Recently, I went through my collection of business cards and realized I could not remember many of the names. I decided to digitize the contacts and then get rid of the cards.
I have rarely handed out business cards for my own company—neither for my website services nor for my startups like Pasfoto.nu and CaPPr. After meeting someone, I usually connect on LinkedIn and include a personal note about where we met.
This time, I explained that I was digitizing my contacts. If I could not remember how we had met, I said so honestly. My message went something like this:
Hi X, I am digitizing my business cards and found yours. I would like to connect with you on LinkedIn. We met at X. Best, Gijs Heerkens
Overview
LinkedIn gives me a searchable place to manage my contacts.
It works best when we actually know each other; a list of strangers is not useful to me.
I still accept business cards, but I add the person on LinkedIn afterward and recycle the card. I prefer keeping my contacts digital.