How To Get A Business Card That Really Works

In your marketing armoury nothing is more important than your business card. After your smile, greeting and handshake it's part of the formalities you exchange on meeting someone that will help determine the first impression they have of you. Yet, to my astonishment, everywhere I go I come across people who either do not carry their business card or have ones that do them a disservice.

So here are some simple rules to observe about business cards:

1. Always carry them with you everywhere- you meet people with whom you may wish to establish a business relationship everywhere you go so just because you're relaxing by the pool or walking through the supermarket doesn't mean you shouldn’t be carrying your cards.
   
2. Make sure everyone in your office has a card- the cheapest marketing material you will ever have is the business cards you give to your team so that whenever they meet people they can pass on a card that may bring them into your business.
   
3. Train your team so that they know how to use them- they should proffer a card to everyone they meet particularly after they’ve been asked the question “where do you work?” to which they must answer “I work for the best widget dealer in town… let me give you my card.”
   
4. Proffer cards with a flourish… not an outlandish one… but with some theatre so that people know that your cards are of value. Produce them for a silver card holder, for example, rather than fumbling through your pocket or purse for one.
   
5. Accept other people’s cards with respect so that they know you are interested in them, their card and value it (even if you are going to dump it later!).
   
6. Have a card that is memorable- most business cards are boring and bland and they never deserve a second look so it's important that you incorporate a memorability factor into your card.

And here’s how to have a great looking, memorable business card:

1. Your name should be the most important feature of the card… companies don’t build relationships, people do.
   
2. That means your company name and logo are secondary to your own name so make sure your name is more prominent in the natural centre of eye gravity of the card.
   
3. For maximum comprehension your name should printed using a serif typestyle (times roman or bookman, for example) with only the first letter of each element of your name in upper case, never all (like this Theresa Smith not THERESA SMITH).
   
4. Never use a bland title like Manager, Partner, Consultant or Sales Executive because these rate low on the memorability scale. If you are good at what you do (and, if you’re not, why are you doing the job) you should tell people.
   
5. So chose a title that uses a word that implies expertise like authority, expert, wizard, doyen, genius, specialist, legend or guru. You could be an insurance expert, a customer service wizard, a mortgage expert or even, dare I say it, a marketing guru!
   
6. More than half your market probably need glasses to read so don’t use small type that makes them go looking for their glasses because, by the time they’ve found them, they’ll have forgotten why they went for them.
   
7. That means then next most important elements, your phone number, e-mail address and web site, should be in at least 12 point type (and please no difficult e-mail addresses with full stops, underscores and other fiddly, hard to read bits.)
   
8. When it comes to phone numbers less is more so don’t have business, mobile and after hours. Where possible have one number where people can generally get you or that has a re-direct facility. Forget the fax number unless its vitally important to your business and new prospects have unquenchable urges to fax you immediately.
   
9. Now you can add that which normally dominates business cards… your company name and logo… preferably down the bottom of the card. Remember, nobody cares about your company until they know what you can do for them.
   
10. Personally I’m not a big wrap for photos on cards but if you believe that your countenance is irresistible or it will aid their memory go ahead and put it on. Frankly, my photo would not assist me… who would want do deal with someone that looks like me?
    
11. You may want to have a statement that really succinctly and simply summarises you business. For example, my card reads “Ideas and inspiration to make you say WOW!” frankly, it’s not necessary if you get your title right (see 5 above).
    
12. Now give it to your designer and get them to make it look pretty without breaking these rules. Remember we want our card to help us feed families not egos.
    
13. Resist the urge to design and print your own card on your computer. They always look like they’ve been done on the cheap and create a negative perception of you. Keep our artists and printers employed… use their skills and talents!.

So there we are then. A few simple ideas that will make your business card work gangbusters for you. That’s assuming, of course, that you have one to give to every one you meet because business cards stuck in desk drawers or left on the bedside table guarantee that you’ll have skinny kids.