I met a chap at the weekend at a business do.
Nice enough bloke and the conversation was pretty enjoyable and ended with the traditional swapping of business cards.
That’s where it all started going wrong.
My pet hate is business cards that don’t say exactly what you do or what your company offers and that feel cheap.
His was a classic example.
Printed on limp white card which smacked of a website freebie. The grey font meant you struggled to see what was written.
It included his name and contact details but his title Senior Business Growth Adviser meant nothing to me. Nor did the long list of initials after his name, I’m guessing they were qualifications.
His title just sounded like someone trying to look big and clever, but failing due to that approach and the cheapness of the card itself.
His card sent out a very mixed message. During his conversation he mentioned his fees (and believe me they weren’t cheap) but then his card portrayed an image that a rag and bone man would’ve swerved for being too downmarket.
And it made the Cardinal sin of only being printed on one side. A friend of mine always says one sided business cards or fliers are the clearest indication that a company needs to take a really good look at its marketing.
Using one side only is the equivalent of paying for a one minute radio slot but only using 30 seconds of it – bonkers!
One side of my 6 part business card
Here’s three things I think a really good business card needs to have to be memorable.
- A photo – most people remember faces before names, job titles etc. And it personalises your card.
- Clear message – My double sided card has a picture of me, contact details and that ‘I help your business make headlines.’ This fits in with what we do at My News.
- Calls to action – A lot of really clever business cards give you a clear reason to act. It could be they tell you to ‘visit our website and download our free guide to awesome local advertising’ or one that I saw from an accountant ‘Email me now to receive a complimentary tax checker for 2016/17 – Are you paying too much?’
You’ll be judged on your business card as it’s your representation when you’re not around.
And getting it right isn’t rocket science.
Thanks for reading,
Nik
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