Digital business cards and how Stinto can enable Relationship Success for your team By Niels Wee // 22nd of November 2024 The good old business card has remained the same over decades, while the rest of the world has seen leaps in utility and functionality. You can see this as a testament to the quality of print, and it truly is. Yet there are also significant downsides and missed opportunities that come with the traditional business card in contrast to digital business cards. In this article you’ll learn the potential of going digital, what you need to consider before finding your provider, and finally how Stinto enables ‘Relationship Success’ in your organisation.   Especially, if you want to improve your teams’ ability to create long-lasting relationships with prospects, clients and partners, you have good reason to look into digital business cards. Making the switch can help you form authentic and trusting relationships more easily. This in turn translates into increased customer lifetime, which is central to most successful businesses. Your organisation should therefore explore how a digital business card solution could boost your teams’ performance. 80-88% of traditional business cards get thrown away within a week.  (Adobe and Soocial) But what are digital business cards anyway and what advantages do they offer my employees and my company? This article will tell you. Welcome. What are digital business cards? A digital business card is easy to understand; it is a business card that has been digitised. What makes digital business cards exciting, however, are all the not-so-obvious options and benefits that naturally come with it. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s first take a closer look at what a digital business card entails and how it works.   A digital business card serves the same purpose as a traditional card. You use it to create connections and exchange contact information with new contacts you want to strike up a professional relationship with.   In most cases, the exchange starts either by the new contact scanning a QR code in the app/wallet or by you tapping an NFC card on their phone. The simplest solutions simply download your information to your new contacts phone, while other providers open up a business card with your picture and rich information in the browser of the recipient’s phone. Via the browser window you can quickly exchange contact data.    All digital business cards share some common advantages: Beware of solutions that simply let your new contact save your information to the phonebook.   It’ll be difficult for new contacts to remember your name, and therefore find you in their phonebook.   You also need their information, so consider a solution that helps both you and your new contacts to exchange info and remember each other. Flexibility and versatility Most digital business cards are flexible and versatile, because you can always update your details anytime. It makes it effortless for you to be ready for any occasion.     Convenience and accessibility The digital approach also makes it significantly easier for both you and your new contact to manage and utilize the exchanged information after your initial meeting. Unlike traditional cards that can be easily misplaced, digital contact details are securely stored and readily accessible. When compared to physical business cards, digital versions eliminate the need for manual data entry, saving time and reducing errors.   The greener choice Many providers also boast that they are an environmentally better choice as you don’t need to order new cards each time you change jobs, adjust company branding, or get a new phone number. Instead, you can use the digital business card again and again.     Common use cases for digital business cards Conferences and events We all know how conferences and events are unique chances to encounter your next big client and build a unique bond. Using a digital business card that represents both you and your company, can help you in this case. A normal paper card says little about what you offer so it is hard to make a lasting impression. Connecting with your LinkedIn profile instead can be problematic too, if you think about it. It doesn’t have your direct contact details and you don’t really present yourself as a company employee. A digital card, on the other hand, is tailored to you as a company representative and has ready-to-use digital information for everyone’s benefit.     Find a provider that has a good quality business card scanner so you can quickly grab the information if your contact hands you a traditional card. Digital business cards are not limited to real-life events. With links and QR codes, you can share your digital business card in video meeting chats, email signatures, profiles, calendar events and posts. Existing customer, new contacts The same goes for new people you meet through customer meetings. While you may be well connected to the primary customer contact, these meetings are your chance to get to know other people in the organisation. Too often we neglect to broaden our connections with important client organisations. So if the main contact leaves, you risk losing contact with the organisation as a whole.   Partnerships Partnerships can mean a world of difference to your business. These relationships should, therefore, be attended to with the same level of intention like any other relationship. Having multiple access access points and relationships with several people in your partner organisation will be a valuable resource.   Recruitment As your business grows you can dig into your network of relationships and find that person that left you with a good impression, and who you know will boost the team. Being able to contact them directly on the phone or email sends an invaluable signal, in contract to a chat message on a social platform. Similarly, if that one dream employee becomes available, they know where to reach you. In short, any relationship that is valuable to your organisation should have access to you (and vice versa). Your