How about sharing your contact details in the blink of an eye? QR code and NFC to your smartphone’s rescue!

Time is a precious commodity. And we're all short of it! When it comes to sharing business contact details or promotional material, it's natural to look for quick and convenient solutions. Fortunately, technology is here to help us optimize our exchanges at meetings and events. QR codes and NFC are now our smartphones' allies, enabling us to share information in the blink of an eye - no more misplaced business cards or long minutes spent manually adding a contact! In this article, we'll show you how to make the most of these tools to save time and boost the power of your professional network.
vkard scanned with a telephone

Discover how to share your contact details in an instant with your smartphone

In today’s increasingly connected world, sharing business contact details quickly and efficiently has become essential to establishing and maintaining lasting relationships.

Among a variety of solutions, two are currently emerging: the QR code and the NFC chip.

Let’s take a closer look.

QR code technology: fast and versatile

QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes that can be read by most camera-equipped smartphones. To share your contact details, simply create a QR code containing your contact information, then show it to your interlocutor to scan with their smartphone. Several apps and websites, such as QR Code Generator and QRStuff, let you create personalized QR codes.

Paul D., Sales Director at Citroën, comments that “QR codes have revolutionized the way I share my business details. In an instant, my contacts can add my information to their address book. This saves precious time and eliminates the risk of errors.”

NFC technology: contactless sharing

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a wireless technology that enables information to be exchanged between two compatible devices over a short distance. To share your details via NFC, you can create an NFC tag with your contact information using apps such as NFC Tools (Android) or NXP TagWriter (iOS).

Then simply bring your smartphone close to the other person’s to transmit your contact details.

Dedicated apps make sharing even simpler!

Several software applications dedicated to sharing business contact details are available to facilitate the operation.

Applications such as CamCard and Haystack enable business cards to be scanned and stored, while others such as Switchit and Covve offer solutions for creating and sharing digital business cards.

Connected business cards: a partner of choice for effective networking

Many manufacturers, such as VKARD and MOO, offer connected business cards incorporating technologies such as QR code or NFC. These cards enable you to share your contact details quickly and easily, while conveying a modern, innovative image.

Whether it’s QR codes, NFC, specialized applications or connected business cards, there are plenty of solutions to facilitate exchanges at business meetings these days: it would be a real shame to miss out, especially as they require no technical skills to use.

QR codes: a powerful tool for rapid sharing of business information

The QR code, an acronym for “Quick Response code”, is an increasingly popular tool for sharing business information. Thanks to its ability to store data in graphic form, the QR-code is a fast and effective solution for distributing contact details, services and promotional offers.

QR codes were invented in 1994 by Denso Wave, a Toyota subsidiary, to track spare parts in car factories. Today, they are widely adopted in many fields, including marketing, advertising and professional networking.

Pauline M., marketing director of a communications agency, comments: “QR codes have revolutionized the way we share information with our customers and partners. They’re fast, easy to use and provide instant access to online content.”

Among the many advantages of QR codes are:

  • Ease of use: users simply scan the code with their smartphone to access the information contained.
  • Versatility: QR codes can store various types of data, including URLs, text, coordinates or geolocation information.
  • Personalization: QR codes can be customized with colors, logos or patterns to reinforce brand image.
  • Traceability: QR codes can be used to track user interactions, providing valuable data for analyzing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
  • To create a professional QR-code, several online tools are available, such as QRCode Monkey, QRStuff or QR Code Generator. These platforms offer an intuitive interface for quickly generating customized QR codes tailored to your needs.

Today, QR codes have a wide range of applications in the professional world, including :

  • Business cards: adding a QR code to your business card makes it easy to share and update your contact details.
  • Events and trade shows: QR codes can be used to share information about stands, speakers or programs, or to encourage visitors to sign up for a newsletter.
  • Marketing and advertising: QR codes can redirect users to promotional offers, customer testimonials or product videos.

Stéphanie R., public relations consultant, explains: “The QR code is a major asset for developing my professional network. It allows me to easily share my contact details and references online at the events I attend.”

So it’s safe to say that QR codes are a powerful tool for quickly sharing your professional information. By adopting this technology, you simplify the exchange of information and reinforce your image with your customers and partners.

Scanning a QR code on Android and iOS: step-by-step instructions for use

QR codes have become an indispensable tool for sharing information quickly, especially in the professional arena. Whether you’re using an Android or iOS smartphone, the process of scanning a QR code is simple and effective. Follow our step-by-step guide to mastering this technology in no time.

Step 1: Prepare your smartphone

To scan a QR code, make sure your smartphone has a working camera and a stable Internet connection.

Step 2: Open the camera app (iOS) or a dedicated app (Android)

On iPhones, the native camera app supports QR code scanning without the need to install an additional app. Simply open the app and point the lens at the QR code.

For Android users, some versions of the operating system also include this functionality in the camera’s native application. However, if this is not the case, download a reliable QR code scanning app from the Google Play Store, such as QR Code Reader or QR Droid.

Step 3: Scan the QR code

Position your smartphone so that the QR code is clearly visible in the frame of the camera or scanning app. The application will automatically detect and scan the graphic code. A notification will appear, displaying the content directly.

Step 4: Access the information contained in the QR code

Touch the notification to access the information contained in the QR code. This could include business contact details, a link to a website or app, or multimedia content.

Clearly, scanning a QR code on Android or iOS is a simple process that can help you quickly access important information without wasting time, and expand your professional network.

By mastering this technology, you’ll be better equipped to take advantage of opportunities at impromptu meetings, trade shows and events.

How do you activate and use the NFC function on your smartphone to share your contact details?

The NFC (Near Field Communication) function on your smartphone is also a fast and convenient way of sharing your business contact details with your contacts.

Before you start, check that your smartphone supports NFC technology. Most recent Android smartphones and some iPhone models (from iPhone 7 upwards) are equipped with this function.

To activate the NFC function on your smartphone, follow the steps below:

On Android :

  • Open your smartphone’s settings
  • Select “Connections” or “Network and Internet”.
  • Activate the “NFC” or “Near Field Communication” option

On iOS (from iPhone 7):

  • Open your iPhone settings
  • Select “Wallet and Apple Pay
  • Activate the “Express Transactions” option

Once NFC is enabled, here’s how to use it to share your business details:

  • Create a card with your business details: name, phone number, e-mail address…
  • Bring your smartphone close to the other person’s smartphone, back to back, to share your details via NFC.
  • In addition to the NFC function on your smartphone, you can also use complementary tools to share your business details.

You can, for example, use connected business cards, offered by manufacturers such as VKARD or MOO, incorporating an NFC tag to share your information in the blink of an eye.

According to Maxime T., a self-employed digital strategy consultant, “using NFC to share my business details helps me stand out when meeting customers. It’s a modern and effective way of facilitating exchanges.”

In short, activating and using the NFC function on your smartphone to share your business contact details is a considerable time-saver and an innovative solution for optimizing your exchanges during business meetings.

Don’t hesitate to exploit this technology to facilitate exchanges with your contacts – it always makes a very good impression!

Conclusion

In short, sharing business contact details has never been so quick and easy, thanks to QR Code and NFC chip technologies. These tools, combined with your smartphone, offer a real opportunity to optimize your exchanges at meetings, trade shows and events.

So you can concentrate on what’s really important: establishing quality relationships and developing your network with new partners.

Why not take the plunge today and adopt these innovative solutions to give your business a boost?

The future of networking is already here, ready to revolutionize the way we interact with each other: make the most of it!

Picture of Written by Camille BODET

Written by Camille BODET

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