To help, we asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council to share some creative ways to handle all the business cards they collect and contacts they make during an event. Here are their tips for making sure you don’t lose track of a valuable networking contact.
1. Get Organized Ahead Of Time
Develop an organized filing system before you attend any networking event. You should understand ahead of time that a ton of material will be shared at such events, and you don’t want anything potentially significant to a business relationship to get lost. Consider keeping a folder or binder with you, and organize the business cards alphabetically, if not by another method of categorization. As long as things are put away carefully at the time you receive them, you can go back later and re-organize the material. Likewise, you want to be sure that the person to whom you are giving your business card will not lose it in the shuffle. Therefore, be ready to pitch yourself in such a way that they will not forget you. Make them aware that you are putting an effort into remembering them. - Bryan Driscoll, Think Big Marketing, LLC
2. Mark Relevant Contacts With A Star
Before passing cards off to our admin team, we have the person in charge who was at the event star the relevant contacts with a Sharpie. That way, they don't get lost in the shuffle and randomly entered by another admin staff who wasn't at the event. We then put those starred cards aside after they're entered into our CRM and make sure to follow up with them immediately. - Angela Delmedico, Elev8 Consulting Group
3. Implement A Corner Folding Code
When I'm at an event, I like to fold the card in a certain way. I fold the top right corner if they are a potential client, top left corner for potential referral, bottom left corner if they could be a resource partner, and bottom right if I can help or give them a referral. I bring a card holder that has two sides—one side for my cards and one side for cards I receive. The next day or as soon as I can, I make any notes that are needed and let my associate add them to our database. Then, I send follow-up emails or handwritten cards. - Reb Risty, REBL Marketing
4. Use A Card Reader App
Whenever someone hands me a business card, I no longer keep it but instead offer them to take a picture of the business card for myself using an app called CamCard. I tell them to save their card; it also kind of shows that you’re doing the “green” thing and people appreciate that. - Ajmal Saleem, Suprex Learning
5. Connect On LinkedIn Right After (Or During) The Event
When I’m handed a business card at a networking event, I write down a few notes on the card to help me remember what connection or discussion I had with the person. When I return from the event, I look up the person on LinkedIn and send them a request to connect. I keep my messages brief and refer back to what I wrote on their card. For those who are not on LinkedIn, I send an email telling them it was a pleasure to talk with them and invite them to connect with me on LinkedIn. I then recycle the card, and once connected I am able to keep tabs on what they are doing. Here's another tip: If you use the LinkedIn mobile app, you can connect with the person wirelessly, skipping the whole business card altogether. - Miye Fonseca, Therapy Exam Prep
6. Create Your Own Business Card Pipeline
I think the best way is to keep your own database of business cards. By submitting them into a pipeline format, you will be able to go through them easily and filter by industries, locations, etc. You need to have the patience to submit these one by one if you do not have an assistant. Business cards can easily turn into new partnerships or business opportunities. - Jose Magana, Yellowberry Hub
7. Follow The 'GTD' Method
In the digital age, business cards have their value as a tangible reminder to actually call someone. Following the logic of David Allen's GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology, I will have an "Act Now," "Maybe Someday" or "Archive" pile on my desk or in a sandwich Ziploc labeled with a time period. To better prioritize cards, I try to write on the back of them what we talked about to inform my follow up or simply brainstorm ways to add value for them in terms of future introductions, events or content pieces. For ones in the first two piles, I like to instantly add them to my CRM (some let you do it through smart scans) and then set up a follow-up date. Additionally, I usually teach people a "party trick" on how to use the LinkedIn barcode scanner to connect on the platform. Just 5% of people know it exists based on my experience! People usually get a kick out of this tip and we can instantly connect on mutual contacts and shared interests. - Paul Davidescu, Tangoo Real Estate & Restaurant Marketing
8. Ask Them What They Would Want To Connect About (And Write It Down)
When you’re out at a networking event, carry a pen. When you receive a business card, if it isn’t immediately clear to you, ask the person who gave you the card the top three things you could connect with them about. Write those things down on the back of their card. When you get home, lay out all of the cards on your desk or table, and begin ranking them in order of urgency to connect. - Matthew Manos, verynice
9. Write A Personalized Message When You Give Out Your Business Card
Before giving your business card to someone, try to write down a short, personalized message to the person you are giving it to. It only takes seconds to do this, and it will give them something to remember you by. It also doesn't hurt to order business cards with your professional headshot included on them. When someone has a memory and a face to remember you by, it will make you stand out from all the other business cards they've collected. - Seth Williams, REtipster Publishing LLC
10. Create An Excel Spreadsheet To Track All Relevant Information About Your New Contact
Keep the cards in a stack and make it a priority when back at the office to input their details into an Excel sheet. Most important is an email address. I also like a mailing/office address for geolocating, and their company or business URL for a quick glance at their business, products, etc. A notes column is great for documenting correspondence and anything else pertinent to your conversations, relationship and any other detail worth mentioning and keeping track of. You can then import the Excel data into various other marketing and software platforms to keep even better track of your correspondence, especially for sales initiatives. Nowadays though, there are many nifty apps to use on the spot or when back at the office, such as Adobe Scan iOS app, which can scan business cards to contacts with 99% accuracy. Other apps—such as ABBYY, Wantedly, Camcard, FullContact, Evernote and Sansan—are also very effective. - Ilyse Shuster-Frohman, Ilyse Terri, Llc
11. Only Accept Connections On The Spot Via LinkedIn
I would never take or give a business card in this time. I am a digital media company owner and I use the new business card: LinkedIn. When people give me a business card, I do not accept and tell them to give that to someone who does not use LinkedIn. The platform has two nice features: a QR code and Find Nearby feature. Both allow you to add people in seconds, and you do not have to be worried about losing the cards or carrying them with you. - Hüseyin Kılıç, Interesting Engineering
12. Focus On Quality Over Quantity When Collecting Cards
Early in my business, I thought having the stack of cards on my desk was a sign of success. What I quickly realized is that the stack of cards was a missed opportunity. Going to events and collecting cards did not mean those individuals were in my network. They probably wouldn't remember me if I met them again, and they certainly wouldn't remember what I did. After that realization, I focused on meeting fewer people at events and scheduling time after each event for follow-up. At a minimum, I would connect with people via LinkedIn and tell them I enjoyed meeting them. Then, I could follow their activity and make connection points a few times a year. For the people who I wanted to talk with further, I followed up asking for a one-on-one meeting. This gave me a chance to really get to know them and add them to my network. - Marie McCoy Zimenoff, Career Thought Leaders
13. Use Whichever Tool Or Method Works Best For You
The best way to handle business cards definitely varies by the person and usually comes down to your preference of tools. If you’re super old school (which really isn’t a bad thing) write a quick note on the back and stick it in your pocket. Really want to make sure you don’t lose it? Pull out your smartphone and take a quick picture of it. For those with support staff, send the picture to them to add it to your favorite contact manager or CRM tool. Finally, if you feel so inclined, drop that person an email or text or perhaps even connect on LinkedIn while you’re still at the event. Bonus tip: Setting a quick voice reminder using Siri or Google Assistant takes a few seconds! - Jason Keyz, Keyz Group, Inc
