Networking with your business cards is as simple as handing out your business cards and getting business cards in return. However, this simple concept has lead to many deals, contracts, and sales.
Business card networking has been around since the time business cards were first created.
Whenever you run into someone, that is a chance to network with that person. It doesn’t have to be at a convention or in a sales presentation. Networking can happen anywhere at anytime.
Here is one example. I was in an airport, standing in line talking on the phone. I was trying to sell a website to a client who had never bought from me. A guy a few places in line behind me heard my conversation. In the conversation I agreed to edit the existing template to make it look the way the customer wanted.
The guy in line behind me said, “You do websites?”. I turned and said, “Yes, do you want one for your company?” He said, “We just met with a company last week, but they don’t seem like they can do what we want.” He told me their plans for a ecommerce site, and I told him about the free software called OS Commerce.
I told him installation was fairly straightforward, but customization and importing his existing database could be problems unless they had someone experienced with installing MySQL databases and editing PHP.
He then asked for a demonstration. I pulled out my computer and showed him an example site I designed (site is currently just used for testing). He said he wanted me to design their new website, we talked about what all he wanted, talked about price, and talked about when it could be finished.
By the time my plane arrived we were already talking about hitting the golf course next time I was in town.
That is business networking!