I was at a chamber after-hours mixer when a friend who reads these great weekly marketing tips asked me a question: “Are business cards still relevant?” I thought about it, and my answer is yes. For networking or doing business with other business people, the business card is still needed.
Here are a few reasons: Exchanging cards is still a personal face-to- face experience. A lot of nonverbal, nonwritten communication is going on. Also a properly designed business card can give the recipient plenty of information about the business and the person all within a few seconds.
Can all this be done using other media? Think about this for a moment. I can email, text, exchange contact information by smart phone. And when I do that, do I get a lot of nonverbal communication about the person I’m exchanging information with?
Also, it is still expected to have business cards when you have a business. When you do not, people think you’re just getting your business started. You might not need them when dealing with consumers, but just think about this for a moment.
You go to a family function, where that family member who’s worked for the same company for years in basically the same job has either made fun of you for starting your own business or more likely made comments about you needing to “find a real job” or “stop playing around trying to start/run a business.” Now, hand him your professionally designed, professionally printed quality business card with full contact information including email (not @gmail, but your own domain) and website.
Business cards are still one of the main hallmarks of having a “real business.”
Till Next Week –
Remember – Great Things Happen, But You Have To Take Action, NOW!
Philip Freedman
Doctor of Customer Retention
Business cards are totally still relevant. While smartphones are great at recording information, they are not the best at reminding you what a business does or showing an example of what they can do. Also isn’t it so much easier to take a card instead of spending the time trying to type in a person’s information? Thanks for sharing this!