Tweet, email, or telepathy, I think we can all agree, business cards are relics from a bygone era.
murders&executions Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If I meet someone I’m truly interested in > exchanging my professional info with, I shoot them > an e-mail on the spot and they reply. Business > cards are about as obsolete as the rolodex. > > I guess it was cute to carry some around when I > had my first job fresh out of college. > > NakedPuts Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > murders&executions Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > Other than douche bags and dudes over 50, who > > > carries business cards? > > > > Um, everyone I know? How do you not carry > cards? I’m honestly curious what sort of work you’re in. Cards are absolutely essential. I probably could get by without them, but wouldn’t want to. I’ve probably got 150 cards sitting in front of me right now, although it’s only so high because I haven’t taken the time to scan them in recently. The average conference I attended I’ll return with 30-50 new cards and hand out the same, and no, I’m not in sales or anything like that. Perhaps 75% of them I’ll never look at again, but several times I’ve wanted to get in touch with a firm and I’ll say “hmm I think I got a card from someone there a few years ago”. I mean, even Google still uses business cards - I’ve got several from them.
NakedPuts Just start exchanging e-mails with them on the spot. It doesn’t take any extra time and you will find that instead of making it back with 95 business cards which you will never do anything with, you may actually make a few connections. In addition to the obvious benefits, since you already exchanged emails with them, if you do decide to email them for some reason later, it will be an email from a familiar address. And since when is freaking Google the be-all, end-all? What do Google’s business card habits have to do with anything. Business cards are no longer relevant. Think about all the business cards someone has handed you over the years. What percentage of those do you still have (either physically or that you’ve converted to some other format)?
There’s an Iphone app that allows you to ‘bump’ another iphone and it swaps your contact information (although I like the email idea, but it seems like it could be a little intrusive - it’d be a game time decision for me but under the right circumstances it’d be great).
jcole21 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > There’s an Iphone app that allows you to ‘bump’ > another iphone and it swaps your contact > information (although I like the email idea, but > it seems like it could be a little intrusive - > it’d be a game time decision for me but under the > right circumstances it’d be great). I hooked up with a girl because of bump, true story. We were sitting on her couch at 4 am and she asked me if I had the “bump” app. I was like yeah, lets bump. So we bumped…thank god because I thought her name was Amy and it was definitely NOT Amy. So I was able to start using her name which made her think I was listening to her. Thank god for technology. Yes, we bumped later on.
When I’m working a room with a drink in one hand, it’s unbelievably inconvenient to whip out my iPhone and start tapping out an email, hope I’ve got service, then hope the message gets through and they remember it later. Besides, I want someone’s phone number, not email. Business gets done over the phone. I’ve already admitted I trade plenty of cards and do nothing with them, but all else equal I’d rather have their info than not have it. I never said Google was the be-all and end-all but their employees tend to be very technology conscious, yet somehow they still find it necessary to carry cards. I’d wager Microsoft, Apple, etc are no different. I have just about every card I’ve ever been handed, both physically and electronically. For you to say they’re no longer relevant is just trolling. I’d get a lot of sideways looks if I went into a meeting and said “Oh no I don’t have cards, as they’re irrelevant”, especially as someone else was trying to hand me a card. It’s more of a business etiquette thing than anything else - try doing business in Asia without a card. And for the record, I’m not one of those “American Psycho” types who obsess over cards - mine are plain white on boring old card paper.
When the current crop of 20 somethings rule the world, business card will be irrelevant. Try to “bump” a guy who has actually used a rotary phone and you won’t get very far.
The point is to exchange emails. Phone numbers are in the signature.
And if they aren’t up for exchanging emails, there is little chance your phone call out of the blue seven months down the line will be answered or returned. I’ve found that if it’s someone I’m truly interested in connecting with, exchanging emails is by far the best way to go. Simply collecting hundreds of business cards at conferences or some other industry function is a complete waste of time. I’ll run into two or three people at the most that I’m truly interested in connecting with.
you seem to agree that exchanging emails requires a little more interest commitment than casually passing a business card. of course you can exchange emails on the spot with the 2-3 people you are “truly interested in connecting with”. what about the other 20-50 peripheral contacts you’ll run into, that are of moderate or little interest at the time? you never know how these contacts can develop in the future. effective networking means connecting with many different people, on many levels
“And if they aren’t up for exchanging emails, there is little chance your phone call out of the blue seven months down the line will be answered or returned.” False. People have a better memory than you give them credit for. I’ve done exactly that with plenty of success. A business card exchange takes what, half a second? Banging out an email is going to take at least 30 seconds.
If spend a day at a conference or some other industry circle jerk and exchange 50 business cards and think you have made any sort of connection (peripheral or otherwise) with all 50 of those, you are mistaken. Yes, it takes 30 seconds to send an email and if you can’t get more than 30 seconds of the other person’s time, you haven’t connected.
I’m not trying to find my new BFF, I just want their info in case I need something from them or vice versa. That’s it. It’s not a spiritual bond, it’s a business card.
I can’t believe you guys want to talk irrelevant $hit when AM just told a bada$$ story. You guys have some growing up to do. Nice work AM.
2 things. One. You NEVER go into a meeting with an external without a business card. None of the top HF managers do and I suspect you aren’t going to be more important than them. Having said that, I like the idea of a quick email if you are at a conference. But biz cards are here to stay. I mainly bin the ones I get, but it is the formality that matters. When I face a bunch of dudes in a room, I like to line them up so they match the person, so I get their names. If I am getting bored of the conversation, I might swap them around a bit to mix it up a little. Live life on the edge. Two. That does not constitute a proper bump AM. 4am on the couch isn’t the same thing as sitting next to someone on the tube, bumping & hooking up. It’s just not random enough. Respekt the fact that you still fo’shizzled her nizzle.