DIGITAL DNA >>> How advisors are using digital tools to transform their businesses .
QR CODES : YOUR BUSINESS BFF
How digitizing business cards , brochures and more can save you time , effort and your client ’ s valuable luggage space .
WORDS / ALICE DUBIN
Valerie Balderson , Life Travelled Well
Are QR codes the success story of the pandemic ? These black and white codes , typically read by smartphones , went from awkward and even semi-obsolete to utterly ubiquitous , replacing everything from restaurant menus to brochures and sign-up sheets . And for travel advisors , QR codes provide unique opportunities .
“ As a small business , any tech I can use to ensure more efficient , effective management is key ,” explains Valerie Balderson of Life Travelled Well , who embraces QR codes in multiple applications .
Here are some of the ways advisors are using QR codes for their business and marketing efforts — and how you can , too .
Kimberly Davis , Trouvaille Travel International
CREATE AN INTERACTIVE BUSINESS CARD “ I use a metal near-field communication ( NFC ) card , which allows me to share my contact information with a single tap to a contact ’ s smartphone , for my business card , and a QR code that I can put on printed material for use with older smartphones that don ’ t recognize the NFC tag . It links to a contact card for immediate download as well as my social media accounts , website and to a lead form for my mailing list . If everyone is scanning QR codes for menus and COVID status , they might as well scan mine !”— Kimberly Davis , Trouvaille Travel International
Steal this idea : Widely available for purchase , NFC cards contain microchips that tell smartphones what to do . Supplementing this technology with QR codes makes it even easier for customers to obtain info , providing another option and a visual cue .
28 / THE COMPASS / SUMMER 2022 vaxvacationaccess . com / thecompass