Let me introduce a phrase to our lingo, Mobile Information Management (MIM). I consider devices such as smartphones, tablets and pads to be our definition of Mobile. Information, which comes to us daily, including contacts, calendar, notes, reminders, documents, passwords, social media and even website information needed to be stored. For REALTORS®, think about all the information you need at your fingertips: MLS, info on clients, leads, maps and directions the list goes on! Management of all this information is vital for many reasons - having quick access so as not to waste time looking for where information is stored and putting the information in a system rather than depending on your memory.
Let’s do this: compare your brain to a cloud storage service. You have so many gigs of space available and, once full, you need to either delete data or purchase more space. Sadly, we can’t buy more brain so we need to utilize what we’ve got. The more data we store in our Mobile Information Management means there is that much less that we need to store in our brain. One example is passwords, whether you use an app or take my suggestion and store it in a password protected note, you only have one password to remember not twenty - more brain space!
Some of you “Long Timers” remember the MLS books you had to lug around - we have an app for that. Remember your daily planner? We have several apps for that. These are all examples of MIM, which clears so much clutter from your brain. Need to call Fred? He is in my contacts along with ice breaker information. What day next week do I have Smith’s closing? It’s in my calendar. We need to go much deeper with information management beyond our apps, contacts and calendar, and we do this with Apple Notes or Google Keep.
The last words that should ever come out of your mouth are, “When I get to the office I will check on that. I believe it’s either on my computer or a file folder on my desk.” Every time you do that you waste time in your day and appear to be disorganized. Nothing, I mean nothing, should be any other place than on your phone. It’s so simple to take seconds and either copy or store the information where you can access it using MIM.
Recently I finished an eight-part series here on Realty Times titled “Information Management – An Important Part of Being Organized” . Start there. Here are the other articles you should read in the series:
Grabbing Text From an Image Using Google Keep
Collaborating with Others Using Apple Notes and Google Keep
Setting a Location Reminder in Google Keep
The Pain of Passwords – Here’s an Idea!
Be Very Careful When Using Mobile Scanner Software
Dictation: One of the Most Unused Features in Notes and Keep!
Apple Users: Let’s Set Up Notes to the Max!
If you want to get the most out of your Mobile Information Management, take the time to read or reread the articles I have listed above!
