Here’s why
I go to quite a few networking events, and I meet quite a few people. What surprises me is the number of people who do not have a business card. Today, we are users of digital everything. And, it’s awesome. It makes life easier in so many ways. And for your average person giving out their digits, a tap of your phone or smart ring to transmit contact info is way cool. It saves the cost of printing, paper, you don’t have to remember them, carry them and as long as you have your device, it’s always in tow. For your average Joe or Jane, it works just fine.
BUT……And it’s a big one….
When you are meeting people how often do you immediately forget their name? So here you are happily having a happy hour drink while trying to build your business network. You meet 5 -10 people in an evening and four of them have provided contact information via digital card. You get home, then what? That’s right, you forgot their name. The info went somewhere, you know it did. It’s on your phone, but where? Susan? Sarah? I know it started with an S. It all hinges on remembering the name. And you don’t. You just don’t.
Then there is the cumbersome process of saving the contact. Digital users come in all shapes and sizes of tech-savviness. Some methods require the recipient to go through several steps to receive and save the info, and then remember where they saved it. Cumbersome and stressful. And in the end, not only was it cumbersome and stressful, you are STILL left with all the issues mentioned in the first paragraph.
What would you have us do? Go old school? Do I have to?
Yep, you do. I mean, what’s easier than having all the people you met forget you, and/or dealing with various levels of user struggle? You got it. Have a real, live, hold-in-your-hand business card. The benefits are as follows:
- People will forget your name. But if you handed them a card, they get home, look at the card, oh yea, Stephen, he seemed cool! If I ever need HVAC services, I’ll be sure to call him, he seems like a great guy.
- There is the high likelihood that later that same card recipient will have forgotten you. But then, that’s right, they come across your card again! Instant recollection. And, oh, Nicole was just asking if I knew anyone who does HVAC, I’ll pass on his name.
- There’s no fumbling during the transmission. Easy peasy. Anyone can do it.
- And, bonus, if your card is attractive, that goes even further to build your brand. It can be a way to underscore the value you bring to the table, before a website has been visited or a call has been made. Invest in the design. (If only you knew where to find a good designer :))
Sub-rant: Why is everything so small?
Another issue I see quite frequently: Contact information that is so small, my reading glasses hand me a magnifying glass. Seriously, my loves. It’s a business card. It’s entire raison d’être is to communicate your contact information. If people have to work too hard to retreive that information, well, we just can’t put that in the win column.