Our Networking nugget this week comes from Bryan C. Aderhold, of Nash James Enterprises LLC right at 608 Fifth Avenue in New York City. Bryan has pursued every aspect of the gemstone and jewelry industry and has traveled the world procuring gems at their source cutting and trading and as a jeweler from design to production. I think of Bryan as The Jeweler Extraordinaire!
After posting my nugget on the importance of The Information Bank, Bryan shared this story on how he uses it:
“I have received tremendous value from Andrea’s ‘Information Bank,’ a means of storing information about the people in our personal and professional lives. As our relationships grow, we continue to learn interesting things about people. Our ability to recall these facts about them in conversation or otherwise, shows we have taken an interest in their life and what is important to them. It’s possible that the next time we meet, I won’t have to refer to their son as ‘what’s his name’ or ask where they live. And if I somehow reveal that I know they are a vegetarian, their favorite color is blue, they’ve always wanted a sapphire and diamond necklace, or their favorite team is the Yankees, believe me it will go a long way!
I know when I write things down I stand a much better chance of remembering them. I don’t always have a pen and paper when I need them, but I do have my smartphone. Smartphones have become an indispensable tool in the modern world, a virtual office for modern professionals. I keep my Information bank in the Contacts app on my smartphone. It’s a convenient place to keep this information, it’s where I already have an individual’s phone, email and address. My iPhone also allows me to store birthdays and anniversaries which I have always made use of. At the bottom of a Contacts profile there is a Notes section. This is where I store all the little details, facts and figures about people that I want to remember. My phone is always with me, so I always have the facts. Before a meeting, I will often glance at the Contact info for a refresher. There is enough room in the Notes section for quite a lot of information. Also, the Contacts app on my smartphone syncs with my computer so the data is available to me all the time. The information bank is a great tool to help remember facts about people. Taking an interest in people and their lives is a sure way to show you care and will ultimately help to build relationships.”
Thank you, Bryan for sharing and your valuable insight. Visit www.nashjames.com.