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Too cool for me or just lousy networkers
Haven't posted in a while, but this topic keeps coming to mind and thought everyone could give me their 2 cents. I attend a ton of dental trade shows and have run into this situation now 4 times in the past 7 months.
I am calling them the vCard snobs. OK, well that may be a bit strong, but hold on... unless I am way off base here the way networking is supposed to go down is that you introduce yourself, shake hands and then exchange business cards.
My first vCard experience was in Boston at the Yankee meeting. I had what I thought was a nice conversation with someone and as usual I hand them my business card. Why would I do something like that you ask? To get their business card of course. I was surprised when I heard something like, "I don't carry business cards anymore." "I will email you my vCard later." Yes, the individual was carrying an iPad, but then so was I. I anticipated his contact information would be forthcoming so I could in turn thank him for the meeting, etc, etc.
This scene replayed again in Chicago, again in Atlanta and again in Anaheim. Now I am all for doing my part for the environment, but business cards are pretty darn small and you can get them printed on recycled paper.
Here is my point. Do you think that one of these people ever sent me their contact information? Of course not. So my question is, "Are these people just snobs and don't want me to contact them or are they just lousy networkers??"
Would love to hear your thoughts.
Bill
DSP
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Comment by Troy Steinbach on June 21, 2011 at 11:48am -
Lousy networking is as rampant as lousy etiquette and bad manners. I think part of the problem is that the apple platform isn't business networking friendly. Blackberry users can use Contaxx by the Jared company for free and it's fast and easy. iPhone and iPad apps I've looked at require a wifi connection to send contact info, and it's a big hassle with the cellular connection apps - so it's more likely that your iPad guy needed to wait to get to a wifi area to send the card, and at a trade show there's lots of shiny things to distract us, so he probably forgot.
If someone doesn't have a business card (I will never understand that logic) I will just physically write it down, or ask where I can get it from (website, LinkedIn vCard download, etc). Also, if you can remember their name and company you can do a quick search and usually find everything you need online.
BUT- Don't be "that guy". Be sure to send them your vCard, along with a thank-you-for-your-time-it-was-nice-to-meet-you note. Business etiquette used to be formal and dignified. Now it's casual and apathetic. Anyone who takes the extra time to show the respect automatically earns mine, whether I choose to do business with them or not.
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Comment by Dental Sales Rep on June 21, 2011 at 8:31pm -
funny thing I got a couple of emails and calls from people asking if they were the "offenders". They were all innocent.
I am still a big believer in the Thank You card. I mean a real , in the mail Thank You card.
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Comment by Curtis Barnes on November 8, 2011 at 2:38pm -
The same people who were lazy WITH business cards are the same people who are lazy without them. Technology just makes it faster to eliminate these slackers from your data base--use it to your advantage!
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Created by Dental Sales Rep May 14, 2008 at 7:30pm. Last updated by Dental Sales Rep Dec 9, 2010.
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