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Organizing your Contact Information
Paper clutter is a huge problem for many of us, and one type of paper clutter I see a lot is contact information - little slips of paper, Christmas card envelopes, Post-its and even napkins with names, phone numbers and addresses on them. Why do we find it so hard to enter those pieces of information in our address books or electronic devices?
I think most address books are annoying because they only look good for a short while. You enter all your information into the book (which takes a while, but feels worth it - all your connections are now safely together in one place). But then your friends move, or change their names, or change their numbers, and you have to scratch out the old and put in the new. Even with White Out, it starts to look messy, AND the book gets so filled up you don't have enough room for any new friends. Sometimes the whole thing starts to fall apart because we use it so much.
To me, the solution is threefold:
Step 1: Gather all those scraps of paper, business cards, napkins and envelopes, and stuff them inside your address book or put them in a folder. At least now you have them all gathered together, and it should be easier to find them when you need them.
Step 2: Pick an electronic system for managing contact information (I know you have some pretty address books you've been planning to use, but they're just so impractical!). Whether you have a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer, it's so much easier (to me) to change information electronically than to do it in a paper system. Some options:
- If you have a smartphone or tablet with a camera, you can download CardMunch, ScanBizCards or some other app where you can take a photo of a business card and it will automatically enter the information into categories for you (you do have to check for accuracy and make corrections as needed, but it can save some time and it's kind of cool).
- OR you can start entering contact information in your phone manually every time you call a number. I never dial a number without entering it into my contacts list on my iPhone. If I'm already entering the number to call it, it's not that much extra work to type in the name that goes with it. Then I never have to type that number again. I just search my contact list, and the number's right there.
- There are tons of contact management systems in every email system, available for download for free, or available to purchase. These systems create databases allowing you to enter name, address, and phone, but also include company names, birthdates, family information, categories, notes about when you last contacted the person, or any special information you want to remember about them. Some of these systems (like Salesforce, for example) can even be set to remind you when to contact them again. Some of these may be more complex and expensive than you want or need, but you probably have some of these systems already loaded on your computer and just need to start using them. Consider Outlook, Gmail, or ACT, or search for contact management systems to find a system you like. On the iPhone, "Contacts" works fine for me.
- If you want to keep it simple, you can just create a Word or Excel list. Although less useful than other systems, you can type contact information in quickly and at least have something you can change easily without the mess of a paper system.
- NOTE: If you only feel comfortable with a paper system, I recommend something like a Rolodex system, where you can change out a card rather than having to scratch things out in a bound book, OR use one of the systems above and print out a copy. It will probably be neater than writing it all by hand, and if you do have to make changes and it starts to get messy, you can make the edits electronically and then print out a new copy of the card.
Step 3: Keep it up to date! Whenever you get a new phone number or address, try to enter it right away, or at least once a week. Be sure to place the piece of paper into your folder or printed-out copy until it's entered into your electronic or formal paper system. The important thing is to be able to find the information you need quickly, and having it all in one place is key to doing that.
What systems do you use to manage your contacts? Share your ideas by responding to this email, and I will publish some of your answers here next month. There are so many contact management resources available nowadays, we really don't need to see those little scraps of paper ever again! |
