Right. And nobody uses business cards any longer. (So why do I have a collection that keeps growing bigger and bigger?) To keep myself on track, I scribble some cryptic details in the back of the card, for example, “Said he needed blogs,” “Self-describes as a tough customer,” “Wants articles,” “Is unhappy with their website but not sure about what to do…” And my own assessment – “Worth it,” “Inspiring, don’t lose touch,” “Boring but smart,” “Seems to get it.” If I’m being extra good, I also write a date and even a place where we met.
The “Inside-Out” point of my story – if you’re delving into your pile of business cards to get names for your NBD, it makes a big difference to be able to start your message with a personal reference to something they told you, or reminding them where, when and why you met them. Cheers!