The business card is dead. Long live the business card!
Much has been written about the decline and obsolescence of the traditional business card. Who needs to carry business cards when you can share contact information wirelessly between devices? The trend towards going paperless with this traditional business interaction seemed to accelerate with the pandemic (germs) and increasing awareness of environmental impact.
One tech exec has taken the extreme measure of having a chip implanted in his hand with his contact details. He then asks people he wants to stay in touch with to scan his hand with their phones. That’s just too weird for me with its Biblical overtone.
I’m a fan of the old-school method of handing someone your business card. When I started my consulting firm, I had my cards printed in 10 different colors, each with a different quote. It was a conversation starter, helping turn an ordinary interaction into something more special.
The Business Card Is Your Calling Card
In Beyond Bedside Manner, “The Calling Card” is an insight that creates a nice win-win for the medical practice. My recommendation is that every team member should have a business card. Every employee, regardless of their role in the practice, deserves to be recognized.
The business card creates another tangible way for each team member to be part of the mission and culture of the practice. We recommend handing them out liberally to patients they connect with as well as people they meet when they’re not at work. Every employee has the potential to be an ambassador for the practice.
In my experience, people feel even more pride in being part of the team when they have something to show for it. The business card does that in a way that a digital device cannot.
A box of business cards for each employee is not expensive, especially in terms of its impact on the practice. Much like the original calling card, it presents an opportunity for each of us to discuss what we do and invite people to learn more.
Does every employee in your practice have their own business card? If not, why?
