Your business cards need to go along.
You might think that since you’ll be away from home, you don’t need your cards. But you do.
This is a very small world, and you never know when you’ll meet someone who is either a resident of your community, or plans to relocate there soon.
You might also think that since you’re on vacation, you won’t be talking business. But think about that again.
We Americans seem to sort and define people by what they do for a living. That means one of the first things a new acquaintance will ask is “What do you do?”
How do you ask a new acquaintance to take your card? Easy – by asking for theirs. If they don’t have one, jot down their information on the back of one of yours, then hand them yours and tell them to call if you can be of assistance.
If you’ve struck up a friendly acquaintance, you could suggest meeting for coffee some time. If you share a hobby, you could offer to introduce them to some of your friends who also share that hobby. And of course, if what they do for a living interests you or could benefit your clients, let them know that they’ll be hearing from you.
You really never know who you’ll meet or how the meeting could benefit both of you.
For instance – a few months back I wrote web copy for a real estate broker in Texas. By a chance conversation with the lady who checked out my groceries here in Idaho, I learned that her son was moving and would need a real estate agent in my client’s city. So I was able to give a referral.
Who would have predicted that?
Graphic courtesy of Stuart Miles @ freedigitalphotos.net
