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How to Keep Each New Contact in One Workspace

Keep every new contact in one place as a solo networker or freelancer. Steps, what to prepare, and tools to compare, including Connections MyConnect.

By Uncommon Comforts ยท

Uncommon Comforts is published by the team behind Connections, whose products are compared here alongside other tools.

Choose one place for every new contact, save each one on the same day with a line of context, and set a dated next step. The steps below work with any tool, and they show where a card page can help with the capture.

OptionPriceCards
Free base [1]No time limit [1]One card [1]
Connections Pro [1]$39.99 a month [1]More than one card [1]
Connections Business [1]$99.99 a month [1]More than one card [1]

What you need before you start

Before you start, decide where new contacts will live. For most solo networkers and freelancers that means one list, whether that is a spreadsheet, a contacts app, or a dedicated tool. The choice matters less than sticking to it.

You also need a way to get a person's details without retyping them. Your own contact details should be ready to share: your name, a phone number you answer, your email, and the link you want people to visit. Keep a short list of questions to answer after each meeting, such as what the person does, what they need, and when you said you would follow up.

Finally, agree on a rule for when a contact counts as saved. A useful rule is that a contact is saved only when it has a name, one way to reach the person, and a note about where you met. Without that rule, cards end up in pockets, inboxes, and phone photos, and the list never becomes one place.

Step by step

Work through these steps the same way for every new contact.

  1. Choose the one place where every contact goes. Use it for in-person meetings, online introductions, and messages from people who found you.
  2. Save the contact the same day. Write down the name, the company or trade, the place you met, and the date while the conversation is still fresh.
  3. Add one line of context. For example: 'Asked about bookkeeping for a small studio, said to email in March.' This line is what makes the list useful later.
  4. Record the next action with a date. If you promised to send something, write what it is and when you will send it.
  5. Fill the same fields for every entry. Keep the same field names so you can sort and search later. Useful fields are name, email, phone, role, where you met, and next step.
  6. Remove duplicates once a week. Look for the same person entered twice and merge the entries.
  7. Review the list before you follow up. Once a week, look at entries whose next step is due and send those messages.
  8. Export a backup on a regular schedule. Keep a copy in a file outside the tool you use day to day.

Repeat the same routine each week, and the list will stay in one place.

Tools that can do it

Connections MyConnect is made by the team that publishes this site. It is a card and link page, and it is one option among several for keeping new contacts in one place.

You start by signing in to the Connections workspace. [1] You get a public page for your card that anyone can open in a browser. [1] A visitor can download your details as a contact file in one tap. [1] A visitor can type in their own details and send them to you, and they arrive in your workspace. [1] Two people can swap contact cards in person by pairing their phones. [1] Your card has a QR code that you can share from the workspace, and you can add a logo to it. [1] A visitor can add your card to Apple Wallet. [1] The Apple Wallet pass is live; the Google Wallet pass is still waiting on Google's review. [1]

You can export your contacts to a CSV file, a plain list that most spreadsheet programs open. [1] The free base has no time limit. [1] The free plan includes one card, and paid plans allow more. [1] Connections Business is $99.99 a month, with higher limits across every Connections product. [1] Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and gives access to premium features across every Connections product. [1] Paid plans are sold under one name, Pass, and premium features are available across every Connections app. [1]

A MyConnect card is a public web page, so a visitor opens it in a browser and needs no app. [1] Connections has no App Store or Play Store listing yet because its native apps have not shipped. [1]

Other tools can also serve as the one place for your contacts. This page has no published facts about them, so check each tool's own information for the points below before you choose. Check whether it keeps a note for each contact, whether it sorts and searches by the fields you use, whether it exports a file you can keep, whether it works on the devices you use, and what it costs on the plan you need.

Common mistakes to avoid

Saving names without context is the most common mistake. A name and phone number do not say why you met, so add one line of context every time.

Keeping two lists is the next. When notes sit in a notebook and on a phone, the lists split and one of them goes out of date. Choose one place and move older notes into it.

Leaving next steps undated means follow-ups depend on memory. Write the date next to each promise.

Letting duplicates build up makes the list hard to trust. The same person entered under two spellings may get two messages, or none at all.

Waiting to add contacts later often means losing the details. Save each one on the same day, while the meeting is fresh.

Skipping a backup is risky when one tool holds all your contacts. Export a copy on a regular schedule and keep it outside the tool.

Assuming a tool does something without checking is a mistake. Read the tool's own information about the feature you need before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

Is Connections MyConnect free to use?

The free base has no time limit. [1] The free plan includes one card, and paid plans allow more. [1] Connections Business is $99.99 a month, with higher limits across every Connections product. [1] Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and gives access to premium features across every Connections product. [1] Check the current prices on the product's own pages before you buy, since prices can change.

Can a visitor save contact details from a card?

A visitor can download your details as a contact file in one tap. [1] A visitor can also type in their own details and send them to you, and they arrive in your workspace. [1] Both steps keep the new contact in one place without retyping it. Check that any tool you consider gives visitors a way to send their details to you.

Does Connections MyConnect need a phone app?

A MyConnect card is a public web page, so a visitor opens it in a browser and needs no app. [1] Connections has no App Store or Play Store listing yet because its native apps have not shipped. [1] Check whether any tool you consider works on the phones and computers you actually use before you choose.

How do you export contacts from a card tool?

You can export your contacts to a CSV file. [1] A CSV file is a plain list that most spreadsheet programs can open, which makes it useful as a simple backup. Export on a regular schedule and store the file outside the tool. Ask any tool you consider whether it offers a comparable export before you rely on it.

Can a card link be put in an email signature?

You can make an email signature from your card. [1] Copy the block and paste it into the signature settings of your email program. Then send yourself a test message to check how the signature looks on your screen before you rely on it.

The free base has no time limit. [1] Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. [1]

Try Connections MyConnect

Sources

  1. Connections MyConnect's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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