Daily Biz Solutions

There is no point attending a networking event if you don’t follow up on the contacts that you make. This is one frustration I have with fellow networkers. Why attend if you don’t want to build a relationship? After speaking with someone, write down details of your conversation on their business card so that you can record the information on your database for future use.

This is where you can take the initiative and be proactive with your networking. Take the lead and call or email the people with whom you connected. As a starting point to the follow-up, look at your database for information on common interests gleaned from the conversation you had so that you can use this to continue to build your relationship.

Contact Database/Management
Once you start attending networking events, you will start collecting a lot of business cards. You need to make sure you have some sort of database upon which you can store this information. I receive a lot of business cards on my travels but I don’t keep any in my office apart from my own. That is because all the information has been put onto my contacts database.

Top tip: Record all details from the business card on your database, including the postal address (Christmas cards, thank you notes, etc). There are many different software packages that you can use for your database, including:

Excel
A spreadsheet is nice and easy to use as a database. I use a spreadsheet for both my businesses as a ‘flat database’ because I have different worksheets for different aspects.

CRM software
Dedicated CRM software like ACT is fully integrated and allows you to record every contact you have with people.

Outlook
Depending on which version you use, you can use the contacts section or Business Contact Manager to store the information. Outlook can also link all your contact with people.

Access
This is a traditional database, but many people aren’t sure how to use it to its full capacity. If you are not familiar with this software, I would recommend you use something simpler.

Just remember to choose something that is easy to maintain as it is something that needs to be up-to-date to be used effectively.

About the author
Emma Walker is a co-founder of VA Success Group, a company devoted to helping Virtual Assistants build and grow successful VA businesses. If you’d like to receive invaluable tips and advice on creating your perfect VA business, visit http://vasuccessgroup.co.uk/virtual-assistant-freebies/

Every marketing effort must start with the same thing-a list. This list is most commonly known as a database and for some it can be difficult and overwhelming to put together that database. This can be even more difficult if a database has never been created. Below I have outlined ideas to help create or update your database.

Tip #1: Set aside time

Just like an important appointment, time must be blocked out to work on your database. If you don’t have a database or it has been awhile since you have updated your database, set aside one hour for five consecutive business days to work in your database. You will be amazed at how much you have accomplished if you stick to one hour a day for five days!

Tip #2: Create an Excel Spreadsheet

It is hard to gather information if you don’t know the information that you are looking for. Start simple and small when creating the spreadsheet and create columns for name, address, city, state, zip code, contact type and maybe primary phone and email address. Many people want to add in details about their transaction history with their clients or prospects, but that information isn’t important for direct mail or email marketing. Those details can be added later and by adding fewer details now it will seem like a less daunting task.

Tip # 3: Family and Friends

If your family and friends are not in your database you are missing a crucial list for potential business. These are the people that like you and want to do business with you. Sending them direct mail pieces is a good way to remind them what you do and that you always appreciate their business and referral business. To create a list of family and friends handwrite or type a list of all of your family and friends. Then email the people on your list and ask them for their mailing address. When they respond copy and paste their information into your Excel spreadsheet.

Tip # 4: Past Clients

Spend time going through your sales receipts or closed transaction files. Gather the necessary information from your files on your past clients so you can include them in your database. If you have been out of touch with your past clients for quite awhile it makes most sense to go back a minimum of 2-4 years of clients files. Any longer then that and your clients may not remember who you are making it a waste of time and money to market to them. It is critical to any business to stay in touch with their clients to ensure repeat and referral business.

Tip #5: Business Partners

Go through all of the business cards you have in your Rolodex or card file. One by one take time and add these names to your database. Add names of business people that you have worked with on transactions. Add names of people you have met at networking events or those you have been referred to. Most importantly, add those that you work with on a regular basis such as your accountant or financial advisor. Those that you work with already know how you do business and can be a great source of referrals!

Tip #6: Maintain your database

Once you do all of the hard work of either creating or updating your database it is important to maintain that database on a monthly basis. Set aside 4 different times a month for 15 minutes a time to update your database. When it is broken up into small time periods it is much easier to update and maintain. It also makes sending out that marketing piece a less daunting task!

Copyright 2010 Automated Marketing, Inc.

Your client database is the hub of many of your legal marketing methods. Your newsletter feeds from these contacts, your “Contact Us” page on your website delivers new contacts into its files, and your marketing statistics draw their data from your numbers. Without a good client database and proper software to manage it, your legal marketing could become an unnecessary hassle.

Getting Entries in Your Client Database

One of the major parts of your legal marketing plan that funnels into your database should be your Contact Us page on your website. If you’re offering free information to potential clients, the order form should also add clients to your database, with the option to opt-in to your newsletter.

You should also be including any non-electronic contacts, such as word-of-mouth referrals, phone referrals, and walk-in clients. Having a paper version of the information you gather on your website contact forms is an easy way to capture the same information for your database as the online forms.

Other additions to your database should be (with permission, of course) other local attorneys who do not directly compete with your practice areas, outside vendors you use, local friends and relatives, and other professionals who would be in a position to refer you to their clients.

Client Database Management Software

The key to a good client database is to have good database management software. You should be able to easily integrate the software with your contact form on your website so new client contacts are automatically added into your client database. It should be simple to manually add contacts as well, such as those referred to you by personal references, phone calls, or walk-ins.

Another feature that’s important for client database software is the tracking of how the client found you. Knowing where the contact came from is important when analyzing the success of your legal marketing.

Good Client Database Etiquette

Don’t look at your client database as a goldmine of names and addresses you can mass legal market to. Remember that with any legal marketing strategy, being consistent but not bothersome is the balance you need to achieve.

Always include an option to opt-out of communications in all legal marketing pieces you send. This doesn’t mean remove that client from your database, but rather to just mark them as not interested in whatever type of legal marketing material they chose to opt out of.

Keep your client database running smoothly and be courteous as to how and when you contact your clients and you’ll have a self-running legal marketing machine in no time!

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