I was thinking today about the amount of time I spend trying to keep the large volume of ‘Networking’ contacts I have organized.

My Blackberry contacts Sync to my Google Contacts which syncs to my Outlook contacts to ensure I always have my contacts with me. However, how can I pass your business on to a potential lead for you if I don’t have all your contact details ?

Here is an example; there are about three SEO consultants that have taken the time to offer to help me with my site for free (if you are reading this , please contact me again;). Yet none of them attached a full and complete outlook contact to the emails they sent me.

Providing me with a completed Vcard or Outlook contact would have ensured I had their full contact details readily available in my blackberry when the father I was speaking to at the water park was asking me how to get more people to his business website last weekend.  I can offer general advise but I am no SEO expert.

Judging by his vehicle, he could afford to pay a quality SEO consultant for their help but I didn’t have any-one’s information to give out.

There are many people out there who would be happy to help you promote your business through referrals, however it shouldn’t be their job to hunt down all of your online contact information and type it into a Vcard or OutLook contact for you.

So how do you make sure your Vcard is complete ? How do you create a Vcard? How to you distribute your contact details to those potential networking opportunities easily ?

You can create your own Vcard using outlook and attach it by email (some people don’t like attachments), or you can upload your Vcard to your business website or blog allowing you to provide a link to your card. Or you can use an online Vcard service such as GetMyVcard to store your Vcard so that others can easily download it.

For instructions on how to create a Vcard in Outlook visit the Productivity Portfolio .

I suggest ensuring you list all of your Social Media Profile URLS in the notes of your Vcard along with a brief description of your services. Be sure to include a photo and possibly your company logo in a web resolution.

I have blogged about the importance of creating a Vcard for your small business in the past.

Remember to consider the value of your contact details being easily accessible to potential clients (if you post it on your website)  and weigh it with any spam you may receive as a result.