I Don't Want Your Business Card
Business cards create friction in modern networking. LinkedIn connections provide persistent, actionable relationships that survive job changes and help you stay in touch.
Ben Houston • • 2 min read
Earlier this evening, I was at a networking event talking with a promising new entrepreneur. Good conversation, clear potential in his business. As we wrapped up, he reached into his pocket and extended his business card.
I didn't take it.
His surprise was obvious - wasn't this the professional thing to do? Instead, I pulled out my phone: "Let's connect on LinkedIn right now."
The Friction Problem#
That business card is going into my pocket. I'll meet 15 more people tonight. Tomorrow morning, I'll find a stack of cards with no faces attached, no context about our conversation, and no clear reason why I should reach out. If I do email you, it'll feel like a cold contact because that's what it is. You won't remember our conversation either.
Your card has your phone number. I could text you, and texting is an underutilized means of business messaging. But your email can end up in my spam folder, and if you change jobs, that contact information becomes obsolete.
LinkedIn Works#
LinkedIn survives job changes, email changes, and phone number changes. It creates an ongoing connection rather than a one-time exchange. Once we're connected, I see your posts and you see mine. I can reach out months later and you'll remember who I am because my face is right there with my message. LinkedIn messages don't hit spam folders, and they signal pre-approved contact - we both acknowledged this connection.
For sales and marketing, it's even better. I now have a channel to you that doesn't require newsletter signups or CRM gymnastics. Your network sees when we engage. My updates reach you through your feed.
The CRM Advantage#
If I do want to import your details into a CRM, LinkedIn makes it trivial. With a business card? I need a scanner, manual data entry, or some OCR process that can mangle half the information.
The Follow-Up#
When someone offers me a business card now, I ask to connect on LinkedIn before we walk away. If we leave it to the card, I know what happens next: it gets lost, I forget the context, and both of us pretend that a piece of cardstock counted as follow-up.
So no, I don't want your business card. Pull out your phone and connect with me on LinkedIn while we're still talking.