It's the last day of the NSA Convention. I've got a pocket full of business cards and a smile on my face. I know I'm about to come down with a bad case of conference afterglow. Before I do, I decided to take a moment to reflect on the role of the linchpin of business networking, the business card.
I've learned that logos are important, at least to the business owner. I always ask about them and often learn much more about person and organization than the information presented on the card.
I continue to be surprised at the gap between the act of presenting the card and what comes next. So here are 5 tips for using your business card to unlock opportunity.
- Scannable - I love all the fancy logos and colors. If you really want to honor the recipient and start building a relationship, make it easy to convert your valuable contact information into a useful digital record.
- Build a Bridge - My newsletter never really arrives in your inbox. What you see is an excerpt. If you're truly interested in the current topic, you click the link and wind up here. Consider reducing the amount of info on your card and replacing it with a link to your About page, (not your home page). There you'll have plenty of room to tell your story in a legible font size. If you presented your card to the right person, they will be ready to visit you online to start the engagement process.
- Right Up Front - It's a business card, not a book. Please stop printing on the back.
- Prospect On-boarding - Doing the happy dance may be the extent of your new client process, but first you have to turn them into a prospect. Develop and follow a process that includes mulitple follow up activities. Don't wait until you receive the card to figure out what you need to with it.
- Leverage Technology - It's all about converting the printed card into a digital lead follow up process. Invest in a solution that automates the process, reduces the time to engagement and doesn't leave valuable contact information on the floor.