The Dropcard Logo

While at Inman last week I forgot my business cards! I had no way to ensure the people I met knew who I was and how to maintain contact with me. Enter Dropcard! This is an incredible service that lets me send digital business cards to anyone I meet that has an email address (should be everyone by now).

I was so impressed with this service that I tracked down Tal Raviv to bring you an impromptu interview and Q and Q session about this service. Here we go!

Daniel: Say I’ve never used Dropcard before - introduce me to your service.

Tal: Sure - Dropcard lets you create a virtual business card that can be quickly emailed to anyone you meet using your phone.

As soon as you meet someone, you can immediately send them your name, email address, phone number,  LinkedIn profile, Twitter ID, blog address, website, and/or anything else you’d like to include. It arrives instantly in their email with a vCard attached, so they can import it to their address book.

D: I have to say that I have already received about 6-7 Dropcards back and I love the vCard attachment for immediate import to my contact list. So what is the value for me to use Dropcard rather than a business card?

T: Our users find that Dropcard is far more effective than handing out a business card. They know it won’t get lost after the meeting. They also like much larger chance that leads will click on their websites, social network profiles, and follow up with them.

Our “evangelists” tell us that they’ve made Dropcard a conversation starter, a way to avoid wasting paper, and ensuring that their information is safely in their contacts inbox.

Most importantly – you will definitely stand out.

D: It is definitely happening that way for me. I have 12 new Facebook friends and they are all people I met last week. Who is the ideal person to use Dropcard? Who did you have in mind during the creation stage?

T: I’d have to say independent, entrepreneurial personalities; anyone who is in business for themselves, and knows that their connections are crucial.

Ok, last question. Walk me through using Dropcard. Is it difficult? Say I’m at a conference – what do I do?

You’d first prepare by setting up your contact profile online (at www.myDropcard.com)

Say you have a great conversation - if you want to give someone your contact details, simply text “drop someones@theiremailprovider.com ” to 41411.You can do this with almost any phone in service. Dropcard will instantly forward your contact details to that email address (where they can import it to their address book)

That’s really it. Create a free account at www.mydropcard.com!

*Note* Neither Daniel Martin, Mad Mortgage World, or any of its contributors are receiving any compensation for this interview. It is simply a service we love! I found myself evangelizing for them all week long last week and thought it was a good idea to meet them!

If you have any questions about Dropcard or, if this has sparked any ideas that weren’t discussed, please leave them in the comment section below. Especially if you can think of an alternate use, I am looking forward to some of those!

Let’s start off with the definition of a Meetup. A Meetup occurs when a group of people with a common interest get together to discuss their common interest for work or play. Meetups are put together by an organizer or two in an attempt to bring everyone with that common interest together in one locale. Meetups, in short, are awesome!

Why? What is so great about putting together or attending a Meetup?

There are 2 reasons.

First, there is nothing more empowering than finding yourself in a group of relative strangers and discovering everyone shares your passion!

Second, Meetups are INCREDIBLE ways of meeting new referral partners as well. Remember this: people love referring friends and family. They just want to ensure they are referring their friends and family to the right person. Hosting or attending a Meetup ensures that the people you are going to connect with already share something in common with you. This common interest is a great place to start on the road to building referral partners.

WARNING: This is not about getting 5 “deals” this weekend. This is about building long term relationships that become mutually beneficial.

Let’s go over the 5 things you need to know to pull off a killer Meetup.

#1 - Who? Who do you want to attend this Meetup? Do want to meet more Real Estate agents? Then invite them. Do you want to meet local Business Owners? Then you will invite them. This step is an extremely easy one to grasp. If you want to connect with a specific people within a specific industry, invite them!

#2 - How? Ok, there’s the question you wanted to ask. You want to meet more Real Estate agents but, don’t know how. This part is easy too. Let’s look at 4 “hows” specifically.

A.      Are you an early adopter? Do find yourself on Twitter all day long? If so, then a Tweetup is for you. A Tweetup is when a few Twitter users send out the call to connect and meet somewhere to get in some “face” time. It doesn’t matter if you have 20 Twitter Followers or 2,000, you can still pull off a successful Tweetup. Send out the initial “tweet” with an invitation for those that receive it to pass it on. Do this every other day or so for a couple weeks before you meet.

Also, for a great list of Twitter users in your area or industry, check out TwitterPacks. This is a great resource for anyone starting out and setting up their very own Tweetup.

B.      ActiveRain users unite! ActiveRain has done an incredible job of building an active community among its many users. Use the “post to group” function to get the word out for your Meetup! Do want to meet other lenders in your local area? Find the group on ActiveRain representing them, join that group, and write a blog post about your Meetup. Do you want to meet Real Estate Agents in your area? Do the exact same thing.

What?! You don’t have an ActiveRain membership? Go get one, it’s free.

C.      Do you blog? Checkout Meetup.com for a list of other bloggers and their meetup time in your area. If you don’t find one then start one! Bloggers love connecting with each and sharing ideas. Who knows, you may even find someone to write that guest post you’ve wanted for your blog. This is also a great thing to invite your blogger and non-blogger (but curious) friends to. This is especially a wonderful thing to invite a blogging referral partner to!

