In my profession, I do a lot of business-to-business sales, as well as direct to consumer sales. I attend a variety of events, networking groups, as well as trade shows. It has become common practice to “collect” business cards.
The primary purpose of a business card is to convey contact information immediately. This saves the savvy business person the aggravation and time to write down their contact details, especially when you come in contact with hundreds of people each day.
It really doesn’t make a lick of difference what your business card looks like. Some are unique and others are plain. But I have never made a decision to contact someone based soley on their business card. However, it is nice to be unique and stand out among your competition within the same industry.
It is typically the brand new companies (which are not even making money) that genally have the most expensive or coolest looking business cards. It is also true that some industries are extremely competitive (such as real estate agents), and thus require a high-end business card that sets the “image” of what they do.
A business card should not be freely distributed as advertising material like a flyer. A business card is marketing material that should be used after a direct personal contact with a potential client or customer. If you are of any interest to a person, it doesn’t really matter if you write your contact info on a fast food napkin, they will still get back to you. So, don’t rely on a cool looking business card to get a you a call back.
Do not put anything on the back of the card, especially dated material. If you put a 2009 calender on the back and not give out all the business cards you ordered, you will have to re-order the following year. It looks extremely unprofessional when you have outdated information on your business card. Additionally, people like to use the backs of the cards to write down information or thoughts; so leave it blank with no glossy finish!
Carry a minimum of 10 business cards with you at all times. You never know where the conversation may lead at the grocery store. Take more with you if you are attending a conference or event, where you know you will be meeting many people.
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