6 Means of Storing Visiting Cards
Many people aren’t sure how to use a visitor card when they get it. Therefore, it is often lost and quickly lost. The card can be left in the open until the moment you require it the most. However, it’s gone in the clutter before it is gone.
If you’d like to avoid this situation, it is essential to make sure you have a safe place to keep all of your cards. Good storage space for the visiting cards that you collect will make it easier to locate them later. Here are six ways of keeping your cards in storage, including the pros and cons of each.
Holder
The idea of putting the visiting cards in your wallet is an interim solution. A cardholder that is designed for visiting will work better and helps ensure that you have all of your credit cards kept in one spot.
The holder of a visiting card is ideal for those who have a restricted quantity of connections. It’s also mobile, meaning you can take the card to workshops, meetings, and even conferences. It takes the least time to complete out of the six options. People in a hurry typically follow this approach. Startups can test this.
As the cards grow as the stack grows, this process becomes challenging. You’ll have to take out the entire pile just to locate one card. You may need to purchase an additional holder for the remaining cards, or when you reach that point, the situation becomes chaotic. It’s possible to throw away the cards you don’t occasionally want to prevent the holder from getting overflowing. At some point, you’ll need something more appropriate, such as a Rolodex.
Rolodex
The Rolodex time period may be coming to an end; however, they’re an excellent tool to store your credit cards from your travels. It’s easy to use and makes cards easier to locate and add and remove cards from the Rolodex easily. It is also possible to store more cards in the Rolodex than you can on the cardholder.
The main drawback of Rolodexes is that they sit on your desk and can be a little more challenging to carry around as holders. There is still a need to look through the Rolodex for a while to locate the card. However, it’s not as challenging as with holders. If you’d like to be more organized, consider the visiting card book.
Binder
Binders, or books, are an option to store visiting cards. Find an explicit type to ensure you can look at your cards both ways without needing to take them out. Certain books also have alphabetized tabs that help you locate cards.
The process of organizing them alphabetically is a long time-consuming process; however, once you’ve accomplished this, managing them is relatively easy. It is also possible to bring the book along to meetings. Be sure to dispose of the old copies and cards. Additionally, some alphabets offer more options for first names than other alphabets. Make sure there is enough space for these alphabets.
These were the physical alternatives. Of course, we can’t overlook the digital options of storage for visiting cards.
Spreadsheet
The most basic option is to write down the information on the card and then enter them into your computer. Applications such as Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets are great for keeping track of everything. Create distinct columns for name company, number, email address, and name. With the addition of filters, you can sort alphabetically by name or business. It also makes contact information simple to find.
The issue with this is that it takes away the look of the card. Additionally, you have to type the information. While entering data from one card can take under two minutes, the process could become tedious if cards accumulate and the process is time-consuming. It is also necessary to save the information in Excel and then save them in Sheets. Sheets automatically do this.
Another issue can be that the listing of items will continue to grow larger and more prominent and making it harder to see quickly. Some mistakes or outdated information will remain in place and create confusion further. The things that were easy to spot at first may be more difficult as time goes on.
Similar to the cardholder, this method initially works well, but it becomes more challenging to handle as time passes. It is also essential to ensure that the content isn’t deleted accidentally. It is recommended to keep backups in the event that this occurs.
Scan
Another option is to scan visiting cards, save them or upload them onto your computer. The images can be renamed and organized by your computer using folders.
You now have a virtual contact list you can add to your CRM. It is also possible to use them for emails. A backup of your cards online can be helpful in the event of a disaster with the original ones. Better yet, save them on the Cloud to be accessible anytime.
You’ll need a scanner for visiting cards to do this, and it won’t be sensible to invest in scanners unless you have many cards to be scanned. It can take longer to check a card that has two sides as opposed to one. Two times the sides, twice the amount of time.
App
Smartphones and tablets come with applications for almost everything today. This will be much more effective than snapping a photo of your credit card and saving it on your phone. Digitizing your business cards will allow them to be easy to search and locate. Evernote, along with CamCard, is two of these apps.
The Evernote application allows you to scan your visitor card and then enter all the information about it. It also lets you make lists of notes and tasks. Certain apps let you connect with either your Facebook and LinkedIn account to get additional information about the company on these websites. Additionally, you can connect updates so that your card will be the same across all of them.
You should realize that neither Cloud nor physically stored storage is the most effective solution. So, don’t remove the cards when you’ve held the files online. It is recommended to keep an electronic and physical version of your most important contacts. Be organized and up to the minute. A room for everything, and all put in its place,” according to the old saying.
