LEARN IT
The key to success can be found in your kitchen cupboards
Whether it’s with your loved ones, best friends or someone renting a spare room, “house-sharing” means staying on top of potential clutter. Keeping on top of your cause’s contacts can be just as fraught. Without a functional system, your cause’s problems can range from inefficient to unprofessional. A good central contacts repository is like a well-organized cupboard – it can help workflow, improve your results and increase content sharing across your organization.
To begin, take some time to find out what is actually going on. Ask which items people are actually using (and how) to get a better idea of what’s working and what’s not. Use this information to find a home-grown system or external tool that meets the greatest number of your needs. Then, develop standards and set up a plan to get people to use the system. Just as your new cupboard will create a harmonious household, having a workable contacts system in place will produce benefits both internally and externally. Ultimately, you’ll see improvements to your cause’s impact and how you relate to your clients.
OWN IT
Follow the three steps to organize your contacts for greater engagement and results:
1. Ask your team how they currently manage their contacts and what they’d like to improve
2. Choose a system that meets the greatest number of these needs
3. Get everyone using it