Oprius Contact Management Software Review

When it comes to organizing your network marketing and MLM business, one of the first things you have to consider is how to keep up with your downline and prospects. How do you Read more

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Four Ways to Organize and Keep Track of Your MLM Downline and Leads

Are you looking for ways to organize and keep track of your MLM downline? What about your prospects and leads you’ve obtained by advertising and promoting your MLM business?

As your business grows and you start experiencing greater success, trying to remember who you talked to and when you need to contact them again gets quite challenging. Here are four methods I’ve found that will work to help keep everything organized. The best thing to do is pick the one that you feel most comfortable with and stick with it.

Using Paper Planners and Filing Systems

Many people prefer to keep everything on paper. This is often an attractive option to start out with, but may become cumbersome as your business grows.

Paper-based organizers, such as the Franklin Planner, have plenty of forms you can purchase to record contacts and keep notes. These planners are portable and can be carried anywhere for quick reference.

Another approach is to use 4 x 6 index cards. Make one for each of your MLM downline associates, and one for each of your best MLM leads and prospects. You can quickly and easily make notes about phone calls and other communication, and keep them organized in a plastic file box.

Using Contact Management Software

Another option is to use contact management software. Some of these programs are very sophisticated, and have features far beyond what you’ll need.

I am familiar with two programs that have worked well for me.

ACT! is a full-featured contact management program that will do just about anything you’ll ever want to do. You can schedule regular followups with your MLM leads, and keep track of what you and your downline team discuss. ACT! comes with an integrated email program, so you have the option of attaching all incoming and outgoing emails to each contact’s record. This is great if you like to keep track of everything.

Chaos Intellect is much less expensive, and has similar functions as ACT!, but doesn’t have some of the fancier bells and whistles. You probably won’t miss those anyway. Intellect has a free 30-day trial that you can download here.

Handheld Electronic Organizers

Electronic handheld devices such as the Palm TX are capable of storing information about all your contacts, along with notes and reminders. You can schedule alarms to sound when a task is due. You can enter new contacts or reminders on your computer, or the Palm, and do a sync so that both have current information at all times.

Web Based Contact Managers

Highrise HQ is an example of a web-based contact manager. The basic version is free to use, and holds up to 250 contacts. As your contact list grows, you can upgrade and convert to a paid option. It does some cool things, like sending reminders you schedule as emails or text messages to your cell phone.

Conclusion

Of all these options, the paper-based planner and the index card system are the simplest to set up and use, but you should enjoy handwriting because you’ll do a lot of it.

Contact management software is efficient and will come in very handy as your downline and prospect list grows. The ability to sort contacts and create useful reports and lists is handy. Setting up automatic followup reminders is a breeze, as is sending emails to selected groups of your contacts at will.

Handheld organizers like the Palm are nice, especially if you like high-tech gadgets. I like the big (for a handheld) screen and the ability to go online at Wi-Fi hotspots, but these are not for everyone. The big advantage of a Palm (or similar device) is the portability. These are really handy if you are on the go a lot.

Web based contact managers are simple to use, and one big advantage is that they allow access from any computer regardless of where you are.

All of these methods will do the job - it really depends on how you like to work. Personally, I have tried all these methods but prefer to use contact management software installed on my laptop, so that I have access to everything wherever I am.

Is a Paper Planner Right for You?

Every time I visit an office supply store, I still see quite a selection of paper based planners - the Franklin Planner, Day Timer, and Day Runner seem to be the most common.

I’ve used these in the past, but have always lost patience with them. In network marketing, I need to keep up with lots of contacts - both downline associates as well as prospects and customers. Trying to manage all this strictly in a paper planner would be a nightmare. I prefer to use software and electronic organizers for contact management.

That said, I believe (for many people) that basic day-to-day organization can still be handled efficiently by paper based planners.  Paper planners still have advantages over all this high-tech stuff.

Here are a few interesting takes on using paper planners in the age of technology. After reading some of these, I am tempted to give them another try.

Organizers: Keeping Your World Close At Hand

I have upgraded my electronic organizers every couple of years but I always fell back to my paper planner. The paper planner allows me to have history at my fingertips. Last week my husband and I were talking about our next vacation and …

Resource of the Week: Franklin Covey Planning System

Two years ago, I started using the FranklinCovey Planning System to figure out which parts of my vision were most urgent and important. Before I started using the planning system, I used to write my ideas and schedule my day using …

6 Strategies to Make the Most of Your Paper Planner

if you are left handed, place your management section pages (eg. goals, key information, note paper, addresses, etc.) at the beginning of your planner. place your monthly tabs and planner pages after the management section type pages. …

Paper Planners are Not Over!

the beauty of a paper planner is that paper doesn’t crash. better yet, it’s much easier to jot down a note on a daily to-do list than pull out your handheld, turn it on, click around, and type a note on that tiny keypad with all those …

Your Home Business - Getting Things Done

Building a home business is very challenging and rewarding. We all desire to succeed and want things to run smoothly. Unfortunately, sometime life gets too busy and things get hectic. At times like this, take a look at how you are planning and organizing your home business activities. Are you stressed because there are so many things to do, and so little time?

Here are some tips for organizing yourself and your home business. The key is planning and preparing for things in advance. Be better prepared to get things done each day.

Tips for Organizing Yourself

Anybody struggle with LIFE? With days getting away from you? Never getting around to all of your things to do? Forgetting things, only to find that those things get you completely off-track for days? Oh! You are NOT alone!

Free Business Planner to Help you Get Organized and Stay Focused

I love free stuff. Here’s a very practical freebie that I just heard about and wanted to be sure to pass on to you. If you’re looking to have a more focused, profitable and stress-free 2009 (it’s closer than you think), hurry on over to download it. You won’t be asked for name and email address.

