Make your business card a connection point
If you are like me, you’ve collected hundreds of business cards over the years.
Some of the data from these cards gets entered into Outlook, Salesforce.com or another contact management system.
Most of these cards get discarded. A few get saved for a long time because they find a way to set themselves apart from the others.
I saved a recent card because of the fact that it lists not just the standard name, title, address, phone number, e-mail address, Website address, but also hobbies, interests, passions of the card bearer.
A big cheer to the company that is trying this innovative approach to their ‘calling card’; it’s not easy to take chances when every other company goes the standard way.
What’s more interesting to you?
A card that says:
John Doe
Business Analyst
Tecmo Bowl Corporation
123-234-4567
[email protected]
Or:
John Doe
Business Analyst
Tecmo Bowl Corporation
123-234-4567
[email protected]
- Bowling
- Poker
- Day Trading
- Soap Operas
- Long Walks in the Park
- Cats
- Licorice
- Heavy Metal
The interests listed above are conversation starters.
If your company desires to connect with John Doe as a potential customer, partner, employee, wouldn’t it improve your chances to find places of passion?
Maybe you and John are huge fans of Iron Maiden or both aspire to bowl that elusive bowling game of 300.
There’s nothing wrong with finding a connection point via a title (business analyst), but it might be extremely freeing to find a different commonality based on an area of excitement, stimulation, energy (outside of work).
Your company might not be ‘ready’ to build a business card in this way, but how about encouraging your employees to find alignment beyond the company name and position?
Try it; you might find a new way to build connection points that last a lifetime.
Until next time,
Dan Naden
