Think back to the last networking event you attended. You probably walked out with at least a couple dozen business cards of people you met at the event. Unless you have a super-human memory, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to remember details about every person with whom you exchanged cards. So how do you make the business cards count? As soon as you turn away from the person, write three pieces of information on the back of their card before you stow it away:
- Where you met
- What you talked about, particularly if it was something funny (this can be used when you follow up with the person)
- What the next step is
In my experience, most people don’t take the time to write these detailed notes, so be sure to jog their memory using your notes when you follow up with them. One great technique that my wife uses for making sure people remember you is to give them two of your cards. She will hand someone two cards and say, “Here’s my card…and here’s an extra one in case you lose the first one.” Then when the person is going through their stack of cards from the event, she’s the only person with two cards in the pile. It’s memorable and helps set you apart from the rest of the group.
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