In networking, as in life, I can’t stand people who just go through the motions. At a recent tech event I saw a ritual which I thought was unique to the brick-and-mortar business world. I found myself standing among a circle of people who pulled out a stack of business cards and passed them around, spoke little (if at all) of their businesses, and then parted ways. As one woman informed me, they’re measured by how many cards they collect. They’re just trying to “make the numbers”.
Can I get those ten minutes of my life back?
For many entrepreneurs, networking is a significant time commitment. Finding talented people to create, fund, grow or sell a business is challenging enough. Staying motivated in the face of insincerity just might have you hiding in your office with a case of serious social burnout. Instead of dropping off the grid, why not attend a networking event and leave your business cards at home?
3 Reasons to Leave Your Business Cards at Home
Ditch that social crutch. Ever notice who conversation lags and becomes awkward. "Can I have your card?" becomes the que that a party in the conversation has lost interest and wants to politely (or passive aggressively) end it.
Find out how memorable you are. An email address scrawled on a napkin doesn't have the context a card full of information provides. To get me to send that follow-up email the conversation has to wow me, and stick in my brain, or I’ll draw a blank looking at your email address on the back of my moleskine.
Don’t get pigeon-holed anymore. You hand over your business card, and upon reading it the recipient immediately asks, “How do you like being a [title on card] for [company on card]?” Personal branding is more about your soul than your specific role within an organization. Get rid of the idea that you have to talk solely about what you’re being paid to work on, share your passions.
Around Town Tonight
Not sure where to go sans previously mentioned business cards?
Tonight there's a
hops & chops happy hour at Linda's, on Capitol Hill. The group is organized by
Dave Chappell, founder and CEO of
Teach Street, and rumor has it that the inaugural meetup two weeks ago 30-40 people range. I attended last week, as an alternative to the vice-presidential debate, and discovered that Linda's does a killer burger.
Where you'll find me?
I'll be over in Bellevue, checking out the
Eastside Entrepreneurs Connecting party. The event is invite only, but I've included Joe's email on the events page so all you need to do is drop him a line if you'd like to go. This is a new group forming, and I'm looking forward to meeting some new people (I
will have business cards). As always, you can read about my adventures in real time on
Twitter.
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