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Are Printed Business Cards Obsolete?

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The conference was fantastic.

I attended lots of sessions where I learned new things, I got a good sense for where my industry is going, and I had lots of great one-on-one, eyeball-to-eyeball conversations.

In the past, my first activity when I returned home from a conference was to place a giant stack of business cards on my desk, and enter the information into my contacts.

This week, it hit me that I came home with only a small stack of business cards, and most of them were from vendors I spoke with in the exhibition area.

Hmmmm.

What has changed?

  • A shift toward authentic connections, rather than business transactions
  • Social networks now contain the vital contact information
  • The world moves too fast for print; we all have half-full boxes of cards with old titles, phone numbers, and emails
  • People change jobs and companies more often
  • More online networking than offline…no need for thousands of cards

But there is still a place for printed business cards.

 

The Case for Business Cards

They provide a tangible reminder of a moment in time. I know some who jot down a quick note on the back of business cards, either to remind themselves of where they met or some physical characteristic of the person to aid in remembering their name later.

Personality/branding and succinct messaging. Your business card can sometimes give a more precise and quick summary of your business than you can, off the cuff. For situations where an elevator pitch isn’t feasible (in an actual elevator, for example), a quick handing over of the card and “please call/email me when you have a moment to talk” might work.

Stand in for your physical presence. When I bought my last car, the salesperson handed me several of his business cards to give to my friends/family who might be in the market for a car. Handing out business cards can make it easy for your customers to refer people to you, and ensure that your messaging isn’t mangled in the translation.

 

The Case Against Business Cards

Startups can save money. Cards aren’t really that expensive, but if you add up the design time, printing, and reprinting, along with the waste, it might be an expense that a small startup can skip.

You may work harder to make an impression. My friend Lisa Jenkins told me once that, “if I can’t remember you without a business card, you didn’t make a very big impression!” I like the idea that the force of your personality or the strength of your connection will leave a memory stronger than a piece of paper.

Save trees, resources. I probably have a full forest worth of old business cards in my office. The move toward paperless communication is leaving printed business cards, brochures, and other detritus of the old system behind.

 

Where do you stand? Are you still handing out paper business cards? What do you do with the ones you bring home?

 

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

 

Featured image via Flickr CC: Geoffrey Franklin

Why Business Cards Still Matter

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abizcard

If you’re a tech-savvy, online-shopping, social media-sharing internet junkie like much of the rest of the world, you probably wonder why some businesses still rely on business cards.

We live in a time where the world is at our fingertips – literally – thanks to the internet. You can find company information, contact pages, product information and more with just the click of a button.

So, how do business cards still fit in?

Surprisingly, a Small Business Sentiment Survey conducted by Yodle found that roughly 52 percent of small businesses still don’t have a website. And, in North America alone, more than 20 percent of the population does not use the internet, according to Internet World Stats.

Business cards won’t get lost in the shuffle of the world-wide web. They’re concrete, edgy and still very useful.

In fact, a survey conducted by Designcrowd found that 87 percent of Americans exchange business cards when meeting. If you own and operate a small business, that statistic alone should be enough to make you want to develop your own personalized business card.

Why business cards matter

Though having a website and developing company social media pages are important, you still need to have a real-life, tangible business card to help meet your needs.

Keep in mind:

  1. Business cards put a face to a business – When meeting someone new, handing them your business card (preferably with your photo on it) will help keep your business in the back of their minds. Though they may not need your product or services today, there may come a time when they do, and hopefully they will be able to pull out your business card and call versus trying to remember your company name and searching the web.
  2. Business cards visually create your brand – Your business card should stand out among the rest. It showcases you and your company in a visually creative way. Don’t just simply put your name and phone number on the card; instead, add color, a photo or two and your business’ motto. Make it easy for your potential customer to want to use your services.
  3. Without a business card, you look unprofessional – Even if your business is done almost solely online, you still should carry a business card for when you meet new people – whether at the gym or at your child’s birthday party. Local business is always important and by handing out your business card to new people you meet, you’re greatly increasing your chances of growing your business. Plus, if a new friend is genuinely interested in your company and you have no way of providing them with contact information, you may have lost them as your future customer.

If you’d like to get creative, Canva offers a “Free Business Card Maker” so you can easily create your own business cards with a few clicks.

Almost as important as the business card itself is how you carry them.

While stashing a few in your pocket may work, it’s better to be organized with a sleek, high-quality holder.

Retailers such as Walmart offer a variety of business card holders at an affordable price. This Engraved Leather Business Card Case is lightweight, will fit into your suit jacket pocket and is personalized all for $25.

Have your business card handy and always carry at least 5 with you at all times.

As a business owner, marketing your business is not a 9 to 5 job, it’s a 24/7/365 job since you’ll always be on the lookout for new business.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of savit keawtavee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Sarah Brooks is a freelance writer living in Glendale, AZ. She writes on small businesses, personal finances and travel.

Why You Shouldn’t Put Your Title on a Business Card

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(Updated in 2020)

By Rob Young

If you’ve sought help to create the perfect business card you’ve probably found many people insist that you include your title on it. While including your title on a business card has its uses, in some cases it does more harm than good. Whether you’re the founder of a startup or an employee in an international company, these are a few reasons you might consider removing the title from your business card.

business cards

It can make you complacent

Printing your title on your business cards after you’ve just launched your start up might make you feel important, but it could be counter-productive. While it can inspire some people to take bold decisions and work night and day to ensure their business is a success, more commonly this false sense of importance clouds judgement and contributes to a false sense of achievement that leaves you vulnerable to complacency.

