Organizing Your Business Cards

You accumulate them from networking events, expos, and wherever you meet a contact. They end up in a pile on your desk, shoved in a drawer, or scattered all over your office. The cards multiply at record rates. You cringe at the thought of going through and organizing them.

I’m not going to give you a specific system because everybody functions differently. In this article, I will give you a push in the right direction and get you thinking a little about how you function with them.

Here are 8 questions to ask yourself:

1.?????How often do you grab a business card that you need?

2.?????How long does it take you to search for it?

3.?????Would it be easier to use LinkedIn or other software?

4.?????Do you prefer an old-fashioned Rolodex, a binder, a divided card holder, or a scanning system?

5.?????Do you have a vision of how you want to function, but can’t seem to get there?

6.?????Do you feel guilty throwing them away?

7.?????Do certain contacts fall into specific categories?

8.?????Do you really need them?

Create your systems.

Now that you’ve figured out how you use these cards, you can create a system. Think about how you function with the ones you need on a regular basis and then think about the system you want to use.

Here are samples of systems you could use:

• Connect with the contact on LinkedIn and toss the card – Be sure to send a quick note when connecting with a mention of how you met and maybe a tidbit of something fun that was discussed.
• Good ole’ fashioned Rolodex (Yes, people still use them, and they work just fine.)
• Divided card holder with tabs
• Binder with clear inserts specifically made for business cards – be sure to categorize based on how you function with them: Alphabetize, store by profession or frequency of use
• If they are people you refer to often – take a picture, save, and text it for quick referral access.

One more tip

Don’t spend a ton of money on fancy business cards or ones with a heavy thickness. Don’t waste your money. I’m in offices all the time and I can tell you that it doesn’t matter how much you spend. Most never get looked at again and a majority get thrown away, so if you think you’re standing out from the rest, think again. Use that extra money for something that will make a difference.

Remember that you are the one that has to function with this system, so create the system around how you function with your business cards. It’s a process and once you create the system, make it a habit to use it and tweak it if something is not working. The main point is to just get started. Business cards are a headache for so many people, but if you just take a moment and evaluate how you want to function, your headache will soon be gone.?

Need assistance getting organized? Give me a call at 401-323-1165, I'd love to help get you motivated, organized, and energized!

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