Amsive

PUBLISHED: Aug 20, 2010 7 min read

Don’t Give Out Your Business Card!

Ruben Quinones

Ruben Quinones

Senior Vice President, Sales

A little off subject from our online marketing topics, but very much related to how we promote ourselves online.  It is very common that the first thing you do when you meet someone in a business setting, is to give out your business card, in some cases, before there is even a conversation.   I have been the beneficiary of many business cards, most I have not asked for.  With my own cards, I have changed my approach.  I find myself holding back on giving my business card out, an approach I have metaphorically adopted online.  Watch this video as Larry Sharpe from the Neo-Sage discusses this approach when you have a stack of your own cards ready to go.

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Transcript:

Duration of Video:  6 min 40 sec.

Ruben Quinones: Hey! Welcome to another episode of AmsiveDigital TV. I am your host Ruben Quinones and I have got another guest today Larry Sharpe. You’re training the favorite that was in radio show.

Larry Sharpe: That’s exactly right! Yes.

Ruben Quinones: Couple of months ago.

Larry Sharpe:  Almost a year ago.

Ruben Quinones: Almost a year ago. That one I think was another one.

Larry Sharpe:  Yes.

Ruben Quinones: I need that coding to put it for myself.

Larry Sharpe:  I will give it to you. [It is not at all clear]

Ruben Quinones: Precise me in dynamic you’re speaking is ———- you are guest instructor in how many schools?

Larry Sharpe:  I teach at Kelly, I teach at the Fashion Institute of Technology, I teach at Brantley over there, I teach the Columbia’s graduate school of business now working with that. So I teach a lot. Besides help people to network better.  I am overall over just —– that.

Ruben Quinones: And you are.

Larry Sharpe:  I am not a slue. The best thing in me is my Majestic. You know my great tricks, majestic is my number 1.

Ruben Quinones: Yes that will agree but when technically on online marketing, you are marketing yourself offline has lot to do what you do online and I want show you couple of episodes in this one particular you have maintained this for four years and struck me and I remembered your number and that will be a great topic to share a topic with my audience, our audience is when you are not working and meeting people at conferences where ever it may be. You have mentioned don’t give out your business card. By the way I am not giving my business card I remember that why not?

Larry Sharpe:  And you are not giving it out but I am going to tell you what’s happening, you will not networking any goods are you?  You actually probably are networking better.

Ruben Quinones: I may answer you, I actually I see it I didn’t realize it but I realized the value of it and I see people asking before that.

Larry Sharpe:  Absolutely! Natural point. But the way the physical networking matches with online networking is when you build your personal network your LINKEDIN profile, your face book, your Fan page whatever you are going to do the best way of doing that not always the most efficient but the best way is to meet the people first. Physical get in front of them see some value, create some relationship and then say hey! Join LINKEDIN, join my face book crew, become a fan of my page with all that. So when I am finishing I am trying to do is not serve them. Most networking is topped up by giving that cool you know 20 sec pitch and all of a sudden I am sending you.

Instead of looking at networking long term its building relationships. So instead we go front of somebody don’t pitch them instead create relationship, create a bond, create a poor so ask about them only. Just ask about them.

Ruben Quinones: It’s like growing up I think we see this often when we are speaking especially you are going to watch people and don’t have there cards. So it is common like everyone else.

Larry Sharpe:  Exactly! Right. If I give you my card I sold you my card.

Ruben Quinones: Right.

Larry Sharpe:  People don’t like to be sold. If I am good enough to make that bond and the person says by the way can I have your card. Now you bought my card its more value there.

Ruben Quinones: It’s very interesting.

Larry Sharpe:  But there is critical piece here if you have to ask for their card, to make this work you should have cards swap. You have only one way you have to ask four questions called. So the ———. Hey! What you do? Oh it is you work here or someplace else. The fourth question should be give me your card.  Because once you have their card you now have control.

Ruben Quinones: Right.

Larry Sharpe:  Right. So now they never give you or never ask for your card or never walk away or someone comes in and messes up your conversation.

Ruben Quinones: You have their card.

 Larry Sharpe:   You have the card information you can reach up to them. So you retain control by getting their card.

Ruben Quinones: So if you do want their contact you know true you do want their contact ask for their card and just wait back. You know wait for them to initiate come first in getting your card back and this happens a lot and still you have control with their card.

Larry Sharpe:  Who cares? Infact, if you don’t have it just wait for a minute they don’t have your card but you have a good conversation know your name, have a chat, you got their contact and then later on send an Email. Hey! Bob great meeting you that was so and so conference, the story about the chicken was great! Blab Blab Blab. Don’t have to talk about chickens whatever pigs, cows anything and he remembers you. So what is that you are going to do? Probably you have an Email signature with your website, your LINKEDIN profile or your blog whatever you are doing.  Oh I was remembering why why? And he clicks in and searches himself.

Ruben Quinones: You are so engaging that we really pass out 5 minutes because I am very good at cutting people off.

Larry Sharpe:  Oh

Ruben Quinones: But I am your —-. I could do second episode but we have lot of another stuff to get through.

Larry Sharpe:  Sorry guys I made it late.

Ruben Quinones: No this is ok I will get in touch with what is your website.

Larry Sharpe:  www.neo-sage.com

Ruben Quinones: And you have an event coming up. You actually teach courses. So can you tell me about that?

Larry Sharpe:   A 9 week Power house course starting on September 14th  in evening from 5:30 to 8:30 every Tuesday like a magical. On every Tuesday 9 weeks straight 3 hours every week, 27 hours we give work book, you know how to pitch better, prospect better and close better that is its about.

Ruben Quinones:  And he is going to be in our future episodes and we will be going on the same phase. I had a change I want to update meanwhile. Have a Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening whenever you are watching this have a good day and takecare.

Look into Larry’s up coming U-Based Sales Process Course, to learn more about being a successful business owner, sales producer, marketer, etc.  The course starts on September 14th, Tuesday evenings, 5:30-8:30 for 9 weeks straight.  Click here for registration details.

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