Leaving the title off your business card is a great (and free) way to remind yourself that you still have plenty to achieve — who knew that getting rid of a title could provide so much motivation?

You can appear egotistical or delusional

If you you’ve given yourself a fancy sounding title in the hopes of impressing potential clients, business partners or even your employees, be prepared for the opposite, especially if you appear young and inexperienced. At best people could think that you have an inflated ego, which might put people off from working with you. Worse still, you might just come across as delusional, with an unrealistic and immature approach to business.

It limits you

A job title is meant to give people an idea of what you do, but sometimes it can unintentionally give them a false impression of what you don’t do and if someone thinks you’re incapable of doing something and chooses not to pursue a relationship with you your business card might as well have been a blank piece of paper. Leave the job title off your business card and you give yourself the flexibility to adapt your responsibilities and abilities to the individual situation. And remember, as long as you have a pen handy, you can always add information to a business card.

Going incognito has its benefits

You might imagine that it’s always best to introduce yourself as the boss, but if you’ve ever seen Undercover Boss you’ll understand the value of being able to assume a different role. Whether it’s trying to leverage a better deal with a supplier or find out what other people really think of your company, the ability to be a chameleon in business comes with many benefits.

It’s a conversation starter

Maintaining a little bit of mystery is a great way to pique someone’s interest. Remove your job title from your business card and you’’ll find that people will start asking what exactly it is you do. This is a great opportunity to really sell yourself and the business you represent, you don’t have to reply with just your job title. Just bear in mind that removing all your details from your business card will only make you look foolish and incompetent.

It looks elegant, bold and chic

It’’s universally accepted that your business card shouldn’t be overloaded with information. Being ruthless and leaving out unnecessary details is a straightforward way to make an impact with your business card. Think your title is a necessary detail? Think again. Your email address or contact telephone number is essential, your title is an extra.

To avoid politics and resentment

Titles could lead to resentment and jealousy in a company. You could say that such employees shouldn’t be appeased by leaving job titles off business cards, but if something so simple could lead to a more productive company culture shouldn’t it at least be considered, especially when there are so many other reasons to ditch titles?
Do you really need that title?

Of course there are plenty of valid reasons to include your title on a business card, if you’re dealing with businesspeople with inflated egos, for example, they might consider titles important enough that they only want to deal with people they believe to be on their level. What’s important is that you don’t assume your job title should automatically be on your business card. Instead weigh up the pros and cons and do what’s best for your business or career.

Author’s Bio: Rob Young is Head of Online Marketing at business card printers MOO. He likes to share his knowledge and experience on a number of topics including networking and design.

Photo Credit: antoniocasas – homofotograficus.com via Compfight cc

Are Business Cards a Necessity in Today’s Business World?

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By Deb Bixler

Do we still need to have printed business cards in the digital age?

It is a question worth answering as business cards cost money. With work at home business consultants tightening their financial belts, is the cost of printing business cards still a legitimate and necessary expense for a direct sales business?

The answer to this question is an emphatic “Yes!”

Why Business Cards Are Still A Necessity

Most everyone owns a smartphone and many people have simple apps that allow for the easy storage of contact information. However, not everyone has a smartphone and many people do not know how to correctly use their phones to store and retrieve information beyond a phone number. Business cards often contain different pieces of information. Phone numbers, a fax number, a business description, an email address, a physical address and other pertinent pieces of information are often printed on business cards.

Entering all this information into a smartphone takes more time than most people are willing to invest when they meet a new business contact. Handing a business card to someone is fast and painless.

Though we are gradually becoming a paperless society, people still want to hold on to our paper-oriented world. Until a completely digital generation has replaced the old school paper addicts, business cards will remain an important part of networking and business meetings. If someone asks for a business card, you do not want to be the one person to reply, “I don’t have one.” Not having a business card lessens your credibility and reduces the chance that you will make a rewarding business contact.

People still look through their snail mail and they still notice business cards sitting on their desks or tucked into their wallets. This is not likely to change for at least a generation. Without a business card, you will be the one left behind when trying to promote your business or service.

How to Make Your Business Card Stand Out From the Crowd

business cardThere is no denying that business cards kill trees and it is important to make sure that forests are not destroyed in vain.

Make your business card stand out from the crowd and serve as a dynamic and beneficial marketing tool.

Business cards should be printed on paper that has a nice feel and look.

The paper should be a bit thicker than normal with some texture.

The color should stand out and be pleasing to the eye. Both sides of the card should be used, though the majority of information should be on the front side.

Since cards no longer have to fit into a Rolodex, experimenting with different sizes and shapes can be a great way to stand out from the crowd.

The direct sales business is highly competitive and business owners need to use every tool available to attract and keep more clients.

Though business cards may someday become a thing of the past, they are still a relevant and beneficial tool for business owners. Until our society is completely paperless, business cards are a necessity in the business world.

Author’s Bio:
Deb Bixler retired from the corporate world using the proven business systems that made her a success working for others by incorporating them into her home business. In only 9 months Deb replaced her full time income with the sales and commissions from her home party plan business. Find her on Twitter at: http://www.Twitter.com/debbixler