You know, it’s funny. The day before Nate and I hit the road for Detroit to attend the #EpicTweetup, we frantically realized we were out of business cards. NO BUSINESS CARDS?! HOW THE HELL CAN WE MEET NEW PEOPLE?! So, we rush ordered card designs and printing and by 5pm each had 250 shiny new business cards, ready to hand out.
I gave out exactly 0 business cards at the Detroit Epic Tweetup. ZERO.
This isn’t to say I was antisocial, or that I had a series of random encounters with people I will never talk to again. No, I’ve got ways to contact Becky Johns and Christopher Barger, who I met on a parking garage roof shortly after arrival. I’ve got ways to contact Charlie Wollborg and his wife Elena, with whom we had dinner, thanks to Becky. I’ve got ways to contact Norm Witte, Kyle Stuef and Henry Balanon, who through exchanges on Twitter I had made plans to meet at the Tweetup. I’ve got ways to contact Andy Kraft and Mike McClure and Brandon Chesnutt, who I met serendipitously at the event.
Oh, and a bunch of other people who talked to me wherein I may me a little fuzzy on the details of our conversations ::clears throat:: or maybe DIDN’T talk to me but saw my epic karaoke performance (video here, unfortunately)… they know how to contact me, too. (Though I did talk at length to some guy named, I think, Dave, who was not on Twitter, and who I have no way to contact. Sorry, Guy-Probably-Named-Dave)
I didn’t need to kill a tree to give you my contact information. It’s quicker to just to input your Twitter name into my phone, anyway. Saves a step.
It’s funny, because I know better. I’ve never given anyone a business card and had a relationship come out of it. Maybe communication, maybe a transaction, but not a relationship. And relationships… those are my thing. Not CRM data collection. Not job titles listed on thick cardstock.
Before I even got to the event, I knew I was going to give out exactly zero business cards (unless someone really wanted one. They are pretty cute.) Nate and I were listening Tony Hseih’s really-awesome-so-far Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
I should know this better than anyone. Fast Friends, anyone? Ask me sometime what’s come of those relationships. It’s… a lot. And it wasn’t supposed to be! And that’s why it was.
It’s funny, because I’ve still got 250 business cards, but more than a dozen new friends.
Thanks, Detroit, for an epically good time at #EpicTweetup. Hope to be back soon.
Blantonious says:
I need your business card so I know how to get ahold of you.
Aug 30, 2010, 5:20 pmRyan Meray says:
We didn’t meet and I missed the karaoke performance, so all I can ask is - Where’s the video?
Aug 30, 2010, 5:42 pmJamie Favreau says:
I didn’t think I talked to you but thanks for seeing my Killers performance. I tend to like biz cards to a certain extent. I mean sometimes old school biz cards come in handy because not everyone is tech savvy. I think you just have to consider your audience.
Aug 30, 2010, 5:53 pmCheryl says:
Hey Jamie - we talked super briefly after you got off stage from rawkin’ out to the Killers, but I didn’t get a chance to catch you the rest of the night. And biz cards definitely have a place - just not really at a Tweetup
Aug 30, 2010, 5:55 pmCheryl says:
Ryan - it’s coming! Unfortunately. LOL
Aug 30, 2010, 5:55 pmCheryl says:
Jason, stfu. lol
Aug 30, 2010, 5:55 pmGetting EPIC in Detroit – #EpicTweetup | Columbus Social Media + Social Media Strategist | Nate Riggs & Social Business Strategies says:
[...] Cheryl and I had the chance to travel to a gathering of of the cool Twitter kids in Detroit this weekend. The EPIC Chevy Tweetup went off exactly as it was branded – EPIC. [...]
Aug 30, 2010, 8:21 pmNate says:
Business cards only have a place when you’re interacting with the over 45 crowd. You know, the kind who still have address books and day planners ON PAPER, and not in Google Calendar/iCal, etc. And, speaking from experience, MAYBE international situations.
Aug 30, 2010, 5:53 amSara B says:
I just want one of your cards because they’re cool!
Aug 30, 2010, 2:22 pmben bator says:
i have become the worst at bringing business cards to events. and everywhere else. i love them though, i have calling cards for personal use and more ‘official’ cards for business. now if only i could remember them…
Aug 30, 2010, 2:40 pmTyler Durbin says:
Couple Thoughts:
1) I hate networking events. I never attend them unless there is some other added value (wine tasting, speaker, etc.) Thanks for making me feel better about this. It’s not that I don’t network, but I hate meeting people “just to meet them”
2) I don’t think business cards are completely useless (yet). This past weekend, I attended a conference for Ohio Young Professional Organizations. Guess who runs YP orgs..YP’s! I ran out of business cards. And I’ve heard from the people that I gave them to. A lot of the people weren’t on twitter and I didn’t know many of them before attending. Plus, when I spoke about my blog, every single person was like “What’s the name of it, again?” (Insert business card with your blog url HERE)
Aug 30, 2010, 2:43 pmDown in the Motor City « Something Magic says:
[...] On Networking, Business Cards and the Detroit #EpicTweetup [...]
Aug 30, 2010, 3:43 amColumbus, Ohio - Social and Sexual | Being Cheryl: Social Media Marketing Tips from Columbus, Ohio says:
[...] awesome folks I met in Detroit have sent me articles in the past week about the city I call my home - Columbus, Ohio. This data is [...]
Aug 30, 2010, 9:59 pm