April 21, 2010 – As a veteran of several career transitions, nothing quite gave me that sense of belonging as my first box of business cards. There was my name, my new title, and the classy logo of my new employer. Early in my career I proudly sent one to every family member and friend I could think of. When I developed my first networks, I kept business cards of my contacts neatly filed in a leather organizer. When I became a sales executive, I bought a card scanner to plug into my laptop and spent my plane rides home dutifully entering every card collected on the road. Now, in the new millennium, I download a person’s vCard or beam my contact info across the room. Does this latest evolution mean the classic paper rectangle is finally obsolete or is there still value in the business card?

Necessary for networking

Networking with business cards remains one of the most effective methods of marketing yourself. Your ability to successfully network is a necessary foundation to any lawyer’s marketing efforts. Always have some business cards with you because you never know when an opportunity might present itself for a new contact. When you do meet people at network events, business meetings, or other gatherings, after your initial introductions, always ask them for their business cards. It will then be natural for them to ask you for yours. But if they don’t ask, don’t offer. When you do get their cards, thank them, and read them closely. Make sure all their contact information is there. If something is missing, ask them for the information so you can add it to your contact data base later.

The vCard

A vCard is a type of email signature, sometimes called the digital equivalent of a business card. To create your own vCard, first, create a contact file in Outlook. Then under Tools, click on Options and create an email signature and choose the business card option. Your own vCard will now display at the bottom of your email. Frequently, lawyers also include a vCard link in their Web site bio. vCards provide certain advantages over standard email signatures. First, the email recipient can save your contact information into their contact database with one click. Second, once in their database, future emails from you to them should get right past any spam filters. Plus, they’ll have your contact information for future communications.

Beam me, Scotty

While exchanging business cards remains standard protocol, many people are choosing Web-based services or "digital business cards." The free Web site DubMeNow lets you create a digital business card. You can share your card via e-text or e-mail, and your contact information is automatically saved into the person's address book and updated whenever you make a change. When you meet someone at a networking event, some iPhone applications like Bump and BeamMe allow you to exchange digital info with other iPhone users. Then there's SnapDat, which sends a digital image of your business card and embedded links to your social networking sites to either an email address or to a smart phone through a special SnapDat account. However, even with this new technology, the fundamental rules of business card etiquette remain true: Pass your business cards (or beam your digital cards) only to those who ask you for one. And, they are more likely to ask you for your card if you ask for theirs first.

Law students need business cards

Networking has become a critical part of any lawyer’s job search. Trying to effectively network without business cards is like eating soup with a fork: a whole lot of effort for very little reward. Business cards are the most convenient tool to convey your basic contact information. If you’re a law student, check to see if business cards are available through your law school. This allows you to capitalize on their sophisticated branding. Make sure to include your full name, a physical address where you can receive direct mail, a phone number, and an email address. When marketing yourself to the legal profession, you need a professional-looking email address, not beerbonger69@website.com. Create a new email address that has some form of your full name before the @ symbol. If the cost of creating cards is an issue, there are a variety of websites that will let you create cards for free.

Paper: Not obsolete yet

The paper choice, logo, design, and readability of a business card can give you clues to an individual’s or an organization’s cultural values. The physical reality of the paper business card makes it easier to store your contact information indefinitely. People change software programs all the time, upgrade their smart phones, and often accidentally lose their contact data. Your physical business card can sit on a desk, in a pile of papers or even in a drawer and act as a reminder when rediscovered. When you’re networking, it’s much easier to exchange business cards instead of interrupting your conversation to tap information in your Blackberry. Even if you are so inclined, that doesn’t mean the person you are talking to has the interest to get their phone out and take in your details. Having a physical card can save you from a variety of potential embarrassing scenarios.

Like the rumored death of Mark Twain, the idea that business cards are extinct has been greatly exaggerated.

Michael Moore, Lewis and Clark 1983, is a professional coach for lawyers and the founder of Moore’s Law, Milwaukee. He specializes in marketing, client development, and leadership coaching for attorneys at all levels of experience. Moore also advises law firms on strategic planning and resource optimization. He has more than 25 years’ experience in private practice, as a general counsel, in law firm management, and in legal recruiting. For more information, visit www.moores-law.com.

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