A:? Great question!? Here is my three-part answer:
- You don?t have to take it with you!? The first thing to keep in mind is that you don?t have to take a copy of every flyer, brochure, promotional item,?sample, and business card that comes your way at a networking event! If someone is handing out stuff, I usually take their business card and ask if they have a website I can refer to later (they usually do). If the materials are already sitting at my place at a luncheon table, and I don?t want them, I simply leave them there. (If we are friends and I don?t take your stuff, keep in mind I probably have it at home already.) Sometimes I do take stuff, if it?s a service I?m actually?interested in for myself right now, or if the person handing it out seems interested in my services, or if I have someone in mind that I want to pass the brochure along to.
- Why take it if you aren?t going to follow up?? If you are going to contact the people you met at the event, you should do it right away. If I can?t follow up the next day, I figure I have up to a week to still be able to say, ?I enjoyed meeting you last week!? You might be surprised to learn that I don?t add everyone I meet to my database. Whether or not I follow up (or how soon) depends on how interested they were in my services, or vice versa, or whether I promised to send them something ? a referral, a copy of my newsletter, or other helpful info.? (A personal pet peeve of mine is being sent someone?s newsletter without permission.) I also do not follow up with people who were just handing out stuff to everyone they saw, as quickly as they could, without expressing interest in anyone else. If we meet again later and establish a?rapport, I can follow up with them then.
- Corral the clutter!? When you get home, I recommend you have a designated spot, probably in your office, to collect all your new goodies temporarily. I do have a? collection of ?networking clutter?, but I limit it to one small un-sorted bin. You could also designate a drawer, or a folder for flat stuff ? but do not let it overflow! This bin must be purged regularly to prevent the pile from taking over your office, and so there?s always room for new stuff. Get rid of duplicates and out of date materials. When you consider the way people change professions and contact info these days, much of it will be out of date anyway.? Get rid of the oldest stuff, including pens and samples you thought you?d use?but never did, to make room for new stuff. If, looking at it, you realize, ?Oh, I should call so-and-so,? call them now, or schedule a time on your calendar to follow up with them.
Happy, successful, clutter-free networking!
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Copyright 2011 by Hazel Thornton, Organized For Life.
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Tags: clutter-free, office, organizing system
Source: http://org4life.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/the-business-networking-clutter-conundrum/
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