Yes, everything is digital. Our social lives are digital, our banking is digital, our business is digital.
But there is one traditional element of business relations that has hung on throughout all the new inventions and fancy tech replacements: the business card.
Keeping it personal
With almost every piece of communication we make during the day being via digital means, it’s a breath of fresh air when something different comes along. Meeting somebody face to face and being handed a business card, along with a friendly handshake and a smile, is going to leave far more of an impression upon us than sending a cold, impersonal email, however convenient that may be.
Real relationships are created through real conversation, after all. You never know what sorts of doors your next one could open.
Never miss an opportunity
We Jammers know that networking opportunities can present themselves at any time and in any place. Trade shows, award ceremonies and events are some of the more obvious ones, but you could just as easily bump into a potential business lead in the pub, on the street or in an airport lounge.
In this situation you don’t want to be trying to dictate your email address in a hurry or over the noise in a loud place – “sorry was that an M or an N?” – we’ve all been there. Having a small stack of business cards on hand is a professional and elegant solution for swapping contact details in these situations and means you’ll always be able to take advantage of any surprise opportunities.
All the leads
The giving and receiving of business cards creates golden opportunities to drum up new business, speak to influential people or even initiate new friendships, all of which may otherwise have passed you by.
With this in mind, you should never forget the importance of a follow-up – rather than leaving the business cards you receive to gather dust on your desk, pick them up and get in touch. Keeping regular contact with your new business prospects, even if it’s just to say hi every once in a while, can make all the difference in the long run.
A piece of your brand
In a world where almost everything we see is on a screen, it’s nice to have something tactile and nicely designed to keep on our desks until we need them.
When we create a business card we pour into it the personality and quality of our business, thus creating a miniature extension of our brand that we can send out into the world.
This little card has the power to tell people what we do, how we do it and how good we are at doing it, without having to send so much as a single sales email or buy any advertising space.
Our very own design experts at JAM Creative know better than anyone the value of a well designed business card when it comes to networking; give them a shout at hi@jamcreative.co.uk if you’re in need of some creative input for yours.
