One of the most valuable pieces of advice I ever received was to give a new contact my business card when I met them. “You never know when someone is going to want to do business with you,” I was told.
Since then I’ve given away thousands of my cards. Costing 5¢ each, I’ve always seen them as the cheapest marketing tool I have.
I figure if I distribute 1,000 cards and get one deal, it’s more than paid for itself.
Some folks say business cards have been replaced by people touching phones to share contact information. My experience is that trend never really took off, with business cards remaining omnipresent among professional communities.
Always carrying my business cards (with reserves in the car) makes sense to me. Each month I attend several networking events. The crowds at these business or social meetings typically range from several dozen to hundreds.
All offer phenomenal opportunities to make new friends and business contacts. And though I sometimes don’t give out cards, I’m always prepared.
A troubling trend I’ve noticed are individuals who carve out time from their busy day to attend a conference, Chamber of Commerce affair, or Rotary Club meeting…and forget to bring their cards.
They’ve typically paid to be there, yet don’t make it easy for someone to contact them with additional information or (worse yet) to buy from them.
You may call it shortsighted; I call it lost opportunity.
Regardless of what you sell, you doubtlessly meet lots of new people all the time. I promise that if you don’t have business cards in your pocket, you’re missing chances to reinforce in the moment who you are and what you do.
Taking someone else’s card and offering to send your information significantly risks them forgetting you. Odds are also great you’ll forget to send it.
If you don’t have a card, invest in one. If you have one, stick some in your wallet, briefcase, purse, car or pocket. Make it a habit to always carry them with you. And watch how much easier it is for people to contact you.
And if your card is creative or informational, it could very easily act as an invitation to expand your initial conversation into a much more interesting dialogue.
With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.
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