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Used to just hand out business cards at every event I went to | Atlanta Networking - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

gray_hall4•4mo ago

Used to just hand out business cards at every event I went to

For the first two years I was networking in Atlanta, I'd walk into a room and hand my card to anyone who made eye contact. Got maybe 5 real connections out of hundreds of cards. Changed my approach after a mentor told me to focus on 3 good conversations per event instead. Now I don't even carry cards half the time, just connect on LinkedIn after the event ends. Anyone else find business cards are a waste?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_sage4mo ago

Blew through 500 cards at a conference once and got exactly zero follow-ups from it. Felt like I was just littering. Switched to the 'three real talks' method too and it changed everything. Now I'll maybe exchange contact info with one or two people per event, and those are the ones that actually turn into something. Honestly the whole business card ritual feels more like a security blanket than a networking tool.

brooke4484mo ago

That '3 good conversations per event' thing is smart. I used to do the same with business cards, just handing them out like candy. But one time I ran out of cards halfway through a networking lunch and ended up having the best chat of the day with someone I met at the buffet. We still trade referrals now. So now I just bring a few cards and focus on talking to people, not handing out paper.

colegarcia4mo ago

My buddy Dave, who runs a plumbing supply company, used to print those cheesy magnet business cards and slap them on every metal surface he could find at trade shows. One time he stuck one on a janitor's cart by accident and the janitor turned out to be the owner's son working a summer job. They ended up talking for twenty minutes about fishing and Dave got a contract for three apartment complexes out of it. So now he just carries six cards max and spends the rest of the time actually hanging out by the coffee station or the buffet line where people let their guard down. It's funny how the best connections happen when you stop trying so hard to make them happen.