How to Keep Track of Contacts
You'll meet many people from school, work and other activities as you go through life. It's easy to lose touch with the contacts you acquire. You get busy with your family, and before you know it, a few years have gone by fast. You'll likely miss sharing laughs with a friend. If it's a business contact, then you miss an opportunity to advance your career. Additionally, people move or get new jobs making it difficult to keep track of them. It does take a concerted effort, but you can keep in touch with everyone you come across.
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Instructions
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How to Keep Track of Contacts
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Use a Rolodex. This could either be on paper or electronically, but it's a great place to store all your contacts. List them how you feel comfortable--by last name, by first name, where you know them from, or whatever works best for you.
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Contact everyone in your Rolodex at least twice a year. It could be around a holiday or someone's birthday. If you make it a habit, then it will be easier to keep track of your contacts.
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Join organizations in which your contacts are a part. There are thousands of associations, ranging from the National Association For Female Executives to the American Association of Zookeepers. Many organizations have a member directory and a newsletter that provides updates on what members are doing.
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Sign up for a social networking site on the Internet. This could range from national ones to sites geared for certain professions. You never know who's going to be active.
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When you talk to someone, ask them how any mutual friends are doing. It gives you an excuse to contact them, and it eliminates some of the need for small talk.
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Tips & Warnings
Make a backup of your master list of contacts. Then make a backup of the backup.
Note something personal about the person next to his or her name. Someone's favorite team or hobby is a good thing to bring up while contacting someone. Be sure to update the information. It could be embarrassing if someone got divorced and you asked about his wife.
You might come off as insincere if you just offer praise to someone you haven't spoken with for a while. It's okay to give some flattery, but don't over do it.
