I’ve been thinking for a while about the way I do business and how at various talks and training gigs I recommend various people. I even have an “I recommend” page on this here blog. I carry some cards of people around but honestly I’d love to carry more cards if I had room and then there’s the issue of topping up on the cards.
So I was thinking of getting cards printed with maybe 7-8 lines with a check box on each line and list those people from my I recommend page. When talking to someone then I’d say “This guy here” as I tick the box next to Richard Hearne, for example. Or tick two or three boxes. Much easier than people writing their details down.
So each line would have:
Person’s Name/Business Name – What they do – Web address
Or something like that. I wonder would an enterprising printing company bring out a template to make this easy for people? It’s a mini social network on a piece of paper. If we can do the Tuesday Push on blogs, we could do another form on cards. However, the recommendations should be genuine and there shouldn’t be horsetrading of the type “I’ll put you on my card if you’ll put me on yours”.
Anyway, I must go printing these.
Photo owned by surprise truck (cc)
Rather than printing up cards especially, couldn’t you carry one of those card books around with 5-10 of each card? They’re mad about those card books at BNI meetings. I have one now and it does the job nicely, I often pull cards out of it to give to people.
Or you could send a SMS business card from your phone to the recipient’s phone instead. It’s the greener solution but less personal.
I’m with Cormac. There has to be a better solution that the card. I lose business cards all the time but seldom lose my phone:)
So every phone 1. Can send a business card to any other phone? 2. Can send the business card to the other person you just met?
Obviously not every phone can do it but it is viable alternative to having recommendation cards.
Have you thought of creating a pocket mod template of recommends?
http://www.pocketmod.com/
i agree with cormac, i dish out cards every day. An SMS business card is the way to go for exchanging cards, but then again you would probably make more of an impression if you give out a physical card.
Very honoured to be on that page and to be mentioned here. And humbled.
Thank you, and rgds
Richard
I don’t know if our postcards would be any use. Probably too big? Just an idea.
I think the multi-contact tick-box business card idea is brilliant, and the size is good because it fits in wallets and purses and handbags and briefcase pocketty pockets. Particularly if you are asked for recommendations all the time.
So a business card has 2 sides, looking at my own now (so much wasted space!) I reckon in a decent size font you would get name, mobile & URL on each side 5 times. So if you had your Top Ten on the card and updated it every 6 months or so, with the best in each of the categories listed, then you could gat 500 used up quite easily.
Marvellous idea. Ring Snap. But see if you can get some IP on the idea first 😉
Then the next thing you do is make contact with every BNI and CEB Network in Ireland!