Create A Unique Contact List

To create your reliable personal network, you need to identify the right people. You can read in Step 1 how you can do this. Over time the amount of people you’ve identified will grow. Below I describe how you can manage this growing number of contacts.

The contact list

List the people you enjoyed being with.

You can also use contact networks. But usually not everybody uses the same network. Some use LinkedIn, some XING, other only Facebook.

I propose you create a private contact list. A simple list. A list that contains what you personally need to contact or remember this person.

It is a bit like CRM – Customer Relationship Management.

While I was a Sales Consultant, my task was also to maintain our CRM system. There we even added the date, week or month of the last contact. It helps to remember the person better. It also helps to plan the keep-in-touch-part better.

Add new contacts to your list as long as the memory is “fresh”. Don’t wait till you met a dozen of new people. This will not work. You will not remember enough details.

And the details are key to make the difference.

Why are the details so important?

The details are important for two reasons.

First reason is, you remember the person better.

Second reason is, when you meet your contact the next time you can ask them specific questions to their projects, personality or private life.

You go deeper.

They will appreciate that you remember little details about them. This way you make the difference from the normal coffee talk.

Summary

Create a list that fits to your needs. But create a list. You will forget people and details over time. You will also forget the people you enjoyed being with.

Next step is the network maintenance. Sounds technical, but a network needs to be maintained. Otherwise it falls apart. Read the next and last post in this series to learn how.

Do these tips work for you? No? Let me know in the comments or by mail. I can help you to establish easily a reliable sustainable personal network.