Re: Contact management

[Jane Bergen <janeb -at- IADFW -dot- NET>]

DayTimer's sells a great form for doing this. It's called the
Communications Record and is available in several sizes. However, I
prefer to make up my own form and maintain it electronically. For
this I use Word and create the form by making a Word Table.

* I have columns for date, spoke to, regarding/notes, and follow-up/action.

* Each project gets its own communications sheet (or file) and I
maintain it in the project notebook. For non-project matters, I keep
records by the name of the person. That way I can find it easily.

* Although I do keep this electronically, I print it out with some
extra rows and keep it in the project notebook. That way I can write
on it by hand, then catch it up later on the computer. I don't have
to reprint it every time I make an entry that way, either.

It really is good to keep some kind of record. Nothing stops someone
from ranting and raving better than when in December you calmly flip
to your communication record and say, "Hmm. My record shows that we
discussed this on October 12th and you said then that. . .etc."

> Okay, gang, it's Friday afternoon and my wrists hurt. I've gpt a question for
> the freelancers/contractors:

> How do y'all keep track of who you've talked to and where, when, and so forth?
> PIM? On-line notes? Hard-copy notes? Daytimer? How do you organize your
> information (by contact name, date, company, other?), what information do you
> keep, yadda yadda yadda... ?

> Thanks.

> --Stacey Kahn
> SKahn -at- wb -dot- com                  Washington, DC
> speaking for myself and not for my employers


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Jane Bergen
Technical Writer
janeb -at- iadfw -dot- net     or   janeb -at- answersoft -dot- com

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word
 is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug" (Mark Twain)

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