Create an Internal Resource List or Calendar for Networking Events

Create an Internal Resource List / Calendar for Networking Events

Professional Networking when you are representing a company or team within a company should be a joined-up approach.

A great way to have a more joined-up approach is to create your own internal resource for keeping track of memberships and events. Your company may have a formal CRM tool, but it is important that you have an easy way join up your networking efforts that everyone uses, whether you use the formal CRM tool or supplement this with an easy to use a method that everyone uses.

In addition to the formal CRM tools that we have we also have a couple of additional resources that we use:

Resource List

The resource list is a central list of industry-specific networking groups, events, and conferences as well as professional memberships.

This is a simple resources list and for example, includes:

• websites for different organisations and events
• any resources that we are signed up for.
• resources that we are not currently signed up for but have used in the past, might like to sign up for or that new joiners have used and recommended.
• professional memberships including details of internal members, payment of membership fees etc.

Calendar

We also have a shared outlook calendar that is kept by one of the PAs that keeps track of all the events that are going on that are specific to our industry (regardless of whether we are attending on not). This then also notes who is attending (if anyone) so that people can see who else is going or if no one is going if perhaps we need to consider sending someone. It also keeps track of bookings, tickets etc which the PA will be arranging. The people attending are also part of this calendar entry which goes in their own calendar for easy access.

The formal CRM tool deals with the one to one meetings on the day and follow-up activities and the formal log of activities and this is logged on the central company system.

Do you have your own personal internal system? If so, what do you do?