Organizing Cards after an Event

When I attend a big event I collect a lot of business cards.  I often do not have time to enter the information to my contact database immediately, especially if I attend several networking events in a short amount of time.  So I put the collected cards into an envelope immediately after the event and label the envelope with the name, date and location of the event.

When I am ready to enter the details into my database I do three things:

1.  On the back of each business card I write the event, date and location.

2.  I enter the information in a file titled “Place of Contact”. This allows me to do more focused marketing.  A group visiting the same event probably has similar business interests.

3.  I email each person whose card I collected.  I mention where we met, briefly explain our products and services and tell them where to find more information on my website.  I even create different email address books for each event I attend.