There’s a lot of debate these days on whether physical business cards have any relevance. Software companies all over are making millions of developing apps to take paper business cards out of commission. And, in fairness, some of these apps are quite cool. But why are we trying to move away from a system that’s worked for centuries? Even in a digital world, paper and good old-fashioned networking will win out. Here’s why.
- Convenience – Business cards put your business in the hands of your clients. People who receive business cards usually keep them either in their wallet or on their desk, not buried in the 32 gigabytes on their phone. Make your business accessible and have a card that is always right there when your clients need it.
- Design – In someone’s phone, every name looks exactly the same. Name, number, email, business. Your contact looks exactly the same as everyone else’s. Paper business cards allow you to differentiate yourself through the design of your contact. Business cards give you personality and don’t just make you another black and white name on a black and white screen. Good design can make you stand out in front of the crowd.
- Professionalism – Being prepared is a huge part of being professional. Having business cards printed out and ready to give away shows that you came to the game ready. That’s way better than just grabbing someone else’s greasy phone and plugging away your contact information. Look them in the eye, shake their hand, and hand them your card. This face-to-face, eye-to-eye networking can make a big difference.
