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Icebreaker

Business Card for Cash

You only need a small coin and two of your business cards for this. With card in hand, ask a potential client if you can give them your business card. When they reach for it you show them that there is, literally, money to be made in networking. Make your business card work for you like never before.

Guide lines
Ready, Steady, Go!

When you meet with a potential new customer, or trading partner, or journalist, or anyone that you want to make a lasting impression with, then here is a novel way to hand over a business card.

The business card is a modern day tool for handing over your contact details. Yes, in this high tech online world it is as easy as "look me up on Facebook", but the business card is still classy and professional. But how many times have we been given a business card only to toss it out later that day into the trash. So, when you hand out your business card try make it memorable. As the name of this icebreaker suggests, money, in this case, a coin, more than often gets people's attention. So, we are putting our money where our mouth, er, business card is, and capturing imaginations.

We all have stories of been given a business card or handing one out. The next time you want to hand out a business card you can tell the person a story about how you got tired of handing out business cards without any flare, and then you had a look at what Coolfidence had to offer, and voila.

You:

Hey, not so fast, at least make me work for it.

Lend me your ears

You tell a story about how handing over a business card can be so mechanical, and that you want to try make it more interesting.

You pull out your business card and a coin. Now you ask them to hold their pointing finger upwards and place your business card on their fingertip, weighed down with the coin on top of the card.

You:

Now watch as I use nothing but finger power to …

Seal the Deal and Reveal

Flick the card on the edge away from the person holding it. They're left with the coin on their fingertip. Pull out the spare business card, so they don't have to retrieve the flicked card.

You:

Take this one… So basically, I've paid you to take my card… it's win-win for us.

Some extra lines to possibly use

  • It always pays to network.
  • I want you to remember getting my card.
  • Call me, you have a coin for the payphone. If they still make payphones.
  • You're a money-making machine.
  • Everything you touch, turns to cash.
Alternative ending

You could always offer to let them try it to. Take out another business card and this stick out your finger and rest the coin on top of the business card, balancing on your finger. Ask them to try be a card maser . You heard us, a card master. They will like the sound of this, as you tell them a story of how this is a secret society of card masters, and that they are just about to become a special member. Well, maybe not. Just let them give the card flicking a go and they will have some fun too. Smiles are the name of this networking game.

 
Responses
Anticipated responses and retorts

Do you need quick hands to do this?

Just a steady finger.

Do you often use your finger like that?

You are making me blush.

How many business cards do you go through with this stunt?

Including you or excluding you?
Good follow ups
When & where
When to use it
  • When you are wanting to give someone your business card and make an impression.
  • When in a social setting at work and you want to get people loosened up and talking.
  • When at a cocktail function and networking is the name of the game.
  • When you want to have some fun in a work context and show people that we can’t take ourselves too seriously all the time.
Where to use it
  • office
  • conferences
  • corporate exhibitions
  • socializing at a bar
Getting ready
Items required
  • business cards
  • a coin
Preparation
  • Best to do this in area where people are standing around instead of sitting down.
  • Wash your hands (keep it clean).
Training required
  • Practice this a few times with a friend – the finger flicking may take a few attempts to master.
Watch out (potential unexpected effects)
  • Practice this a few times with a friend – the finger flicking may take a few attempts to master.
  • You may be dishing out coins, so be prepared to be coinless.
Details

type type

Do It Yourself (DIY)

material material

paper and metal

size size

small (can fit into your jacket pocket)

durability durability

the business cards are better to be mint, so as long as you have business cards and a coin you can go on and on

source source

someone with a business card inspired us

time to impact time to impact

pretty much there and then

size of audience size of audience

this is best as a one-on-one tool

possible health risk possible health risk

don't flick a business card into someone's eye – they won't be cool

reusable how many times you can use it

as long as you have business cards you can keep on going

training needed training needed

minimal – practice the flicking a few times and you will get the hang of it

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