People who don’t use business cards
30 Mar
by myerman
Okay, so I’ve been recovering from both SxSW and the post-SxSW crud, and I’ve planned a whole bunch of new GOML goodness for next week…..but this one couldn’t wait.
You people who don’t use business cards….what are you, broke ass? I don’t mean people (like myself, naturally) who might occasionally forget their business cards or run out of business cards, I mean you folks who run around without any business cards at all…..say what?
I understand that smart phones might allow you to follow me on twitter or friend me on facebook or even capture something about me on a QR code (dammit, I forgot to wear my t-shirt with that QR code again) but honestly, nothing beats that simple little piece of paper.
Yes, yes, I’m the slayer of fucking rain forests without limit, et cetera, a useless, helpless backward hick who don’t understand nothin’ about yer high-falutin’ technology….but honestly if you don’t have business cards you’re conveying a range of unappetizing options:
1) I’m unemployed and didn’t have the forethought to even print out those serrated numbers off my desktop laser printer.
2) I’m running a startup that only has $23.00 in the main checking account, God knows how I’m gonna get my ass home from this event.
3) I really don’t want to have any future discussions with you unless of course it’s only on Twitter or Hashable and besides, I can bug you later for your phone number or email when it’s convenient for me, right?
It’s not the year 2258 when we can telepathically beam information to each other’s cloud profiles via retinal implants. We still use paper to try to help our little simian brains process the act of meeting for the first time in a business context.
Chance are, I won’t remember who you are even if you hand me a business card, but at least with it I have half a chance of recognizing you at the next event.
I haven’t used business cards in over a year. At least not the formal ones. I hand out MeetMeme cards, which im sure many would consider verging on the douchebaggy given that they have a pic of me and a QR code that goes to a mobile web page with all my SM links (including email). The reason I don’t carry cards is simple. Its highly unlikely im going to do business with you from a conference. If I meet people at networking events and they are of interest to me I make a point of capturing their info and following up. If someone is genuinely interested in me I expect the same. Now sure that might mean I miss some opps it definitely means I don’t end up on mailing lists which is what most people seem tto think is ok if they collect a biz card.
Last I’ve spent a considerable amount of time building a personal brand, one side effect of doing this is people know how to find me online.
All that said I do recognize that for some industries they biz card is still the only official way to pass on your details.
Simon
People like cards. Good, unique cards. I remember having those free Vistaprint freebies and when I would give them to people they would glance aat them and put them in their pocket. Once I made them thicker, with a photo on the front, rounded corners, etc. people started holding them and looking at them in front of me. Hard to say if I got more business out of those cards directly, but a lot of people I run into will say, “hey, I still have your card”, so they, at least, remember.
Let’s not forget that not everyone is young, hip and owns an iPad. Many of my potential clients are older (perhaps not the bride and groom but the parents and grandparents actually hiring me). They want a business card and a quote, on paper, they will never go to my site.
Business cards also make everything more “business-like”. You want my cell phone number? For WHAT? Here’s my business number and other info (yes, my cell IS my business number) but they don’t know that.
Here’s why I don’t use business cards.
1) The last event I met tons of people at helped me get over 20 business cards. I emailed them all, yet none of them replied.
2) If you want my fuckin phone number than just ask, I’ll ask if I want yours and that’s all I need…Oh you want email too? Will big fuckin deal it only takes 2 seconds to write that down.
3) I’m not a fuckin paper holder, I don’t care how cool your cardboard is at the end of the day, your just holding extra junk in your wallet, why not make fliers?
4) Did I mention that 99% of business cards get thrown out? You yourself told me that you might not half remember me. If we hit it off at an event and I get your contact info you won’t need a piece of paper to remember me.
p.s.
If you have a business number than just give that to me. I learned a long time ago that business connections and personal connections are one in the same. So if you have Bill Gates cell phone number instead of the average schmuck having his business number who do you thinks makes the contact first?