If you find yourself missing out on potential clients,
contacts falling through the cracks, or not following up in
a timely manner, then your problem is simply a lack of an
efficient contact management system!

So let me ask you:

1. Do you have a record of each of your clients/colleagues
contact data, i.e. name, address, email, website, phone
number etc.?

2. Are you following up efficiently and effectively when a
potential client enquires about your services/programs?

3. Do you have a specific process in place for handling new
client enquiries?

If you've answered NO to one or more of these questions,
then you don't have a suitable contact management system in
place.

The good news...

This can easily be rectified! With a proper contact
management system in place you will be able to:

* Keep a note of clients, potential clients, and colleagues
contact information.

* Easily and effectively follow-up with a prospect.

* Locate critical client contact information quickly and
easily.

* Build your business.

Sometimes the simplest contact management can be all you
need so that you're not letting potential clients slip
through the cracks and you're following up in a timely
manner. When deciding on the most suitable contact
management system for your business, there are three basic
choices:

1. If you're currently using Outlook it comes with its own
contact address book, and Microsoft Office Professional
Edition 2003 and above comes with Business Contact Manager.
Outlook actually makes a good 'command central' for your
business as not only does it store all your crucial contact
management data, but you can also manage your emails, To Do
list, tasks, and schedule follow-ups so you won't lose an
important contact again due to lack of follow-up!

2. You can purchase stand-alone contact management software
such as ACT! This is a very robust contact management
system; the only downside - you can't use it to manage your
emails!

3. You can use an online contact management system - some
of which are free. This is a good choice, particularly if
you want to be able to access your contact data from any
PC, anywhere. And if you are working with a Virtual
Assistant it's very easy for them to maintain and update
your contact data too - they simply log in!

Which one to use depends on your level of expertise and
which one will work best for YOU and YOUR BUSINESS.

Don't let your business suffer due to an inefficient
contact management system. Follow my tips above to choose
a system that is right for YOUR business.

About the Author:

Office organization expert, Tracey Lawton, teaches
professional speakers, coaches, and authors how to operate
an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn
how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY
steps, and receive free how-to articles at
http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com