Getting It Done!

In this busy world, getting things done seems to get harder and harder. I’ve found some great resources to help me get organized and productive and thought I’d pass one of them on to you. I listen to many podcasts, read many books…

These are just a few resources to help you get a little better organized. I hope they help.

Two Excellent, Free Online Tools to Help You Manage and Organize Your Life

One of the biggest challenges of running a home based business is keeping track of everything you have to do. Being independent and managing your own time is great, but you need something to help keep things flowing.

I found two excellent tools for organizing your tasks, helping manage your time, and creating a clear and simple path for your everyday life. While both of these powerful tools have paid upgrades, the free versions are very useful and offer more than enough features and benefits for most users.

Remember The Milk
http://www.rememberthemilk.com 

Remember the Milk is a web-based task manager with many features. You can organize and manage your tasks in just about any way you want. You can use lists, tag clouds, and more. The interface is very intuitive and flexible. You can send reminders through email, SMS, and instant messenger. There is a mapping feature so you can see where your scheduled tasks will take place. Access everything through your web-enabled phone or mobile device. All in all, it is amazing how much you can do for free.

Simpleology 101
http://www.simpleology.com 

Simpleology is a little different. Rather than focusing on organization, this course helps you define what you want from your home business and your life, and helps you clearly “see it and achieve it”. Everything is broken down into very simple concepts so you know the how and why of everything you do.

You get many resources to go along with this course. Video and Powerpoint presentations, e-books, MP3 files, and daily email tips are all included. If you wonder how you get so much for free, it is because the developer (Mark Joyner) has other related Simpleology courses that are not free. They all tie in to each other to make a powerful system for success. However, the basic Simpleology 101 course offers a lot all by itself.

This is a very worthwhile tool that will help you tie your goals and objectives, along with action steps, together in an organized manner.

Which Tool to Use? Why Not Both?

Simpleology 101 will help you define and clearly see an organized path to the success you desire with your home based business.

Remember the Milk will help you organize and keep track of all the little tasks and details along the way.

Do You Recognize the Four Early Warning Signs of Armchair MLM?

If you are new to network marketing, you are no doubt excited and want to get everything organized and prepared before you begin.

It’s a great idea to get your basic plan and your business tools together before you get started, and I do recommend spending time doing this.

While getting things ready, be careful not to fall into a common trap. This trap might be called “Armchair MLM”. Your intentions are good, and you really believe you are on the right track. There is one thing missing, though.

The Four Symptoms of Armchair MLM

• spending time trying to plan every possible way to do your business

• organizing your workspace, promotional material, everything over and over

• thinking about what you are going to do…going to do…

• reading anything you can get your hands on about building your business

All of these things are good if you do them in a timely fashion. The trap is when you spend the majority of your time doing these things. Sometime, if you lack confidence or are afraid to get started, you can become an “Armchair MLM’er”. This makes you feel like you are doing something, but in reality you are repeating the same things over and over and not really accomplishing anything.

How You Make Money in MLM / Network Marketing

The only way you make money in network marketing and MLM is to see the people. Talk to prospects. Present you business. Take action. Endless planning and preparation might give you the feeling that you are “almost ready”, but it won’t put any money in your pocket.

Here is the bottom line. Many new network marketers find themselves consumed with working on details that are non-essential. This detailed preparation does little other than take time away from doing the fundamental things that build your business. Talk to people, advertise your business, pick up the phone and call prospects, answer questions, make presentations - these are the things that make your business grow.

Four Quick Ways to Stop Paper Clutter

There is a sneaky little monster that creeps into our home offices and brings us grief, lost time, and lots of stress. This monster is known as paper clutter.

Not too long ago, I read an interesting article about organizing your home office. The author referred to home office clutter as a consequence of delaying decisions. This made a lot of sense to me.

Your Home Office Can Be Anywhere

As a home business builder, you have an office somewhere. It might be a small desk in the corner of your dining room, or a spare room where you keep your computer and business tools. Some have their “home office” in the back seat of their vehicle. Regardless of where your home office is, it is the base from which you run your business.

Take a look around your office. Do you see paper? Why is it there? Some of your papers may be there to remind you to do something. Perhaps you printed some information you will use in presenting your business opportunity. Much of this paper is just creating unwanted clutter, and should be filed or tossed.

Not Making Decisions is the Problem

Many of us have a tendency to “delay making decisions”, which causes stuff to pile up and creates paper clutter. We really do mean to tackle our pile of papers that need sorting and filing, and soon, but feel we have more important things to do. Our plan is to file that paper “when we have time” (delayed decision). The problem is, the paper can quickly overtake your office. It can be very depressing when you have to sort through a bunch of papers to find what you need.

Four Easy Ways to End Paper Clutter

Try these four ways to reduce paper clutter in your home office. Pick up each piece of paper, and make one of the following four decisions about it.

1) If the paper can be quickly filed, or is a reminder to do something you can do right then, just do it. You’ll feel much better.

2) If the paper represents a task that cannot be done quickly, or has to be done some other time, make a “pending” folder and put it there. Make a note in your planner or organizer for the day it needs to be handled.

3) Whenever possible, delegate tasks. If the paper represents something that can easily be done by someone else, then ask them to do it. Conserve your valuable time to do the most important things to build your business.

4) Keep information that you can really use in the future (file it immediately), but toss anything you won’t need again. I think we are all guilty of printing stuff to read, then hanging on to it “just in case” we want to look at it again sometime. Get rid of the stuff that isn’t really important.

It takes a lot of self-discipline to go through your papers like this. It can be quite painful to throw things out, especially if you are a pack rat. However, once done, you will feel so much better and productive.