The Personal CRM You‘ve Been Waiting For: My Free Networking Template for Tracking and Nurturing Professional Relationships

Networking is often cited as the #1 unwritten rule of success in business. It‘s no wonder why: 85% of critical jobs are filled through networking, and 70% of professionals get hired at companies where they have a personal connection.

But if networking is so important, why do so many of us dread it?

The truth is, most people take an extremely disorganized approach to managing their professional relationships. We collect business cards that end up lost in our desks, send one-off "nice to meet you" emails that lead nowhere, and fail to follow up on potentially valuable introductions because we simply forget.

It‘s not that we don‘t care – it‘s that we‘re trying to build meaningful relationships without any kind of deliberate system or process.

I know this struggle all too well. For years, I diligently attended industry events, scheduled coffee meetings, and sent "let‘s keep in touch" notes. Yet despite my best efforts, I let countless opportunities slip through the cracks due to lack of organization and consistency.

Something had to change. I knew there had to be a better way to manage my growing web of contacts in a way that would actually help me strengthen those relationships over time.

Introducing the Personal CRM Template for Networkers

As a solopreneur and avid networker, I needed a simple, flexible tool for keeping track of my professional relationships. I tried using spreadsheets, note-taking apps, and even actual CRM software, but nothing quite fit the bill.

So, I decided to build my own system using Trello, a free project management tool. And after several iterations, the Personal CRM Template was born!

This Trello board serves as my centralized hub for organizing and tracking:

• Every professional contact and where we are in our relationship
• Notes and key details from each interaction
• Reminders to follow up and re-engage contacts over time
• Attachments and links relevant to each person

Basically, it‘s a "personal CRM" that helps me build genuine relationships with intention and consistency. And the best part is, I‘m now sharing my template with you for free!

Why Trello Works Wonders for Relationship-Building

If you‘re not familiar with Trello, here‘s a quick primer:

Trello lets you create a board (like a virtual pinboard) with lists (columns) and cards (items within each list). It‘s highly visual and intuitive to use – perfect for mapping out relationships in various stages.

Within each card, you can:

• Add comments, attachments, checklists, links, and more
• Tag team members or due dates
• Create cards via email
• Integrate with apps like Google Drive, Slack, and Salesforce

In other words, Trello is robust enough to track tons of key details about your contacts while staying user-friendly and dare I say, fun! It‘s also cross-platform and mobile-friendly, so you can update your networking board from anywhere.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using the Personal CRM Template

Alright, now that you‘re sold on the power of personal networking + Trello, let‘s walk through exactly how to implement this in your own life:

1. Copy the template

First things first, you‘ll need to copy the template to your own Trello account. Simply click on the link, hit "Copy Board," and select the team or organization where you want it to live.

2. Customize your lists

I‘ve pre-filled the board with a few suggested lists, but feel free to rename them or add new ones to fit your needs. For example, my lists are:

• Contacts to Engage
• Touchpoint 1
• Touchpoint 2
• Touchpoint 3
• Established Relationships

You might also include lists like "Mentors," "Potential Partnerships," or "Reconnect." The key is to create buckets for relationships at various stages.

3. Start adding contacts

Now for the fun part – populating your board with actual people! There are a few ways to go about this:

Mine your existing network

• Import your contacts from LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or your email/phone
• Go through your existing connections and add cards for people you want to actively build relationships with

Add new people you meet

• After meeting someone at an event or getting an intriguing intro email, add them to your "Contacts to Engage" list
• Include any relevant notes, like where you met or what you discussed
• You can even snap a photo of their business card and attach it to the card!

Use a spreadsheet import

• For bulk importing, you can copy and paste contact info from a spreadsheet or your sales CRM tool
• Just make sure to include a column for the list name, so contacts end up in the right relationship stage

4. Include key details on each card

The magic of this system lies in the details you add to each contact card. A few suggestions for what to track:

• How you‘re connected (e.g. met at conference, introduced by mutual friend)
• Date of your last interaction
• Personal tidbit they mentioned, like a recent vacation or favorite sports team
• Professional challenges they‘re facing or goals they‘re working toward
• Interests, hobbies, or passion projects
• Links to their social profiles and website
• Your notes from meetings or calls

You can add these as card descriptions, custom fields, or just comments on the card. Over time, you‘ll build up a robust profile that allows you to easily continue the conversation and find ways to add value.

5. Set follow-up reminders and next steps

One of the most powerful features of Trello is the ability to attach due dates to cards. You can use this in a few ways:

• When you meet someone new, add a due date for when you want to follow up (e.g. 3-7 days out to send a nice-to-meet-you email)
• Set a recurring reminder to ping contacts you haven‘t spoken to in a while (I like to do this every 3 months)
• After each interaction, immediately add your next follow-up step with a due date

With built-in deadline notifications, you‘ll never let a valuable relationship go stale again!

6. Automate relationship tracking with Butler

You can further streamline your networking process by taking advantage of Butler, Trello‘s built-in automation tool. A few examples:

• Create a rule that automatically moves a contact to the next list after a certain number of days
• Set a trigger that notifies you when a high-priority relationship hasn‘t been touched in a while
• Generate weekly reports on your activity and pipeline

With a little Butler magic, your personal CRM can pretty much run itself.

7. Make networking a habit

Like any new system, consistency is key to making this work for you. Set aside dedicated time each week to review and update your board. You might block off an hour every Friday afternoon, for instance, to process new contacts, follow up on outstanding to-do‘s, and identify ways to continue providing value.

According to Charles Duhigg, forming a new habit requires a cue, a routine, and a reward. Your weekly networking review can be the cue that triggers the routine of maintaining your relationships. The reward will be the professional opportunities and personal fulfillment that strong relationships bring into your life!

You + This Template = Networking Superpowers

Imagine how it would feel to have a clear, organized view of your entire professional network at your fingertips. No more wondering "when was the last time I reached out to so-and-so?" or scrambling to recall important details from your last conversation.

With this Personal CRM Template, you‘ll be able to:

• Proactively reach out to provide value and strengthen relationships
• Quickly prep for meetings and pick up where you left off
• Ensure you‘re regularly touching base with important connections
• Track your progress and identify relationships that need attention

In other words, you‘ll have a supercharged process for building a thriving, engaged network filled with people who will open doors for you again and again.

It‘s Your Turn

I truly believe this template has the power to transform the way you approach professional relationship-building. It‘s a night and day difference from the haphazard networking most of us are used to.

So what are you waiting for? Copy the template, customize it to suit your needs, and start mapping out your very own relationship web. Focus on adding value at every turn, and watch how quickly the benefits come back to you.

I‘d love to hear how this works for you, so please drop me a note once you‘ve put it into practice. And if you know someone who could benefit from getting their networking game on point, send this post their way!

Here‘s to building wildly successful relationships with consistency and ease. Happy networking!