Duncan Logan

Guest Post from Nate Hennings

After an exhausting Inman RE Conference I was only too happy when Nate offered to write a blog post. Not quite what I was expecting but you have to love the originality…..D.L.

Back from another great Inman RE Connect conference and of course have a mile high stack of cards to sift through. Many good memories to recount, thought-provoking conversations to reflect on, and possible business development deals on which to follow up. Pouring over this stack I’m reminded of several do’s and don’ts that I think of after every conference, but that I’ve never catalogued in an organized format. I don’t mean to impress my opinion as authoritative, but rather offer some tips that could prevent you from becoming this guy. In true Inman style, I thought I’d enumerate them in a numbered list. Here are my 7 Do’s and Don’ts of business card etiquette:

1. First, the “unique shape” of a business card doesn’t mean you’re unique, but usually the opposite.

   If you want to be creative, take up painting or go join the circus. Business card sizes are standardized for a reason (although there is a slight difference between our cards, and those of employees from UK companies, for example). But rounding your corners, making your card a square (okay, I’ll give a pass to Square 1 Bank…they have a lot of schwag that is in fact, square, and they’re great people), or if god forbid making it a CIRCLE, just ups the chance that I’m going to look at it, not be able to fit it in my rolodex or binder, and say “what a jerk” before chucking it in the trash. And here’s why I feel this way: A “uniquely” shaped business card is an admission that you’re not memorable enough for a normal business card, and that you need a gimmick. Rather than resorting to this, say something during our chat that blows my mind, makes me think, or intrigues me in some way, and I’ll remember you.

   
   However, on the gimmick note, I must admit that if you ever handed me one of these (with a real card to follow it, of course), I’d think you were pretty badass. And, I’d get my protein for the day.

2. No bling

   By “bling,” I mean a glossy card. While I don’t personally write notes on the back of cards, many people like to jot down a few notes relating to people they’ve met, especially when they’re collecting several at a conference. This is tough with a glossy card.

3. Take your face out of my face

   This also relates to the “memorability” issues addressed earlier; if you’ve made me think, I’ll remember your face. Personally I don’t think pictures should be included on cards; however one exception may be with Realtors. With Inman Connect being a real estate technology conference, as I look at my pile of cards right now I’ve got quite a few ear-to-ear smiles gazing up at me. I know that Realtors hold self-promotion near and dear as it represents their livelihood, so I’ll give them a pass. All that I ask is for it to be a classy mug and not a cheesy pose, pic of you superimposed in a meadow, or some 80’s prom shot (I have cards with all of these).

4. Don’t just shove it in my face

   Too many times I get cards jabbed at me Rocky-Balboa-style before I’ve even met the person. The purpose of mingling at a conference is to have meaningful conversations with people that you can help make successful, and whom in turn can help make you successful (notice the order there….you have to give before you receive!). It’s not all about “getting all of your cards out” so you can feel that you’ve marketed yourself. If you have my card, I can assure you that at least one of the following is true 1.) we’ve had a conversation about something meaningful, 2.) I value you as someone I’d like to stay in touch with, 3.) one of us can help the other out in the future, or sadly 4.) you face-jabbed me with one, and I felt obligated to reciprocate.

5. Do stash backups, and backups of backups

   I’ve been guilty of running out of business cards at mixers a few times and it can be a bit awkward, especially if a solid connection is made. To counter this, I’ve gone overboard and stashed backups in my wallet, coat pockets, two places in my briefcase, and a bunch in my car.

6. Don’t leave them in a cradle in conference rooms or on your assistant’s desk

   Unless you’re a member of the front-office staff, I wouldn’t leave your cards laying around unattended. I’ve seen many companies do this, including a few very prominent VC’s in the valley. They stash the top dogs’ cards right there in conference rooms, thereby circumventing the required exchange (conversation, mutual agreement upon being in contact, etc. etc.) that should take place before contact information is given. I can guarantee you that [Insert name of VC with legendary status] is not going to return your call/email/smoke-signal unless you’ve already met, in that case you should have his/her card already. It’s not that it’s “dangerous” to let your email address get out (because if you’re high profile, your assistant might check it and filter for you anyway), there’s just no reason to. It’s not a flyer for discount at the car wash, it’s your professional reputation printed on a piece of paper.

7. Do put your Twitter handle on your card

   I’ve found that DMs on Twitter are more effective than both phone and email (for the time being, at least, until Twitter becomes overrun as a spammer’s haven). I’m guessing that contact management systems (Outlook, Plaxo, etc.) will gradually move to support a contact’s Twitter handle as well, in a dedicated field. To that end, include your Twitter handle on your card so people can easily follow you. I even saw one card with a hashtagged phrase (#twitterqueens for @heyamaretto’s card); very forward thinking. To access her Tweets, and find out who is twittering on that topic, you just search for that hashtag.

So that’s my two cents on the do’s and don’ts of biz cards; hopefully they help. Or, you can always take some cues from the legendary business card connoisseur: Patrick Bateman.

The Launch of the National Buyer Listing Service. (NationalBLS.com)

Why a Buyer Listing Service?

Looking back over the last four years we have seen two significant drops in the real estate market: housing prices and home sales volume. We don't think we can do much for housing prices; the market sets the price and there a numerous external factors which drive supply and demand. Home sales volume however is a different matter.

Existing home sales in the US have dropped from 6.47m in 2006 to 4.72m in 2008 (source: NAR) and 2009 looks likely to be lower still. With an approximate 26% drop in housing prices some would argue sales should be booming as prices are cheaper than ever. Many home sellers are unfortunately being forced to sell but home buyers simply don't seem to be engaging.

Here at NationalBLS we believe that one of the reasons for this is simply that since the mass adoption of the internet, housing prices have been rising and as such the majority of online tools have been built around the sell side of the market. The sell side has been where the scarcity resided and only in the past few years has that shifted from not enough homes for sale to not enough pre-approved buyers.

So we are providing a platform for reversing the real estate model to fit today's market. By listing pre-approved buyers we focus on today's scarcity. By building a platform for reverse offers we allow home sellers to get proactive and approach pre-approved buyers in private. It is a really simple concept to recreate the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) on the buy side of the market and call it the BLS (Buyer Listing Service). We are not looking to replace the current model or believe we have a solution for everyone. We feel we can complement the current structure and offer another option for those who wish to try it.

Real estate agents have always been happy to share listing information on the MLS and for good reason: doing so has driven sales volume for everyone's benefit. However the listing is only half the picture and only represents half the market. Every home sale has a buyer involved and there is a need for the buyer to be represented.

Our focus is to drive liquidity in the residential real estate market. We are not agents or brokers, we are not mysterious or secretive, we are here because we are willing to dedicate time and effort to making a positive difference in a tough market. We support the use of agents and are currently talking to groups of agents to ensure their concerns are heard and ideas implemented in what we believe can be a significant step forward.

We welcome feedback and are open to your comments.