This business of cards

At Recovery 2011, I enjoyed observing the idiosyncratic and almost compulsive act of eyes wandering from eyes, zeroing in on nametags, and the customary exchange of business cards. It is the default behavior when we are bombarded with too many strangers, all of whom deserve and desire our attention. To lessen the chore of post-processing all of these interactions, I think I will give Google Goggles a go to turn this pile of paper into digital contacts.

This got me wondering about the tools we have for making deeper connections. New digital business cards are more than geeky toys. Through cardcloud, card exchanges are paperless, and with added benefits of storing the geographic location of the encounter, and implanting social networking usernames and links right onto your cards. If you like to jot down notes on the back of paper cards, here too, you can flip them over and type your text in; "hire this guy", "he owes me a lunch next time". Not only does it stitch to all your electronic devices, but I think the virtual business card space can a be more inviting calling card for your profession.

Business cards may not be going paperless just yet, but there are many ways of bringing the digital world to these tangible bits of stationery. QR codes and RFIDs, are linking technologies so that business cards can carry digital content. Online profiles such as Facebook, Twitter, and About.me add depth, but how about functional or personalized business cards to really stand out?   

Have you changed the scope of your business card to align with the way you work?