What’s a  a productive method of obtaining contacts?

Say you’re in insurance broking, so you already have a list of contacts: people for whom you’ve brokered insurance or people you’re hoping to do work for.  Everyone whose phone number you write down is a “contact”.  Everyone is a story.  Everyone knows of a story.  Everyone you involve in a story becomes a contact, as you may return to them again some day for information or quotes, or to do another story on them.

All contacts must be put into a Filofax type diary/addressbook or into your phone correctly and with categories where possible.

Editors say: “Every reporter is only as good as his contact book.”  Your big fat Yellow Pages directories are a kind of contact book.  Everyone in there wants people to phone them, everyone in there would be willing to participate in a story . . . think about it.  The most “productive method” of building a contact book is to never miss an opportunity an opportunity to take a business card or write down a name, company or organisation, title, work phone, home phone, email address, mobile and fax number.  You can note other matters like: spouse’s name, PA’s name, and so on.