Follow-up and doing what you say you’re going to do is critical to building and maintaining effective relationships.

Everyone I know has their own way of keeping track of their list of things to do – whether it’s handwritten lists, memos in a PDA, items from memory, or that spot (is it a stack?) on the desk that collects reminder notes.  It’s a challenging task, no matter how we choose to remember what it is that needs to get done.

The way I gauge how well I am handling items that require follow-up is to look at the number of business cards I have not filed.

I exchange business cards with people almost daily – whether it’s at a meeting, an event, or through an introduction.  The exchange of business cards has evolved into a perfunctory ritual that usually requires some sort of follow-up – perhaps a letter or a proposal, or a call, or providing some sort of information.

Once I have someone’s card, I then need to file it in my “system” – and this is no easy task to perform.  So, my stack of cards continues to grow.

When I fail to follow-up in a timely manner, I generally lose out on an opportunity!

The cards on my desk represent contacts with needs that I can and perhaps should satisfy.  When my response time is poor, I open the door for someone else to meet that need.

Receiving a business card is a significant gesture, although many of us simply view it as a means of obtaining someone’s name, number and email address.  It is important to recognize that the person who gives you their card has a reason for wanting to maintain future contact.

If you don’t think managing business cards is a critical business function, try answering the following questions.  When you exchange cards, is there a verbal or implicit understanding that you will engage is some type of follow-up?  Do you do what you say you’re going to do?  If you do, do you do it when you say you will? Do you do it the way you said you would?  If you answered any of the questions negatively, you might have damaged or be in the process of damaging a potentially vital business relationship.

Fast vs. Slow Follow-Up

Usually when I meet people and exchange cards, follow-up is required.  If you don’t think follow-up is important, consider the impression someone made on you when they followed up in a timely manner.

When I’m on the receiving end of timely and efficient follow-up, I immediately think: “what an organized person,” or “my need must be really important to them,” or “I bet this is the way they handle all of their business matters.”  All of these thoughts are very positive!

Now consider what happens when follow-up is late or poor.

When people are slow in getting back to me, my thoughts tend to be negative.  I usually say to myself, “Maybe they have too much going on to address my need,” or “What took so long,” or “This must not be very important to them.”  Unfortunately, these assumptions could be wrong – but without timely follow-up, it’s difficult to tell.

That habit of letting things like business cards or phone messages stack up can not only create a negative impression, but it can also send a negative message about you and your organization’s approach to business relationships.

Be Systematic

Many people have not taken the time to develop an organized way of handling actions that constitute the necessary follow-up most often associated with business introductions.  While some people don’t receive enough cards for follow-up to be a problem, others don’t view the follow-up as a priority.  Still, others put the information away in their wallet, purse or briefcase and then forget about it.  Then there are people like me, people who have a system but have difficulty sticking to it.

Here are some hints that might help you, or someone you know, become more systematic in handling business cards:

v      Write pertinent information on the card.  This could include the date of the initial meeting, the person who provided the introduction, the name of the event where you met the person, the follow-up to be performed, mutual acquaintances or interests, or any other information that can help you remember the business contact and what you need to do in the way of follow-up.

v      List the follow-up or next steps on a separate piece of paper or file.  Extract what information you need from the card, then work on what needs to be accomplished.

v      Get a business card scanner.  I don’t have one, but everyone I know with the device loves it.  The scanner can immediately take key information from the card and enter it into a database or contact management system.

v      Use a contact management system.  This will allow you to store contact information and opportunities on a computer with greater speed and accuracy.  Using a palm pilot with ACT is preferable to notebooks with sheets of business cards.

v      Buy card holders, card files, or other storage tools.  Be sure to sort cards with a system that works for you.  Business cards can be filed alphabetically, by event, by organization, by date received, or any other criteria that is meaningful to you.

Setting Priorities

Not all follow-up is equally important.   Some items, such as urgent client needs and new opportunities, require immediate attention while other items are much less pressing – although still important.  Determine which items move your agenda forward and warrant completion as soon as possible.  If you don’t have the time to do everything, be sure to tackle the most important things first.  Always prioritize your follow-up items in relation to the other items on your “to do” list.

To help you move towards a more effective systems of managing the business cards you receive, determine what actions you would take for the following scenarios:

Your responses to the preceding scenarios will be driven by what is important and urgent to you, as well as by your long term mission and goals, but the point of the exercise is to help you to appreciate the strategic importance of managing business cards.

Summary

The lessons involved with effective card management are relatively simple:  Once introductions are made, follow up as quickly as possible.  Your response to receiving business cards provides others with a good indication of how you work and how you react to opportunities.  Managing business card information is a very subtle but potentially crucial form of communication and business development.  Finally, don’t let the potential of business cards go to waste!