What Does Your Business Card Say About You? Part 2
Pete Fellows.
Sometime I ago I wrote the article, “What Does Your Business Card Say About You?” discussing the relative merits of various types of business cards. I didn’t want to leave it there though and recently courted opinion via Linkedin. Below are the best five of the answers received, each person’s name is a link to their Linkedin profile:
To me, a good business card is:
1) Easy to read quickly at a glance (e.g., to verify is the right one and for person to read name, etc. when handed)
2) Visually distinctive (colour, pattern would be different from most someone has saved–like from a background picture or design)
3) Says enough that the person reading it would be sure it was mine (if they were challenged at remembering names) and
4) Sturdy enough to last despite the way some people may treat cards received
Things I haven’t liked are:
1) So glossy ink smears if I write on them
2) So “busy” and filled up it’s hard to find name, number, email at a glance
3) Font so small I can’t read the name when it’s handed without bringing it up to my face (& thus can’t read at night for an address or phone number later, etc.)
Great Question……… Before I read your article, I was thinking “your business card should convey the absolute number one or key prime thing you want to have stick in the receiver’s mind. Plus the usual boring contact information”
After reading your noted article, I might actually get a gold star ….. “Essentially the best cards are non boring, unplastic, with pictures (but not necessarily of yourself) that you can’t put in your PC but you can write on and they are of sensible thickness.”
Mine is not boring, not plastic, has a picture (not me), lines on back for receiver to note something plus is a sensible size and thickness. I only wish the return on investment could be sped up a bit!
I agree with most of your points in the article. However, I disagree with the picture / entertainment value (non-boring) point. I don’t typically peruse my business card collection for entertainment value. Pictures and exotic logos are fine, but unnecessary. We are, after all, talking about business cards – let’s keep the business in the card and leave the entertainment to after hours.
Great article! Thanks!
My business card was designed for me by a graphic designer I worked with a few years ago to reflect my strong style statement. A vertical on a white background, it is in red and black, with brown type, has an illustration of my glasses and three bullet points listing my business writing and marketing communications experience, along with my phone number and email address. My name appears in funky upper and lower type across the top.
The fact that people have said they liked my card says something about its success. It is very simple, with a small logo; on light, but not white card, so easier on the eye. Has clear contact details, but not my address. I like slightly quirky at networking events, but then finding somewhere to put them afterwards is a pain.
One contact has a neat small card – it gets lost; one has a larger one in the shape of a cd (very relevant to his business) too big for my card holder. AND the info I want I keep elsewhere and put them all in a box.
How many people keep the cards for any length of time – unless it is a supply to pass on?
Once again thank you everyone who answered my call.
Pete Fellows.