Ugly Business Cards

When you're out networking, what's the first thing you do when you meet someone new? Chances are you hand over the business card you've held clutched in your sweaty palm. But, have you ever stopped and considered whether your card actually represents what your company or organization is really about, the way you want it to? Does it create the memorable first impression it should? In short, does your business card work as hard as you do?

Recently, a client called and said he wanted a business card that would cost him $10 a piece. Okay, I'm exaggerating. He actually said, “$8 a piece.” The point is, what he really wanted was a card that people would actually want to keep instead of discarding as soon as he was out of sight. He wanted people to think, “Wow. That’s impressive. I’ll remember this guy.”

This savvy client realized the importance of the impression his business card made. He understood that his business card is usually his first leave-behind and how its look says as much about him as a new suit and tie. He wanted his business card to be darned good looking and to make a superior impression that set him apart from the competition. In short, he wanted a business card that worked.

And I agree.

All too often you see cards that have been badly designed and poorly printed on flimsy paper stock with a home computer. Is that really the first impression you’d like to make on a prospective new customer? Probably not. Certainly my client didn’t. He knew that a professional, well-designed business card is key to his networking success. So, we sat down together and began to create a business card that would work as hard as he does.

In my next installment, I’ll share our thought process and how, eventually, a really memorable business card came forth from some unorthodox thinking.

If you’d like to avoid lazy-business-card syndrome, contact me at: rose@rosebrucegraphics.com, call 615.230.9598, or visit my website: www.rosebrucegraphics.com.

Tired of the same old, same old? Check out these cool business card designs.
http://creativebits.org/cool_business_card_designs