Is the Business Card Dead?

theodp writes "Attending SXSW, HBR's Susy Jackson was dismayed to find her beloved business cards no longer carried the cachet they did back in the day. Writes Jackson: 'I had a lovely conversation with two young entrepreneurs from New York and when it was time to part ways, I used that old line: 'Here, let me give you my card.' They both paused, looking unsure about whether or not I was serious. Then I saw the understanding wash over them. I was speaking a forgotten language. A business card. How precious.' And while Jackson appreciates the convenience of exchanging e-business cards, Twitter handles, and phone numbers (texting), she's still a softie for a good business card: 'Some cards are plain; others speak to their holders' personalities through odd trim sizes, quirky color schemes, or clever word play. Each will tell me something more about the person who gave it to me than I could have known from their contact info alone.' So, how telling are The Business Cards of Tech Giants?"

Please.

[DWMorse]

No way. I even had my own personal 'business' card made ($9 for 500 is good, right?) and they get me free lunches from places like Perkins and Dennys all the time.

That $9 has saved me at least $50 so far, and I get to carry card that says "Back off, man. I'm a scientist."

Rumors of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

[srwellman]

I remember the first time business cards were supposed to die. I was in a meeting at a trade show when someone offered to "beam" their virtual business card to me from their Palm Pilot PDA (remember those?). This must have been like 10, maybe 11, years ago. Has anyone beamed a business card to you recently in a meeting? I suspect not, unless you spend time with people who like using classic PDAs.

Re:No

[bluelip]

Some prefer calling cards.

http://artofmanliness.com/2010/09/15/calling-cards-fit-for-a-gentleman-art-of-manliness-calling-cards-and-giveaway/ [artofmanliness.com]

Two .com Bozos

[Fujisawa Sensei]

'I had a lovely conversation with two young entrepreneurs from New York

Sounds more like two dot com bozos to me.

Re:No

[Anonymous Coward]

By sending electronic business cards. I haven't used paper business cards since the late 90s, when I could just beam my e-card via my Palm PDA (back then almost every single techie owned a Palm or compatible PDA). These days I can do the same by sending my e-card with my phone via SMS, email or even by displaying a QR code on my phone's screen and letting whoever wants my contact info to snap a shot of it with their own phone.

Re:No

[Iron Condor]

Actually, that exactly what I have on my business card: my name. That's it. Not even my company. Makes people do a double take - and guess who they remember from that meeting: All those forgettable task-managers and project-element-managers and systems engineers - or that guy who just put his name on the card?

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:No

[Zappy]

Thats why I have a QR code on the back of mine