I love to meet people, and I attend a number of business networking events around the Gold Coast. Business Networking is great because you learn new ideas and get to expand your business contacts and your mind. If you work for yourself as I do, it’s really important to get out and talk to people.
At the end of a networking event, I usually have a pocket or a handbag full of business cards that I have been given by people that I’ve met at that event. This is great…. except…
Not having a photo on your business card can mean that you get lost in the crowd.
Unfortunately, I’m not the most efficient person when it comes to actually transferring the information off the cards and into my contacts database or phone, and the cards can then sit on my desk for a while…
And then when I finally come to look at the cards again, I often struggle to remember who the giver of the card was – as more often than not, there’s no photo on it to remind me. For a visual person such as myself, this is a real problem! And if I don’t remember who you are I’m not coming back to you to do business.
It’s helpful to have your photo on your card – these people I remember!
And there’s some science behind my ramblings… facial recognition establishes rapport. If someone recognises your face and your intereaction has been a positive one, you will have an instant rapport the next time you meet. Every time they look at your card the rapport will grow. This applies very well to websites as well.
Also, approx. 65% of the population are “visual learners” – so we remember images and faces far more easily than text and our memory is jogged by the image as to where and when we met the person who gave us the card.
Your business cards can be funky and different, with cool colours and fonts, but without a photo they are forgetable.
Also, consider the photo that you are using and whether it is appropriate to your business and sends the right message about you. If you’re in the corporate world, a suit or at least business shirt is essential – as a massage therapist you might want to look casual, yet still well groomed and professional, so a polo shirt might be appropriate. The snap of you in your boardies at the beach with the kids – probably needs to be kept to your FaceBook personal page!