YOUR OPINION - Are Business Cards still relevant in 2017?

Buying & Selling Real Estate
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YOUR OPINION - Are Business Cards still relevant in 2017?

Alex Babayev
Flipper/Rehabber · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2015 · 105 posts · 133 votes

Hello BP world!

How do you guys feel about Business Cards?
I personally don't like them, and whenever I get them I throw them away. I meet so many people it's impossible to keep up with cards. I prefer to put your info right away into my phone.
However I feel awkward when I go to events and people ask me for my business card and I tell them to check me out on LinkedIn or to got to my website. Do you feel it is a necessity to have them or is it a dying form of information exchange??

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Anthony Barbato
Investor · Rochester, NY · Member since 2013 · 103 posts · 55 votes
9y
You answered your own question... If you go to events and people are asking you for your business card, then they are still relevant.
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  • Anthony Barbato
    Investor · Rochester, NY · Member since 2013 · 103 posts · 55 votes
    9y
    You answered your own question... If you go to events and people are asking you for your business card, then they are still relevant.
    23Reply
  • Jason Hirko
    Lender · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    @Alex Babayev if you are networking or selling something in person, they are 100% necessary. With that said, after an event or something, I go to my office with all the cards I received, send a 'nice to meet you' email, save their contact and toss the card. However, if I didn't have that card, I wouldn't be able to keep track of the people I meet, and I think people do the same with my card. And at $20 for a thousand, it's not a big investment

    12Reply
  • Mike CumbieBusiness Member
    REALTOR® · Brockport, NY · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y

    Personally I think they are still relevant. I add information right to my phone as I can, but some people I deal with are very techno-unsavy. Some of the real experienced real estate people in my area have a rolodex still (Yeah I guess you can still order them out of the back of magazines or something). I in no way want to alienate some of the heavy hitters or not be on their radar when something comes up that makes them think of me. So for the fairly cheap cost of cards, I say keep some on you at all times.

    4Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    9y

    @Mike Cumbie  I have a rolodex and a folder with all the business cards I collect I have calling cards to hand out.. could not think of being a real estate professional without it.. I don't put anything in my phone.. I hate that.. I don't have linkden ( well I have it but have not been on the site in years)... real estate is belly to belly... I also wont answer text messages I hate those.. If someone does not want to e mail so I can see who it is or call .. I am not interested in communicating with them. i get these random texts and just erase them..  

    I need the cards for a visual as well its more than contact info its the name of the company the website etc etc.

    what happens if I lose all the data on my phone???? where would I be then... 

    Now to be fair half the time I forget to bring my cards and I just have the person right their email on a piece of paper if I want to follow up with them then I send them a nice email so they have it..

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    6Reply
  • Jason Hirko
    Lender · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    @Mike Cumbie 100% agree, and when I'm meeting people, I try to leave my phone in my pocket, otherwise I catch myself looking at a text or something. And that's just rude!

    5Reply
  • Dave FosterBusiness Member
    Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2013 · 9k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    9y

    @Jay Hinrichs, What's a rolodex???? :)  

    My biggest issue with Business cards folks is that the demographic they appeal to the most - us old folks - can't use them half the time cause of the darn font size.  I don't want your life story and a picture of your dog on your business card.  I want to know how to contact you.  

    It only took me 6 years to discover the magnify feature of my iphone!

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  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    9y

    @Jason Hirko  there is going to be a new medical situation.. its bent neck syndrome.. just walk through the airport and look at all the people with their heads in their chest.. I find myself doing it as well... but your right have to really watch it in a business environment not to grab your phone and start looking at it..  

    but hey this is how the kids are doing it these days.. so us ( ME) old dinosaurs will have to adapt at some point or become extinct. ... the one reason I don't like text is its simply too slow... e mail I bang out a cogent message instead of having to be all thumbs and shorthand..

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  • Dave FosterBusiness Member
    Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2013 · 9k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    9y

    Spot on @Mike Cumbie, if your phone is more riveting than my face you can do business with the phone and not  me!

