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Door2Door Computer Services

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Textworking - Sending contact info using AutoText

Networking (net-wurk-eeng): 
the act of meeting new people in a business or social context.

Textworking (text-wurk-eeng): 
the act of using your mobile phone to send contact information quickly while networking.

How many times have you promised to "send your information" but forgot to do so? A solution to end this networking faux pas is to start textworking. 


Per my own definition, textworking is the act of using your mobile phone to send contact information quickly while networking. Although this is not an actual word in our lexicon, I use it frequently and practice textworking often.


Background
Textworking began for me as a culmination of multiple events:
1. During airline and mass transit travel, I needed a way to quickly send contact info while my business cards were tucked away in an inaccessible place. 
2. Since most states have a cell phone or texting law, I did not want to get stopped by the police while sending contact info at a red light. (Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Ohio, and Wisconsin have no cell phone laws on the books, according to the Governor's Highway Safety Association website).
3. Networking events vary in theme, number of attendees, and ability to effectively work the room. Textworking allows me to skip the business card exchange and go straight for the proverbial jugular - the cell phone number.


Using AutoText
After exploring the mobile world through Palm and Windows Mobile, my phone of choice has become the Blackberry Curve (I have the T-Mobile 8320). To get started textworking, you must first create an entry in your AutoText that includes your contact information. The steps below are found in the Blackberry 8800 series User Manual. Here's how:


Create an AutoText entry
1. In the device options, click AutoText.
2. Press the Menu key.
3. Click New.
4. In the Replace field, type the text to replace. 
     - I use the letters mci (as in my contact info)
5. In the With field, type replacement text.
     - Here's how my contact info appears:



Joseph Burton, President
Door2Door Computer Services
www.door2door-usa.com
mail@door2door-usa.com
980-225-5311 (o)
704-728-1133 (m)

6. In the Using field, perform one of the following actions:
     • To capitalize the entry exactly as you typed it, click Specified Case.
7. Set the language.
8. Press the Menu key.
9. Click Save.
10. Test your new AutoText entry. You can text yourself to ensure that everything looks good.

Textworking Alternative
Do you ever have two people that you want to introduce? Avid networkers generally have an inner circle of associates with whom they frequently exchange referrals. I've developed the following textworking technique that links folks together quickly.


1. Create a new text message (add both individuals as recipients).
2. I start the text message by typing "textworking."
3. Include the contact info for each person.

Example:


Textworking:

Barack Obama, President
United States of America
202-555-1212

George Bush, Former President
United States of America
202-555-1213



Links:
Door2Door Computer Services, Inc. - http://www.door2door-usa.com
State cell phone laws - http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html
Blackberry PDF handbook - http://docs.blackberry.com/en/smartphone_users/deliverables/1223/userguide_bb8800_gprs.pdf