Play Your Cards Right

Finally! Restaurants and pubs all over Toronto have opened their patios. In this city, that can only mean one thing - summer is on it's way!

It also means that your roster will soon be full of networking events - networking events you will actually attend. Let's face it, we all know we need to go to these things. They're just much more appealing when they involve umbrella drinks, open-toed shoes, and the possibility of a tan.

But before you slap on the coconut oil, ask yourself: when it comes to networking events, do you know how to play your business cards right?

You've probably seen it a million times: people dealing out business cards like they were at the World Poker Tour. They hand them to anyone and everyone in the hopes that the cards, like marketing flypaper, will catch a few prospects. At a dinner event I attended, one gentleman actually went so far as to put a business card at each place setting, before we'd even sat down to eat.

And what happens to the majority of them? They get forgotten or tossed. After one particularly card-happy event, I came home with no less than 26. Of the 26, I kept one. One card. The rest were either shuffled into a file folder (which reminds me - I need to purge my file folder) or discarded into the recycle bin.

So should you drop out of the card game entirely? No. Bring them. Lots of them. But change the game. Next time you're at a networking event, play a little Essential Message Hold'em.

Here's the rules: first, you play your hand close to your chest. Don't give out any cards. Instead, tell people how your business can help them (hint - tell them your Essential Message). Ask them what they do.  If there's a fit - a partnership opportunity, referral opportunity, need for services, etc -  then offer your card, or ask them for theirs.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it: Next time you're at an event, brush up on your card game. When you're chatting with people, say something like this (courtesy of Michel):

"You might have noticed I didn't pass around my business cards. Let me tell you a bit about what I do first. Then, if you think there's a fit with what you do, I'd be more than happy to give you my card. And I'll do the same for you -- I'll ask for your card if I think I could use your service or if I think I can refer some business to you."

 You'll have less to put out for recycling pickup - and you'll have made new connections that are meaningful, mutually beneficial and, ultimately profitable.