Networking follow-up

I got a phone call the other day. Let's say the woman's name was "Susan". I answered the phone and she said, "Hi, this is Susan."

I said, "Susan. . ."

She proceeded to describe her appearance to me.

I said, "Where do I know you from?"

She said, "Toastmasters?" With a question in her voice.

I said "I'm not a part of Toastmasters."

We went back and forth for a few moments. Finally we decided it must have been at a particular networking event.

After all of that, it turned out she was calling to sell me something. I wasn't interested, but I took her number just in case.

First of all, when you're calling someone who is barely an acquaintance, it's a good idea to use your last name. I only give my first name when I'm calling a good friend who will recognize my voice anyway. How many Lisas are there out there? It would be pretty unprofessional of me to expect everyone to recognize me by my first name. Unless my name was Sting.

When you meet someone at an event and take their card, how do you ensure that you will remember where you met them, or what you have in common? Write it down on the back of the card. That way, you'll never have to fumble through a call like this one!

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