Recently, a friend of mine who plans to start his own business asked me if he’d still need a physical business card or if a digital card would be more appropriate today. Personally, I do not have a strong opinion either way. I stopped carrying business cards with me over a decade ago and I do not see the point of getting my phone out in the middle of an event to swap electronic cards with every attendee.
To me, there are two type of people who love business cards. Those who want to shove theirs into everyone’s face and collect yours as a courtesy in return. These people usually want to call you next day to sell you their services. Then there are gatherers who just want to build their contact list. Often, I gave individuals my card to politely get rid of them and politely end the conversation.
I always carry pen and paper though. If during a mutually interesting conversation I am asked for my contact details, I write basic details plus a keyword about the subject of interest down and hand it out, as well as making a note about the new contact’s details with said keywords. It may take a bit more time, but it also anchors the moment in memory, helping later recalling the conversation which is invaluable for the next time I speak to the person.
