I love business cards and often think about the function they serve. Recently, I dipped into my store of Biznik articles and found a great one about business cards by Susan Straub-Martin, a Bellevue, Washington graphic designer.
She’s of the opinion that your card says a lot about you, and I agree. When you hand your card to someone, you give them information about how to contact you. You also give them information about your esthetic sensibilities and how well your business is doing. Ms. Straub-Martin notes that free business cards can create the impression that you are less than fully committed to your mission.
I’m embarrassed to admit that when I started my copywriting business, I went with free cards. Not a good idea. One lovely day, while attending one of my first networking events, I proffered my card to a marketing consultant. She took my card—I’m not lyin’ here, folks—turned it over with excruciating deliberateness and commented that I should really spend money on a “real” card. My mouth dropped open, and I exited stage left, tail feathers singed. Actually, she did me a huge favor. After ordering a batch of low-cost cards, I finally hired a designer who did me proud. I still use and love my cards, and everyone else seems to as well.
I’m curious. Have you got any business card peeves or success stories? I myself hate that confounded coated stock. Makes it impossible to make notes on the back. And what a pain that is for those with non-encyclopedic memories.
RobAustin says
Sometimes people in the advertising/graphics arts business get too carried away, designing cards that are “cutting edge” (hate that expression, by the way). That is, cards that are different just to be different with hard-to-read fonts and garish colors and design elements. My advice is to keep it simple, classy, and utilitarian. Self-expression is fine when not carried to the extreme.
Susan Monroe says
Yes! I tend to take a fairly conservative approach and particularly dislike non-standard size cards. They can be dramatic but hard to store in those nifty sleeves.