Attending business and networking events is typically a common occurrence for the Franco team, but it’s been a while since regularly attending networking and business events was the norm. This in-person networking pause has given us time to think about how we could navigate this “new normal.” The first question: Is a printed business card still necessary?
In the past when attending events, it was common to meet people, exchange pleasantries, have a conversation and exchange printed business cards for future follow up or potential business opportunities. But upon returning to the office, the same thing happened each time: we hung onto all those paper cards and created a pile of them on our desk or in a drawer that we rarely used. If we were smart, we added the information as an Outlook contact to digitize the info, or some people downloaded apps to scan cards to save a digital version for future reference. Sound familiar?
Despite all the digital tools and efficiencies our team has adopted in recent years, we were still relying on this age-old tool for business networking. We knew there was a better way.
While there are a number of software as a service options for digital business cards on the market, we ultimately chose HiHello for our agency’s platform. Not only are their digital business cards affordable, but they also provided a lot of room for creativity and customization, as well as features to improve the old networking experience. This includes the ability to share a business card electronically with a great recipient user experience, allowing recipients to easily add the card and all related contact info right to their contacts on their phone.
Over the last few weeks, our team has been more active at networking events. While paper cards are still very common, we’ve found digital cards are convenient and a great conversation ice breaker! Often, people are impressed, and we hear great feedback about the change. One of our Franco team members provided this anecdote:
If you run into one of us at an event or on the town, ask us to show you how it works. Until then, here is a simple guide from HiHello explaining how to receive a digital business card. You can also scan the QR code below to test it out.
Joe Ferlito is Integrated Communications Director and Director of Operations at Franco. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
