By Steve Ashkin, The Ashkin Group

"The problem with communication ... is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
- George Bernard Shaw

Now that the dust has settled after the busy conference season, it is time to take an inventory of what we brought back from the programs and exhibits, and ask ourselves how the overall experience will help us during the next twelve months.

Too often, we are tempted to let that stack of brochures, presentation notes, and business cards sit in a drawer as something we will try to get to when we have extra time. But we all know that we don't have that extra time. I want to encourage all of you to tackle that stack of conference memorabilia, and put it to work for you.

Green topics were everywhere throughout the conference season. I hope you all attended the seminars, panel discussions and presentations that will help you implement new Green programs and enhance your current sustainability efforts. I also hope you all visited the multitudes of booths showcasing Green Cleaning products and services.

The post-conference "information inventory" is a practice which will help you in plenty of ways to get the most out of your visit to ISSA/INTERCLEAN or perhaps other conferences you recently attended. In a simple, step-by-step fashion, you can organize that tote-bag of business cards, pamphlets, and presentation notes into a database that will help you follow-up with contacts, maintain communication with new contacts, stay up-to-date on the latest in green products and services and, finally, test the authentication of the claims of those who approached you about using their company's "green product line."

The first thing I recommend to do is to separate the business cards from the other papers if you have not already done so. Go through and pull out those that you remember speaking with or those that you picked up at a booth of interest. Write on the front or back of the card what you discussed with this person (did you promise to call or email?) and, if any, a little note that can trip your memory about how to remember this person (something about their appearance, something mentioned in conversation, anything to help you picture that person).

These business cards of all people you wanted to have a follow-up conversation with should be put in its own stack and put in a safe place where it will not mix with other papers or items on your desk. With the remainders of the cards, you can now sort out those that may fit into a "maybe" category and also throw out the ones that seemed interesting on first impression, but then left you somewhat skeptical on the legitimacy of their "green" promises.

After sifting through the paperwork, you should also have a stack of hand-written seminar notes, personal notes, ideas, and so forth. These will make up your final stack. You are now ready to create your 2008 Conference Database.

Using your favorite database software, begin entering the pertinent information from the business cards, the corresponding product and service lines, and notes from the card. Be as detailed as possible in the notes about each contact, write down those little subtleties that you remember now, but may forget a few months down the road.

Finally, give yourself a timeline to touch base with your new contacts. I suggest writing each a short, personal email. Remind them of how you met and ask if you do not mind being added to a mailing list (if you have one or plan to start one). Never add collected email addresses to a mailing list unless they were collected with that specific purpose designated at the time you collected their card.

Finally, remember to scan those personal notes, sketches, ideas and so forth you have in notebooks. Save these scans as PDF files and place in the same folder as your new database.

Now you can start your correspondence with your new contacts. You may want to draft a few sample notes for different topics of conversation. Obviously, you will have different messages for possible product providers, service providers, and those within the housekeeping industry that you want to share success stories with or network with on industry trends and changes.

While you may have learned a lot from the conferences, remember to share that knowledge with others. Ask them if they attended the same workshops on Green, and what they plan to implement at their building as a result of what they learned. You may find they have the same questions as you, or that they have a misconception that you can help clear up. By continuing the conversation, you all are doing wonders in really making a difference in our world.

Good selling,

Steve

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About the Author:

A 25+ year veteran of the cleaning industry, Stephen Ashkin is the author of Green Cleaning for Dummies and a tireless advocate for environmentally preferable cleaning products. Often referred to as the “father of green cleaning,” Ashkin has played a pivotal role in setting industry standards, promoting environmentally preferable products, and advocating for socially responsible practices.

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