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  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    9y

    @Dave Foster  I never could work one of those i bought it then threw it away.. LOL 

    rolodex sits prominently on your desk.. it has these little plastic sleeves you slide the business card in there it protects them from the elements.. then their is tabs so you can put them in alphabetical order then you simply thumb through them.. you can also get the ones that are spring loaded.. now those you have to write the info in.. slide the little button on the side to the letter U want to open up and it pops up and there is your contacts. 

    I have the plastic one as its too much work to transcribe to the spring loaded one. 

    And sometimes I just thumb through it to remind me of old contacts many are 20 plus years old... cant do that on your phone

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    2Reply
  • Mike CumbieBusiness Member
    REALTOR® · Brockport, NY · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y

    Also if you are going to be dealing internationally at all it is a requirement. For instance if you are working with someone from Japan and they hand you a business card. Take it with both hands, look closely and read it fully before placing it in a protected place (Not a shirt pocket). There are some neat cultural normalcies with business cards that are good to just have in the back of your head.

    Nice Topic @Alex Babayev

    1Reply
  • Alfred Harrison
    West Philadelphia · Member since 2017 · 35 posts · 11 votes
    9y

    Speaking as a noob and a (barely) millennial, I've found business cards necessary for networking. I feel unprepared if I show up at an event, whether it's related to my 9-5 or a real estate related event without the appropriate business card. Pulling out a phone and trying to capture the info is time consuming and conversation/mood killing in my opinion. 

    As someone else mentioned, I also try to capture the person's information, usually from his/her business card and then send a follow up email or phone call later.

    1Reply
  • Alex Babayev
    OP
    Flipper/Rehabber · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2015 · 105 posts · 133 votes
    9y

    Thank you guys for your input! My takeaways are:

    1. They are still relevant. 

    2. I don't want to loose a potential contact by not having a card present. 

    3. Opinions vary depending on demographic. 

    4. As soon as I hit post here I am headed online to order myself some cards. 

    @Mike Cumbie  @Jay Hinrichs @Dave Foster @Jason Hirko

    4Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    9y

    @Alex Babayev  lastly order a high quality card... people will notice a super cheap card.. 

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  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    9y

    @Mike Cumbie  Great point I have Asian clients that came over to the US and we had a bank meeting with the pres of the bank and senior management.. the card exchange was quite formal.. two hand delivery and a bow of respect.

    this particular clients Asian business is work 3 times the bank... but you would never have known it when you watched him present his card to the bank pres.. 

    out our way there are Class's we can take through MLS for dealing with foreign clients so we don't look like boorish Americans. LOL

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    3Reply
  • Bryan Chuchta
    Wholesaler · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2017 · 54 posts · 36 votes
    9y
    I use a card app that photos the card and adds it to my contacts. Helps in keeping track of who is who on my contact listing.
    4Reply
  • Cat R.
    CA · Member since 2017 · 85 posts · 21 votes
    9y
    Mike Cumbie I agree with you. Many of the older generation and "heavy hitters" still use business cards. My father is 78 years old and he is one of those investors that isn't too big on technology and uses business cards as well as requests them. He doesn't frown upon your use of technology, but he does frown upon those who don't have readily available cards. He doesn't do the website thing so having him go find you on LinkedIn is a loss of a deal for you cause he won't go looking for you.
    2Reply
  • Dave FosterBusiness Member
    Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2013 · 9k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    9y

    LOL @Jay Hinrichs, look at my profile pic again.  I'm so old I still remember when a rolodex was a three ring binder with sleeves for business cards.  It sat right next to my phone book and was a major upgrade for me.  Because I didn't have to erase contacts any more in my other note book to put them into alphabetical order.  

    Of course it fit into the bag for my phone so that was a big bonus.

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    0Reply
  • Mike CumbieBusiness Member
    REALTOR® · Brockport, NY · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y

    @Dave Foster and @Jay Hinrichs

    Well at least it's an upgrade from "Hey Mabel can you connect me to Fred Smith"  :)

    5Reply
  • Ronald Hayden
    San Jose, CA · Member since 2017 · 15 posts · 5 votes
    9y

    Like @Bryan Chuchta, I use an app -- "WorldCard" on the iPhone -- that scans a card and loads the info into a contact. It's pretty good but I got it years ago and there are probably even better ones available now. 

