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'Information pack rats' urged to rethink business card strategy

Strategic business card exchanges could improve your contacts

Self-confessed "information pack rat" and Technorati writer Joyce McKee commented that business networking should go beyond collecting cards and contact details.

Information pack rats fall into the trap of giving and receiving business cards without updating their contact base or following up on their initial meeting with someone.

She claims she changed her ways when she realised how much of her valuable time she had wasted with her inefficient business process. Changing her mindset from collecting as many business cards as possible to focusing on real business networking has sharpened her skills.

While many people mistakenly think that good networking is meeting as many people as possible, Ms McKee says this is a "major myth".

Instead, she commented that you should seek out the right events to attend, with your "target potential clients walking in the crowd".

Tailoring your business cards for your target audience can also be a good way of ensuring you remain memorable after a first meeting.

Bill Shelton of Left Field Creative recently suggested discussing the option of different business cards with your printing service.

He commented that different contacts may require different information - the card you may give to a prospective employer, for example, may not have the same details as the card you use for business-to-business networking.