“I love meeting new people; I think everyone has a story to tell. We should all listen sometimes.” Kim Smith
I attended an event recently where I knew I would meet many new people. It was one of those events which had booths where businesses were selling their products and services. I walked in with a pocket full of business cards ready to connect. My intent was, as it always is, to meet people, learn more about them and what they do, what they sell, and see if maybe I could help them. I’m sincere in this intent. I don’t need to ‘fake it till ya make it.’ It is a relationship-building versus a wallet-grabbing approach, and it has gained me many friends and a lot of business. Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many people approach this the opposite way. They may rush to their elevator pitch rapidly trying to obtain my business or ask me targeted, impersonal questions attempting to flip the script alluring me into buying what they are selling. It’s BS and I can sniff it out quickly.
I don’t want to head into a rant here or to sound as though I’m stereotyping. I find most people, even many with digital business cards, authentically interested in meeting. I’m an optimist and a leadership blogger so I’ll endeavor to keep this blog people-centric leadership focused instead of a marketing or sales tutorial. Regardless, I believe good leadership begets good marketing, good sales and good business. Indeed, as I entered this event, I wanted people to have my business card – to bring me business now or in the future but I knew the path to that was through a people-centric approach.
Phone in pocket and ‘do not disturb’ mode on, I began my booth to booth approach meeting folks, learning of their products, services, professions, and even their lives. It was networking or speed-dating for sure. These engagements lasted only moments. I was mindful they wanted to meet more people, but I enjoyed meeting them just the same. I’d hand a business card to them at the very end of our engagement asking for theirs in return. Indeed, many of them I may never meet again. I’m aware of that, but you never know therefore I’ve learned to focus on each engagement as though we may become BFFs! I was truly relishing these quick yet genuine conversations, then I bumped into Mr. digital business card.
We chatted briefly. I got a sense he was not present. He was pleasant but disengaged. Perhaps he had something he was struggling with. He wasn’t rude and I did learn a bit about what he was selling. The conversation went well enough that I thought I would hand him my business card and ask for his. He took mine and when I asked for his he said, “I don’t have one. I have digital business card,” and pointed me to a QR code where I could scan it and get his contact info. Enter the Price is Right Losing Horn.
I was immediately turned off. Here I was honoring my intent to meet another human being – to build a relationship or to “make it personal,” and what I received in return was an inhuman experience. I was polite. I scanned the QR code and saved his info which ended my brief time with him. This experience got me thinking afterwards. It forced me to unpack this quick engagement and examine its lessons. It was the stimulus for this blog…
