Does a business card, title and office define you?
Paul Barlow
Managing Director at carsales | Global Leadership Team at CAR Group Limited (ASX: CAR)
Business Cards - like job titles and an office - some people love them; it can define them - or so they think, remembering perception is reality.
Years ago business cards were a must have and in a lot of cases today they still are. Swapping Business Cards when you meet somebody in business can be an important ritual in most instances.
I'm now doing business regularly in many countries and no matter which country I have a meeting in, the handing over of business cards is part of the process.
I was chatting with a friend recently and the topic of Business Cards came up. He was putting the case forward that they aren't needed in today's LinkedIn world.
I countered that maybe putting your Business Card into your LinkedIn profile can somewhat "legitimise" it? Just a question.
It's funny because I've never really thought about them but take a look in my drawer and there they are dating back to my first business card in 1998.
Does that make them important to me? I can't say no because the prove is there.... for me they define and remind me of the path I have taken.
Today we do that pretty easily through LinkedIn where we have our professional history laid out for all to see.
Like a Business Card, LinkedIn has different meanings and uses for each person but here's what a Business Card does that LinkedIn cannot - Anyone can created their own LinkedIn profile and have a license to tell their own story, not so with a Business Card (in any reputable business that is); in most cases you have to earn a Business Card. Not everyone gets one and not everyone needs one - ok maybe I'm putting a little bit of sauce on this!
My Business Card progression is similar to my LinkedIn profile experience progression, as it should be I suppose.
My first Business Card was a big deal to me. I'd been a developer/product manager for nearly 10 years and stepped into heading up the e-commerce push for Reynolds & Reynolds in 1997.
I then had the first ever carsales.com.au Business Card created in early 1999 for my trip to San Francisco for the NADA Convention whilst I was working for Reynolds & Reynolds.
Is a business card still a required item in today's business world? Of course it is!
I still like to read the printed version of the newspaper on weekends too; it is still a ritual at the start of a business meeting with people you are meeting with for the first time no matter where you are in the world.
And what would your LinkedIn profile look like with an image of your business card there in each position?
Would it legitimise it, cheapen it or just look stupid?
Helping Business Owners implement Positive Intelligence techniques. Resulting in more effective leadership & stronger teams. Expert in Health & Wellbeing | Fitness Pro | Specialist in Personal Development
7 年I have to agree with you Paul, I am a great believer of the business card lives on. It's a great tool for face to face when meeting someone for the first time. You can also leave your cards around at promotional events, unlike your LinkedIn profile.
Co-Owner, Creative Print Director, Chair and Board Member, Beautiful Disaster
7 年Fantastic thought and most definitely yes! A passion of mine is how important Print is and a business card is an essential item. In my company, the business card is one of our major print items! It's very much an important part of your introduction and a great talking point. It allows companies to create a memorable piece of their business and lasting impression .
Commercial Director @ Bolt | Ex-Zomato, Delivery Hero, Cloud Kitchens Leadership | $200M+ Revenue Architect | AI-Driven Global Expansions | SaaS & Marketplace Monetization
7 年Yes
eCommerce, AI, Data Science, Project Management, Automation. MBA, Magento/Adobe, Databricks Certified
7 年In addition to a ritual, in informal environment like networking event business card exchange just works better then finding your peer at LinkedIn and sending connection request. Less time consuming, no need to re-ask for exact spelling.
Office Administration and Credit Control
7 年Interesting PB, I do love seeing your old Reynolds and Reynolds one.....like sand through the hourglass hey?? I remember preparing our guys at Pentana for international visits and ensuring they understood the business etiquette for each country they visited. There was a business card ritual to be followed in the Asian countries and you have to accept with both hands and whatever you do don't shove it in your back pocket. I business card holder was needed as treating their business card with disrespect was looked at as treating the person themselves with disrespect. I also recall Craig Stanley telling me a story about a meeting he attended and after all the introductions he was waiting for his host to take a sit but......they were actually waiting for him because as the Vice President he held the most senior position in the room. Apparently they stood for a while ?? How much longer business cards will continue will come down to the generation and the culture as well as technology advances. No doubt someone will come up with an app that stores electronic business cards on your phone or tablet and when you meet someone you just send your details and it goes to your business card app which in turn links with your contacts and updates.