Thank you for your reply.

I think at the end we agree on the most important point:

“the business card is far less important than the impression you leave as a person and the relationship you build after the event”

You and your business card have to work together in order to create a positive and permanent impression on your prospects.

Thanks again Andy, take care,

Damian

I understand where you’re coming from but I still think that the two cards featured in Geoff’s video are better marketing giveaways than they are networking tools. I agree that the bottle opener may stick around for longer than your average business card, although I’m not so sure about the condom!

Such promotional tools have been used by businesses for years, but I’m not convinced that they help you network more effectively. I have been resting my drinks on a promotional coaster that’s been on my desk since 2005 (it has the date on it!) but, prompted by writing this response, I’ve only just looked to see whose services it’s advertising.

In terms of writing on the cards, I’m not sure how many people turn up to networking events with indelible pens! The onus is on the card giver, not receiver, to ensure that they are fit for purpose.

I’m not detracting from the cards as promotional gifts but that’s not the same as a tool to make networking easier. Ultimately, however, the business card is far less important than the impression you leave as a person and the relationship you build after the event.

And I don’t believe any marketing gimmicks can trump that!

Many thanks for sharing your expertise. Your distinction between Marketing vs Networking, concerning business cards, is very interesting. Let me tell you what is important for me.

I personally think that Geoff’s business cards, the bottle opener and the condom, are a good compromise between the two approaches. And, not just because they are memorable (marketing), but also because they satisfy somehow your own criteria for a good business card (the networking approach).

First, a word about the meaning of being “memorable”. Memorable is usually defined as “worth remembering or easily remembered, especially because of being special or unusual”. So, these two business cards are memorable; no doubt about it. However, what’s more important is that these business cards will not be thrown away. If you think that 90% of the business cards given end in the trash bin the same day, the fact that these business cards will be kept is already a great thing! So, they are not just memorable, they will be kept by the receiver.

Now, let see if Geoff’s business cards satisfy your criteria:

1. Contain all the essential information? Answer: Yes. Why not?
2. Will the business card fit into a standard card index? Answer: Maybe. For example, I think the bottle opener could fit into most traditional business card files.
3. Can people write on it? Answer: it depends. If you have an indelible pen, yes; you can write on it.

All in all Andy, I think Geoff’s business cards are good marketing tools as well as networking tools.

Thanks for reading, cheers,

Damian