To business card, or not to business card

Do you wish you could be more offline? Are you yearning for analogue simplicity?

You’re not alone.

And it’s not even an old-person thing.

There’s now a trend among Gen Zers to use ‘dumb’ phones – minimalist devices that do nothing other than make calls, send texts and take low-quality photos.

The Boring Phone is a stripped-down flip phone that’s designed to be used less.

This had me at ‘flip phone’. End calls with a dramatic snap? Yes please

Billed as ‘the next generation in tech’, these devices are apparently part of a new ‘dumbphone boom’ which is more than just a nostalgic throwback; it’s part of a conscious choice to reclaim control over how we interact with technology.

This has been bubbling away for a while with people returning to vinyl records, compact discs (yes really) and milk from the milkman.

Then there are the banks promising to maintain bricks and mortar branches, and restaurants offering incentives for diners who eat without devices.

There’s certainly a desire for tangible, human-centered experiences in an increasingly digital world.

So I’m calling for the return of the humble business card

This week I presented a PFS Power webinar on how to maximise relationships with introducers.

One of my tips was to create a QR code that you could add to your business cards that would link to your digital introducer pack.

As I was saying this, I was thinking to myself, Faith, this isn't 1998, who’s still using business cards?

And then I remembered that last week, on my way into town, I passed a window with a vibrant graphic that caught my eye. And I realised it was the logo on the back of a business card that I’d recently been given by someone at an event.

I got in touch and they said: “You'd be amazed at what an effective marketing tool that window graphic actually is!”

And now we’re married.

I’m kidding.

But it certainly proves that traditional marketing tactics can still be relevant.

Business cards in particular are a tangible reminder of a face-to-face encounter, a physical token of a potential opportunity waiting to be nurtured, and much more impactful than a digital exchange.

By combining them with tech - such as in the QR code example - they might even enjoy a resurgence in value, rather like having a phone that only lets you make calls and play snake is suddenly something to aspire to.

It’s a topsy turvey world we're in now, but I think the trick is to pick and choose the options and curate a tool bag that works for you, rather than accept the default option that tech companies want you to have.