With friends’ parties and office parties (however scaled back this year) on your calendar, this is the perfect time to take inventory of your networking toolbox. Successful navigation of a holiday party means not only avoiding the tipsy coworker at the copy machine but also discovering what you have in common with the other people in the room.  And when you find that something in common, you should stay in touch.  So how do you do that?

Exchange cards.

What?  You don’t have a card?

Don’t be the person scribbling your contact info on the back of a cocktail napkin.  We’ve all been guilty of it from time to time, but it does come across as sloppy and unprepared - never a good look.  Didn’t you know you’d be attending this event and meeting folks?  Of course you did.  Come prepared.

Calling cards need not be stodgy, boring things.  You should pick one that shows your personality.  Here’s a calling card/business card I recently designed for a friend (with her personal information blurred beyond recognition, of course):

She’s a lawyer, hence the “attorney at law,” but when she hands you her card, the first thing you notice is that her card is pink!  How many lawyers have pink cards?  The simple styling and rich, dark brown ink keep the card’s tone grounded, and her favorite law quote is on the back.  The point is, D’s calling card showcases her very serious trade and contact information with a hearty side of personality.  When she gives you this card, there’s no way you’ll forget her.  That’s the power of a calling card.

Here’s a tip for the card exchange: Tell the person you’ve connected with “let’s stay in touch” and ask if they have a card.  As a reflex, the other person will almost always ask for yours in return.  Asking for their card first eliminates any feeling of pushiness that might be in the air.

If the other person doesn’t have a card, definitely offer him or her your calling card.  Let them know you’d like to stay in touch and ask for their contact information - on the back of that cocktail napkin, I suppose - so you can be proactive about keeping in touch.