Why Capturing Contact Information Makes You More Productive

Gotta catch them all.

And I not referring to Pokémon.

Rather, I am talking about capturing contacts to your address book. And the more contacts you have, the more productive you will be.

How many did you catch today?

Make Capturing Contacts a Habit

A good address book is one of 4 key time management tools.

The address book is often overlooked because it isn’t as exciting as your todo list or calendar. It’s not about things you need to do. But, like your notes, it provides valuable information to make you more productive.

“Capturing contact information makes you more productive.”

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For example I was heading to a lunch engagement recently, and en-route needed to send a message to the person I was meeting. I had only spoken to that person once before, but I had immediately stored their number in my contacts. I was able to avoid a miscommunication about our lunch right before it occurred.

Of course, it’s all about capturing those contacts when they arise.

Contact information can be found in many forms and in many places. You need to be disciplined about capturing contacts, as you never know when you will need a particular piece of information again.

Here are just a few places and ways you can capture contact information:

• Email Signatures – Everyone tends to overlook email signatures these days. However, they can be a treasure trove of contact information for people you correspond with. Phones numbers, physical address, and often social media accounts.
• When Someone Calls You – I recommend that you don’t answer the phone if you don’t know who is calling.  However, if an unknown number ends up being from someone you did know, then save that number for next time. For example, I had the CEO of a company call me directly. I stored his cell number in case I ever needed to reach him directly again.
• Business Cards – Business cards are rarer than they used to be, and they are still usually destined to be lost in a wallet, purse, or desk drawer. Instead, capture the information immediately and return or discard the card. You can even take a picture of the card and transfer the information later to your address book.
• Simply Ask For It – One of the best ways to get someone’s contact information is still simply to “ask for it.” Whether you are working on a project with someone, or meeting up for an appointment, always make sure you have the individual’s contact #. You never know when you will need it in a pinch.

Address Book Productivity

In our ultra-connected world, it seems like it should be easy to reach anyone, anytime, anywhere. Yet, that is often easier said than done.

Having someone’s direct contact information can save you much time and effort.

So, make it a habit to capture all contacts that you encounter to your address book. You’ll be glad you did when you suddenly need that information again.

Question: How does your address book make you more productive? You can leave a comment by clicking here.