Let’s Exchange Information!
Rich Turner
Haha! Yes indeed! Let’s!
Wow. It’s actually such an impersonal way of saying it. “Information”. Are we droids? Next, you’re handed this:
And you kind of mutter “well thanks, here’s mine…”. And it’s equally uninspired, leaving them thinking:
Then, approximately 30 seconds later, you’ve forgotten about the whole thing. The card lies safely nestled within a growing stack, to be well-intentionally shuffled within a larger mother lode stack, awaiting its eventual rediscovery eons later when Indy shines the Staff of Ra on its location in the Map Room at Tanis:
Yes. The noble business card, that ‘Business 1.0’ locus of professional interchange, is facing a crisis of self worth. Since any kind of information became reasonably ubiquitous over the Great InterWeb, the necessity to represent your brand effectively has become paramount. We are all so visible now. And when you’re starting a new venture, those first impressions count if you’re trying to jam your foot in that doorway. You could argue “well in that case, limit visibility and hand contacts a cryptic card that hints at my company/brand/product” without revealing. I would remark:
Harsh, but fair. If you have a card, and you have product, the information on the card needs to direct the reader to a solid digital showcase for that product.
Therefore, as a reprieve for poor paper, some logical ground rules for passing a card are:
- It is consciously well designed to look subtly unique. It’s you. Information is clearly legible and sparse enough that your contact is funneled ideally to a single contact point, or two if you include a phone number as well as a digital address.
- It is not cheap — decent card stock and weight please.
- Reasonable quality and forethought mean it is therefore suitable for intentional dissemination, not random dispersal to the 4 Winds.
Think about it. Let’s say you’ve taken you nascent product to a trade show and you’re going to ‘interface’ (can we be a little more personable??) with several hundred other humans. As each conversation may necessarily be brief, you need to optimize the **** out of it. That means talking about your wonderful Big Idea, how it became this awesome Thing, and most relevantly how it fits with your prospect’s needs. Then, before you part ways, either of x2 things need to potentially happen:
- A sale. Right there. On that show floor.
- A connection that can lead to a sale, if not right there and then.
That’s it. So for #2, if you are diligent you can pass them the card and hit that follow up. Even if it’s just a couple of minutes, make the card rise to the top of the pack by making the conversation count. How?
Be personal — don’t look over the shoulder at the next prospect. Be in that conversation attentively until it’s done. Eye contact, consideration, the works. Actually caring about each and every sale helps. It’s a great opportunity, as let’s face it ‘sharing information’ digitally can be even more impersonal an experience as with cards. And being personal never means anything but being your wonderful wholesome self. You are your brand, so speaking about
Don’t end with the card — passing it over earlier gives you the opportunity to refer to its excellently designed information points during your conversation. It’s like “I don’t remember people’s names until the 3rd time”. Unfortunate, but often true. Ensure they remember you on the first attempt. If your card looks The Quality, then the brand association is that you aspire to quality yourself. If you wish to opt for flimsy, ‘oops a door slammed nearby and the card flew away’ level card stock, then don’t bother.
So it’s not the poor card’s fault. It needs to look right and be used effectively, or it’s just wasted forest. Networking, interaction, meeting, pitching, the card is a supplemental catalyst to all of these. Prompt, professional follow up within a given timeframe is required to validate the card exchange. If you don’t do this you run the risk of the receiver actually finding that card again and associating your unconscionably lazy habits with your business.
True, there are certain cultural scenarios within which the business card is an essential component. In Japan, cards transfer with the spoken name to avoid embarrassment in recalling that name. In China, multiple received cards from a partner company are arrayed on the lunch table, and care is given to arrange them in hierarchical order to ensure the host company sees you understand their structure and decision making capacities. In other instances it’s simply a matter of seniority, or ‘target acquisition’. For example, a place holder or reminder for somebody who is generally too busy to allocate time. When the card is well designed and thoughtful, it ups the chances the card will be shown to the target in question, and also shared beyond to other potential contacts. Gone are the days of the ‘calling card’, and as sending an instant message and waiting for a reply seems somehow less elegant, make sure the damn card is in good condition and stands out!
No Card?
Paperless means digital, and it’s where we all have a footprint. Many people fully eschew cards, broadcasting instead an easily remembered email address. Sarah@easytoremember.com or something similar. Fine sometimes, but in order to be effective at selling you need to:
- Bring contacts toward whatever you sell.
- Interact with them there.
- Close the sale.
Tech solutions have been cumbersome till now, simply because setting up shop online meant curating a tonne of your content and sending a URL. Or, hoping people magically discover your URL in the great Never Never of the Web via price comparisons on the larger e-commerce sites. But how is life fun if it’s all down to price? Sharing your product with your prospect means putting a digital conversation around that product. It’s the simple equivalent of actually giving a toss and making a sale in your own bricks and mortar store. Virtually working through the negotiation/deal process with a prospect works because it engenders the same human trust as in the store.
Tech needs to imitate life.
So here’s a Trainspotting moment:
Choose platforms that go beyond providing an e-commerce store, which is just a hosted capability to stack product on digital shelves.
Choose solutions that provide a forum in which you can truly continue that brief conversation on the show floor around the interest shown in your product.
Choose to reflect your personality, the one that speaks best to that product.
Choose tech that works around your needs while mobile, and really is fully functional.
There’s nothing wrong with the humble paper card, it’s more ignorant use of it that invalidates its being, and cheapens the first-time meet. We’re in the era of tech assistance, so whether you choose to intro with the card or go commando and rely on an interactive business card (tech), just give a **** and mean it when you make that exchange.
