“It’s 10:00pm, do you know where your children are?”

Anybody remember that? I thought the only reason they ran that crazy commercial was to scare all the children. Well, now I realize they were just trying to help the parents keep track of their children.

It got me to thinking about how I keep track of my customers. I don’t need scary commercials, but I do need tools that help me easily track all of the details that are critical for success. I also need tools that help me keep track of them. What are they doing today? What’s going on in their industry? How’s their business?

I just started using Harvey McKay’s Customer Profile form to help me keep track of the info I need to know about each of my customers. I’m not sure why I never did this before (what was I thinking?).

But I also use a few Web 2.0 tools every day and I really think they help me do my job better. Let me rephrase: I know they help me do my job better.

PLEASE NOTE: In no way am I saying that these tools are a substitute for the kind of information I need to note in a customer profile. I’m just saying that they have been a terrific tool to help me stay connected more consistently with my customers, and some, like Twitter, even help me keep track of their comings and goings as they sms and microblog their daily activities.

The list of web 2.0 tools available today is astounding (and really, a bit of overkill). I could list more, but these five are really the tools that I use every day (and actually, I’m stretching it to add GrandCentral to the list, but I just like it).

Twitter

I’m not on Twitter 24×7, but I’m diggin’ the fact that I can keep up with real-time activities of the people I want to follow. You can call this one overkill, but if it helps me keep up with some of my best customers, you can call it whatever you want and I won’t mind.

LinkedIn:

I think I am on LinkedIn 24×7. Today, it’s the best tool I have for connecting with the people that I want to meet – need to meet – have to meet. Why? Because the list is so stinkin’ big (somewhere around 16m, I think). And no, you don’t have to be connected to 5k people to make this a worthwhile tool. Just find the people you need to find – get the name of their current employer – call them. I don’t have to be connected to anybody to make that work for me.

Facebook: (my profile)

Facebook is just cool. The new apps that are added almost daily blow me away. I use Facebook to connect with people in the wireless business, but I also use it because I’m intrigued by the constant changes and the evolution of how people connect. If you observe what’s going on with Facebook, you’re more likely to stay tuned in to the rapid changes taking place within the world of social networks.

GrandCentral:

It just makes sense to have one phone number that rings all your phones. 972.200.3531.

Jott:

I blogged about this one the other day and I’m having fun with it. Good solution for people who try to text while driving. Give it up – get your Jott on.

Actually, I guess I should make this my Top 6 list of tools that I use to connect with people. Because WirelessJobs.com is quickly becoming the most prolific tool in my tool-belt. If you are interested in joining, here’s an invite: http://www.wirelessjobs.com/?xgi=a6G2sol

There you have it. I figure if I can manage five or six tools well, I will do my job better.

Let me rephrase that: I know they help me do my job better.