Networking TIP: Always Carry Business Cards

I’m amazed at how frequently I meet people at networking events, trade shows, conventions, and seminars, that don’t have business cards with them - especially job seekers!
If you are looking for a job, and you don’t have a card with you, what happens when you meet someone who either has the perfect job opportunity for you (or knows someone who does)? You either scramble for a pen while mumbling some lame excuse about not having a card, or you lose the chance to reconnect with this person later. Either way, you miss out on the opportunity to look & act as the best professional for the job.
Nowhere is this more embarrassing than when you meet someone in sales or marketing that doesn’t have a card. The business card is a marketing document - and if you are in sales or marketing, working or not, you portray yourself as a pretty bad marketer if you don’t even have a simple business card.
So here’s some suggestions of what others do. David says “I have a business card case that I nearly always carry. It’s a lightweight aluminum card case by Muji. I also keep a few extra cards in my wallet, just in case I run out. Additionally, I have business cards in my briefcase, laptop case, any notebooks I use regularly, any luggage I use regularly, and even in both the glove compartment and the ashtray of my car.”
So, you may ask, what do you do if you are between jobs and your old business card info is no longer valid? Don’t just cross out the old info and write on the card - that’s just plain tacky. Order some personal cards, for example from VistaPrint. Go ahead and spend the extra couple of bucks to get 2-sided cards, and include a few bullet points about your skills on the back - sort of a mini-resume. Their prices are cheap, quality is good, and they can usually get your cards to you in a matter of days.
What if you just ran out ? Just open up your MS Word or other program, type up the relevant info, print them up, and you’re good to go. Pre-Formatted Business cards can be purchased at office supply stores, and Wal-Mart.
If you are attending any event where chances are good that you will meet another person, bring along business cards. “Don’t leave home without it”