    I'll be getting cards made soon and will look into whether you can add a QR code so that anyone can scan the info without needing an app. 

    @Jay Hinrichs, while I realize that you have no interest in putting contacts on your phone, I just wanted to mention that losing/breaking a phone isn't really an issue. You can backup your phone to your computer and/or to the cloud, and if you need to replace your phone, it's a matter of minutes to have all your data loaded onto the new phone. I have mine set to automatically backup to the cloud every night while I'm sleeping. This one also happens to send any new contact info to the cloud immediately, so the contact is available on my desktop computer and tablet instantly. But I realize we all do what works for ourselves...:)

    0Reply
  • Evan Parker
    Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2017 · 184 posts · 204 votes
    9y

    I think the exact same thing Alex. I believe they're only still viable at this point due to going through the motions but I'm 100% confident that business cards are about to go by the wayside and be replaced with a technological solution. 

    I can't think of any business related issue that previously exclusively was handled on paper or manually that wasn't eventually turned automated by someone who developed a solution that met the proper requirements. It's only a matter of time, but for now it's still relevant in certain circles. :) 

    Just my two cent, keep the change if it didn't work for you lol 

    1Reply
  • Karen Sanders
    Lincoln City, OR · Member since 2015 · 59 posts · 54 votes
    9y

    I still use business cards because of others and phones. I can not input a lot at once because of arthritis and the voice app on my iphone does not like it when you break a cap as I did recently. People can understand me but the phone can not. I hear the same think from many with false teeth. Things have improved a lot but still has problems. BTW the script I got yesterday from the Doc came from a printer but still has to be written out monthly as per Fed regulation for the pain killer I was getting. Remember the age of our Congress. It will be awhile before we can elimination a lot of things because they don't understand/use many things the general public of all ages use.

    0Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    9y

    @Ronald Hayden  problem is i dont know how to connect my phone to my computer never have.. I can't even post pictures because I can't figure out how to get them from my phone to the computer other wise I would have all sorts of pictures of my projects on BP.. but since I can't do that I just talk about them... 

    one day I will get my grand daughter to come over and help me.. I bet she can figure it out... plus half the time when I want to do something it wants an Itune something or other and I refuse to go down that path.. Itunes is not getting my info.. its a commie plot that itunes stuff

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  • Andrew Johnson
    Real Estate Investor · Encinitas, CA · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    9y

    @Alex Babayev I don't have them but I like to get them if I talk to a realtor, tour an open house, etc.  So many times the host isn't the listing agent and if I want to follow-up I want an email address and phone number.  Plus, I can scrawl a few notes on the back and don't have to type everything into my phone right then and there.  But that's just me, I'm probably adding a step in the card-to-phone information conversion but I like it.  That said, once the info is transferred and the follow-up is sent then the card goes in the trash.  

    All of that rambling aside, it does sound a touch arrogant if someone is asking for your business card if you say "go to my website".  It puts it on them to remember your name, website address, look you up, remember that they met you at ____ event, etc.  Just go to Vistaprint and get one of those cheap/free/whatever boxes of business cards with their logo on the back.  At least then they have your name, a website address or your LinkedIn profile hyperlink to look up after the event.

    0Reply
  • Chris Armstrong
    Realtor · Charleston, SC · Member since 2016 · 229 posts · 159 votes
    9y

    Lets take this one step further. Are you more likely to remember someone or look them up if the spend the extra money to make their cards stand out over the generic $20/1000 cards, or do you think that all cards are created equally? 

    By stand out I mean thick card stock, alternate materials (i.e polymers, leather, metal in some cases...), multiple pictures....etc

    I ask because I am about to become an agent and I am figuring out the business card thing now. I know they are 100% necessary. 

    @Jay Hinrichs @Dave Foster @Mike Cumbie @Jason Hirko @Anthony Barbato

    1Reply
  • Jason Hirko
    Lender · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    @Chris Armstrong Maybe, but you run the risk of making it look too gimmicky. A thick card stock and a few colors never hurt, but a oval shaped card that looks like a reflector or a card that looks like a folded up dollar bill (both true stories) might be trying too hard...that is unless you are a wholesaler and your goal is just to be remembered 

    0Reply
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