There are very few people who enjoy professional networking events. Sure, some people love them because they like to be the life of the party and to meet others in their field who will appreciate this quality about them. But most people find these professional events to be a social obligation that's moderately enjoyable at best. One of the main reasons for this is that many professionals really don't know what to talk about with others during these events. Some people have found that if they compare business credit cards with strangers, the ice is broken and the event goes more smoothly.
Credit Card Conversation Etiquette
If you shied away form the idea of comparing business credit cards in a professional setting, it could be because it's been ingrained into you that it's not polite to talk about money. Remember here that you're not discussing your business debt or the number of credit cards that you own personally. In fact, you should stay away from these topics altogether. But it's not inappropriate to compare cards with others in a general way. This allows people to get information from one another and to give each other business tips that can be useful in the future. And it's something that almost all business people have in common so as long as the conversation is about the business credit card and not about personal credit, it's a conversation that everyone can comfortably participate in.
Benefits of Comparing Credit Cards
You may be wondering why you would even consider making such a comparison at a professional networking event. For one thing, it's a topic of conversation that's different from the standard "what do you do?" that most people are discussing. This means that a business credit card conversation is going to get people's attention and is going to help to make you memorable. In addition, if you know something about the topic, you can offer a service to others by providing them with information that benefits the financial standing of their business. And because business credit cards are something that everyone will have familiarity with, it's something that no one is going to feel inferior about during the discussion. By bringing up a topic that everyone is a mini-expert in, you make everyone feel good about themselves. This is the key to good social networking.
Make Yourself Stand Out
Of course, anyone can talk about credit cards casually but you want to really know what you're talking about if this is the conversation that you're going to use as a professional networking icebreaker. To do this, you'll want to do your homework by doing a card comparison yourself beforehand. See what's out there on the market and what some of the perks are of different cards. Consider the fact that there are credit card trends; for example, green cards are hot right now. Make sure that you have something intelligent to say and some good advice to offer. When you compare cards in this way, you provide something that others benefit from which makes them think of you even after the networking even has come to an end. Leaving a good impression on people in this way can make the networking even worthy of your time. And you might gain some new business credit card tips yourself which can make the networking event more enjoyable than you might have anticipated.
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