I have a confession to make: I don’t have business cards. I used to carry them religiously – 3-4 in my wallet at all times – ready with a card for a serendipitous connection. I’ve given and received hundreds of cards over the years, but can still count on my fingers the number of valuable connections made. Following up ‘later’ just never happens.
When I meet someone interesting today – I simply send them an email on the spot. It takes just a second - type in the email address, fill in the subject and you both have a cue to connect sitting in your inboxes instantly. This removes the separate task of follow up after an event, ensures that the message isn’t lost in a jacket pocket for eternity, and provides an immediate cue to connect later.
In a time before iPhones and 4G business cards had a place as the most efficient means of exchanging information. However, today, when we all carry our computers in our pockets they just don’t make sense and should be relegated to being a lost vestige of the meeting ritual:
So I ask of all of you to shelve the archaic cardstock artifacts of last generation’s business world and join the mobile generation. Make connections instant and persistent.
Take the No Business Card Challenge!
And now that you have a bunch of business cards you won’t be handing out anymore – Hugh MacLeod has found that they make the perfect cartoon canvases:
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