Like most marketers, I visit a huge number of clients and prospects every month, some end up buying, some don't, but every single one of them has my business card. I attend business breakfasts, seminars and other networking events in search of new contacts and ultimately new business, every person I meet also gets a business card.
One day a few years ago, I realized that not only was I dealing a huge amount of cards, but I was getting a lot of them myself. I decided to go through some of the older ones to see if I could find any new prospects. As I started going through them, I started to realize that most people's cards are actually meaningless. Unless you work for one of the few companies whose name actually reflects what you do, you might as well write your phone number on a piece of paper and forget to add your name.
ABC company
Mr. Bob Jones
CEO
Telephone number
Mobile phone number
Fax number
Email address
Website
Without going online and looking at every single site, I have no idea what the companies are doing!
Likewise, all those people I was also diligently passing my business card to have every conceivable way to contact me written in black and white, but they had no idea what I was doing! My job as a marketer is to "put my face up", make sure I'm always contactable and remember as much as possible about all my potential customers (maybe with a little help from my CRM). My prospects are everyone else's prospects too, they may not remember me, so they need a little help.
I understood that the solution is simple. WRITE ON YOUR BUSINESS CARDS!!!
Here's the scenario: A prospect comes back to the office one day and is told they need a new supplier for widgets, it's their job to find one. He remembers talking to several contractors at the seminar but can't remember exactly who so he quickly flips through the cards he's collected, then he comes across one, he can't remember the name or the face that matches it, but in a nice legible font it says:
" Widgets, budget at the highest level" Who is invited to the meeting?
I'm one of those people who keep an eye on their business cards at meetings. I don't like pointless cardboard splicing (pointless exchange of business cards). Am I put off by someone said, "Hi, my name is... Here's my business card, can I have yours?" I suspect I'll be put on someone's spam list. However, by striking a chord first, you've reached something very important in your networking mission - you found a reason to extend the relationship beyond the event you met at.
Not all potential customers you meet will fit your ideal client (or center of influence) profile. This is especially true for me because I have a highly specialized niche. Focus your attention on those who meet your criteria. Write notes on the back of the card (the reason for the strong connection) and then you'll have a conversation point to build on your relationship at your next meeting or in your correspondence. After the meeting, follow up quickly by sending the information you promised.
The term "cardboard connection" was coined by Anne Buber and Lynne Waymo of "Make Your Contacts Count" www.Contactscount.com
That's all on this topic.
May you have a good day!
Thank you! For reading
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