Sir, can I have your visiting card?
Did the 'Visiting Card' get run over by a Truck?
Over the past few months, I have noticed that very few people in the Digital Space at least even possess cards - leave alone bother to exchange them.
Before this, people had begun saying 'err...my cards are out for printing OR i have a new job title etc', but now, its like 'I don't have business cards'.
If you are on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, and Foursquare, do you need visiting cards? Also, how many people actually scan and index their cards perfectly so that you can look them up when you need to?
Visiting Cards are useful when:
- You check into a hotel and are too lazy to fill in the registration details.
- In governemnet offices, where the sleazy peon needs to slip the sleazy boss your card to announce your arrival outside his cabin.
- To just show off - Yeah, I'm the CEO of the Kalbadevi Typewriter Company.
- Surely to put in the lucky draw bowls outside restaurants to win free lunches.
Its sooo cool NOT to have visiting cards.
Its like saying 'you know who I am and if you don't, look me up on the web. If you cant find me on the web then probably I'm not worth knowing'.
(Ps - if the person finding you CANT look you up, then probably you dont need to know him :-))
Ok - that stuff above is very snobbish 'dot com' attitude.
I think 'visiting cards' are OK to have if you are still in Brick and Mortar businesses and need that ice breaker to start chatting and also 'plant your flag' when others have planted theirs on discussion tables and in meeting rooms.
In conferences, using your visiting card is the best way to collect your badge and also insert on the opposite side of your necklace- so that when the necklace accidentally twirls and flips to the 'blank' side, you no longer are 'anonymous' but you can show your name and Janam Patri.
Ah - not to forget mentioning a 26 year old Cassanova I know who gives his cards to all the airhostesses in all the flights he takes - hoping that one of them will call him one day :-)
I think Visiting Cards if designed well can also speak about your Company and what it stands for (or doesn't stand for).
Trivia - Japanese businessmen have Plastic Cards so that they can exchange them in swimming pools :-))
Tell me what you think about this ubiquitous piece of paper!?
Tags: Visiting, cards, conferences
Views: 363
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rabi Gupta on -
With QR codes there is this another wave of digital business cards, they make it so cool!
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Permalink Reply by Aditya Kuber on -
There's also the need of visiting cards when you're running a startup making the rounds of the market. I can't go to prospective clients and tell them "look me up". So yes, visiting cards to have a role for the smaller people around.
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Permalink Reply by Preetam Singh Patel on -
There's no doubt well designed Visiting Cards speak about your Company, and it still matters but today now when most of the people having smart phone, so Visiting Cards With well designed QR codes is the smart way to present your VC. Its quick and easy way to keep your card records properly.
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Permalink Reply by Alok 'Rodinhood' Kejriwal on -
WOWOWO! awesome analysis!!
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Permalink Reply by Rabi Gupta on
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seriously awesome, out of the box \m/
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Permalink Reply by Jayesh Gopalan on -
@Jyoti,Wow Fantastic awesome analysis.
@Alok this is the best visiting card deisgn i have ever seen i am so inspired by it now i am going to my visiting card too as it was too boring.
I think the one thing that i find most interesting from the design of your visiting card is of daring entrepreneur willing to take risk.
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Permalink Reply by Dinesh Brid on -
I am guessing Alok's contact info will be on the reverse.
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Permalink Reply by Anushka Shroff on -
Jyoti...
wow wow wow....take a bow.....
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Permalink Reply by kinnari thacker dave on -
Amazing..
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Permalink Reply by Aji (Digital Marketing) on -
The title of the blog should have been "Naam heee kafi hain" ... People just gets your name and may be twitter handler and connect ....
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Permalink Reply by MOHAN BVS on -
creatively designed cards can get special attention in offline marketing (conferences, meetups, potential customers etc.,)
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Permalink Reply by Basav Mukherjee on -
Visiting cards are uncool.
However, Mohan has latched on to something.
The human brain is the most expensive real estate on this planet. And the easiest and CHEAPEST way to buy it, is with a business card that is aligned to the purpose of the company or the person; and is creatively designed. The objective is to be remembered, create curiosity and to make an impact.
See some examples here :
http://creativenerds.co.uk/inspiration/40-most-creative-business-ca...
http://www.quicksprout.com/2008/09/20/creative-business-cards-that-...
http://www.webdesignmash.com/2010/10/60-stylish-and-innovative-busi...
So, visiting cards are traditionally uncool.
But they dont have to be uncool. It is a great way to demonstrate your attitude to life and work, your values, the ambition of the team and most importantly, it leaves a bit of you in the hands of a person who can make a difference to you, your cause and your team.
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