D.      Do you have a hobby? An interest? Even if you don’t fall into the groups above you can still host a Meetup. Are you a scuba diver? Then host a Meetup for other scuba divers to connect, chat, and share stories and adventures. When you discover that you are sitting next to a real estate agent, a financial planner, a CPA, etc. you will be pleasantly surprised that you have a new friend and a possible new source for referrals.

NOTE - Remember, in today’s market, having 70 referral partners does not mean squat if none of them produce. I personally get more transactions from friends and acquaintances that know me and have met me (many from Meetups) right now than from referral partners. Times are tight and a genuine person is in high demand in this business.

#3 - When? I would schedule your Meetup about 3 weeks out on a Tuesday or Thursday. That gives most people plenty of time to get it on their calendar.

#4 - Where? If you can find a place that is not a bar but, serves drinks and has wifi, then you have found the Holy Grail of Meetup locations. Everyone has different expectations. It would be wise to know exactly where you are meeting 3 weeks in advance as well. The last time I hosted one, I found a local tavern in downtown Denver that doesn’t charge for its rooms as long most people order a drink or appetizer. I also recommend scheduling your Meetup on a Tuesday or Thursday. These two days seem to be the slowest days for those types of establishments and they tend to be more accommodating.

#5 - What? So you have the perfect time and place. You know exactly who you want to invite but, what do you use to make sure everyone gets the exact same information? I have included below a couple of free sites that will host your Meetup’s details.

A.      Upcoming - I use upcoming to schedule and advertise all of the events I speak at or attend. Upcoming also gives you the ability to create a badge that you can add to your website. I will normally take the link to the event and embed it in an email or a “tweet.” This ensures that everyone gets the exact same info. People who register for your Meetup can also upload their picture and comments about the event.

B.      Meetup.com - You can find a number of Meetups already occurring in your area.  If you sign up (free) then you can join groups and RSVP for events.

I know this list isn’t exhaustive. My question to you is what am I missing? What has been your experience with hosting or attending a Meetup? What other sites would recommend or have you used to get the word out?

I have decided to take today and share 5 Steps you can take this weekend to establishing more referral partners. This will not be a post about 10 deals in 10 minutes or anything close… I am doing this to show you how to build new relationships that will lead to business opportunities. This is not about shoving your way into someone’s wallet; it is about gaining permission to begin a conversation. Where the conversation goes from there is up to you…

#1. Get the Hell Out! – I don’t care if you office out of a 17^th floor office building with posh furnishings, or your mother’s basement because times have been tough. You must get out and be seen. One successful friend of mine uses Facebook’s News Feed to discover events (most are free!) to get out and meet people. When she’s done with the event she goes home, finds the attendees she recognizes in the Facebook Group who sponsored the event, and invites them to be her friend. She didn’t build a friend list of 494 friends on accident and, if you are on Facebook, friend her up; while you are at it send me an invite as well!

If you aren’t a member of Facebook, take some old fashioned advice from a New Media Loan Officer: If you are pursuing purchase money business from Real Estate Agents then drop in on some open houses. When I first got started I went to 4-6 open houses per weekend just to stop in and say “hello.” Often times I would find out I was the only one that had stopped by and they appreciated the company. I would exchange cards and then, on Monday send them a quick email inquiring how the rest of the open house had been. The conversation has begun…

#2. Be Consistent! – When I was dating my wife 8 years ago I called her daily. I emailed her short bursts of quality “Prose by Daniel” (maybe I’ll share some in a future post!). I wrote, stamped and mailed her cards. I was consistent in my pursuit of the World’s Perfect Woman; finally she acquiesced and married me.

You goal, most likely, is not marriage with your referral partners but, it should be a quality relationship. The gold standard for any active relationship is consistent communication. Pick up the phone and say “hello,” don’t hide behind the relative anonymity of email. Go out and stop in an office. People are lonely. They are busy but, they are lonely. If you aren’t interrupting their lives with useless trash (i.e. rates sheets!) they will most likely enjoy your company. To make a friend you must first shake a hand. The rest will follow.

#3. Start a Blog – Brian Solis recently asked a question of his readers: “If a conversation takes place online and you’re not there to hear or see it, did it actually happen?” The answer? “Indeed. Conversations are taking place with or without you.” In one of my recent interviews with Dan Green he put forth the idea that he only works 8 hours per day but, the internet is on 24 hours per day. Your referral partners most likely do NOT work the exact hours you do. Who is giving them service, answers, knowledge, wisdom, when you aren’t there? Blogging gives you an online presence that continues to speak for itself long after you have gone to bed.

#4. Aggregate Real Estate News – You’re in the Real Estate Industry! Why the hell don’t you know the ins and outs of the industry news? Ricardo Bueno is incredibly busy but, has the time to keep referral partners informed of the “goings on” in real estate. He prints off his most recent blog post and takes it with him to meet the Real Estate Agents he works with. This simple act is enough to convince most of the individuals he connects with that he is at the very least knowledgeable. If you want to win the hearts of referral partners they have to know that you wouldn’t lose in an industry related quiz match against a 5^th grader.

#5. Don’t Waste Your Time – When life throws lemons at you… walk away! There are far too many agents out there that are looking to be intercepted by you that you don’t have to chase someone who isn’t willing or ready to chase you back. Revisit the relationship late but, as long as it’s raining lemons, walk away.