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Sat in on a Tempe networking event where nobody passed out business cards
Went to a small business mixer in Tempe last week hosted by a local co-working space. Figured it'd be the usual card swap and small talk, but the guy running it told everyone to put their cards away and just tell one real story about their work. I ended up having a 20 minute talk with a landscaper about his supplier problems, something that never would've happened in a normal speed networking thing. Has anyone else tried a no-card format and saw better follow ups?
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henry6041mo ago
DUDE you're so right about this. @elizabethtaylor I used to think business cards were basically REQUIRED at any networking thing or you were wasting time. But after a couple of these story-based meetups I totally changed my mind. The real conversations stick with you way better than a stack of cards you'll lose in a week. I still don't toss all my cards but I definitely pay more attention to the person now than the paper.
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park.robin1mo ago
Got handed a card once at a meetup and literally lost it before I even left the room. The last good networking thing I went to, we all had to write one problem we were trying to solve on a whiteboard and talk about it for 5 minutes. No cards, no titles, just people explaining what they actually needed help with. Ended up trading numbers with three people who had the exact same issues as me, and we still check in every few months. Cards just end up in a drawer or the trash, but a real problem or story sticks with you way longer.
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elizabethtaylor1mo ago
Did you find yourself actually remembering the landscaper's story more than you would have his card? I had a similar thing happen at a Rotary meeting a few years back in Scottsdale. A fellow brought in old photos of his family's hardware store from the 1950s instead of flyers. We spent the whole meeting talking about how Main Street used to look. I still remember his name and what he sells, but I've forgotten every business card I ever got at the regular mixers. There's something about a real story that sticks in your head better than a title and a phone number ever will.
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