Re-Thinking the Business Card

You've just finished that amazing power lunch (or power golf, or power whatever) with someone who could potentially be useful to you and your business, in the near (or distant) future. The conversation is about to close - (s)he's returning back to the office to close deals and do things that the powerful-people-we-want-to-schmooze-with do. You're going back to your cubicle farm job (or no job at all).

It's that time to drop the beginning of your lasting impression - or what could at least to an exchange of some emails, and potentially another power lunch/golf/whatever. Shake hands, hand over the business card. Promise to keep in touch, blah blah blah.

The hard part of networking is making that first move. Knowing how to keep the lines of communication open, without seeming annoying (I think Destiny's Child referred to this as a "bug-a-boo"). Guy Kawasaki, in his Art of The Schmooze mentions things like:

• Understanding the goal (what are you trying to accomplish anyway)
• Knowing when to shut up (there's a reason why you are trying to keep in touch with him/her and not the other way around)
• Leave the canned email for people you plan to can. Do something in your follow up to show that you want to actually continue a meaningful relationship. And remember, canned emails get canned responses. "You are such an inspiration to me and my partner" is going to get a response like "that's why I'm rich and you're...not" (joking).
  
  Blah Blah Blah (read the article, Guy's got the experience and the successes to back it up, we're just paraphrasing it).

But what about that Business Card?! Some folks have decided to take the Art of the Schmooze a step further and not only remain memorable, but start that memory off the minute the business card is exchanged.



To see more, [Click Here].




Is it worth the money (design costs, printing costs etc)? It probably depends on the industry and the frequency with which you hand out these bad boys.... but you have to admit, they are memorable.

And after all is said and done, isn't that the goal in the first place?!

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Now Playing: Nothing...why am I still awake (even though it is only 11:30PM).