May 27, 2010 109 Comments

Make Your Own Business Cards

Lately, I’m a bit burned out on business cards. I think they’re important tools. I don’t think we can manage our identity transfer ONLY online, but I’m just a bit tired of handing them out. The reason? Every time I give someone a business card, I have about a 70% chance of receiving someone else’s dumb email newsletter that I didn’t opt into receiving. Or, I’ll get a pitch. If you’ve ever done this to me, please reconsider before doing it to someone else in the future. Please?

A business card is the start of a relationship, not permission to sell to me.

Lately, I notice that lots of people use various online services to make digital versions of a business card. That feels like you’re giving away an opportunity. That’s like buying the store cards they sell at Staples or OfficeMax or wherever. Instead, why not make your own business cards.

Want to see mine? Chris Brogan’s business card.

Well, that was easy.

In person, I hand out paper cards. When I’m not being cheeky, my cards have the following traits:

My name is the biggest element on the card. Why? Because in a meeting, when my card will be sitting on a table in front of someone who’s trying to remember who I am, they will see my name and feel less embarrassed.
My PREFERRED method of contact is what I put on the card. In my case, I’ve stopped handing out my phone number. I loathe the phone. I opt not to give it. Is that limiting some times? Sure. I don’t care.
My idea on how I can help you. Most cards talk about how awesome the giver is. I want you realizing how awesome I think YOU are.
Space to write. It’s amazing how important it is to have room to write on the back of a card.

What’s not there? Every social media platform I ever joined. Every URL in the world. It’s not a phone book. It’s a card. It’s a marker.

A business card is the start of a relationship.

Your mileage may vary. That’s just where I am right now. You?

ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Genesis Framework

The Genesis Framework empowers you to quickly and easily build incredible websites with WordPress. Whether you're a novice or advanced developer, Genesis provides you with the secure and search-engine-optimized foundation that takes WordPress to places you never thought it could go.

With automatic theme updates and world-class support included, Genesis is the smart choice for your WordPress website or blog.

Find out more about the framework features
Check out the Genesis demo and the wide variety of child themes
See example designs in the Genesis design showcase

Become a StudioPress Affiliate

Pingback: The Results Company » On the Current State of Business Cards
http://twitter.com/SandwichINK Kaye Swain

Great points! I especially appreciated your comment about the name being big enough to read! As a member of the Baby Boomers Generation, I can testify that is vital! :) Thanks for the good tips!
http://www.workhappynow.com Karl Staib – Work Happy Now

I never thought to create a card that lets me find out more about the person I'm giving it to. That's awesome. It's all about the person we are dealing with. What are they worried about? What do they need? It's so much easier to connect with people when we stop worrying about ourselves and worry about the other person.

Thank you.
http://quirkyfusion.com Christy

Thanks, Chris. I agree that it's extremely rude to collect business cards and sign people up for your newsletter without their permission. I've been tempted to put THAT on my cards. And I feel the same way about the phone. Anyone who needs to call me can email and set up an appointment. One of the benefits of running your own business is the ability to do it your way. I love that!
http://blogforprofit.com Grant Griffiths

I have been trying out a new business card for the same reason. I hate them. Period. I usually take someone's card and misplace the darn thing anyway. And I get tired of the plain old cards. So, my card is blue with one line of text. youmetgrant.com

Going to continue to use it this year and see how it goes.

http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

I like that. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out.

http://community-roundtable.com/ jimstorer

I like the idea of making your name BIG for everyone to see. I made a set of Moo cards (small ones) and in hindsight they're not the greatest. Sure they fit in your pocket, but the font is so small you can see people squint when you hand it to them. They're also more likely to get lost in the shuffle with all those bigger cards someone has.

I'm due for some new cards and will likely use some of your tips in designing what I carry for a paper card.

Thanks Chris!

http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Jim – as a guy who gets about 10K cards a year (or last year that was the number. I’m way down after a few adjustments to my speeches), I can tell you this: I *lose* moo cards like it’s a game. I lose them. I find them in bookshelves and suitcases years later.

http://www.virtuallin.com/ virtuallin

Back in the dotbomb heyday, I once got a biz card from a guy… it was a coconut. Seriously, a big coconut with his logo and name and everything! It worked, I still remember it.

http://twitter.com/rohnjaymiller Rohn Jay Miller

Mine cost $25 for 200 from Moo.com. I spent 15 minutes on them. I think one important characteristic not mentioned is that they should be printed clearly with the typical fields a person needs from you–name, company, title, address, phone, email, URLs.

I use the BC Reader app on the iPhone which allows me to scan biz cards through OCR technology. Great time saver. I hate fancypants cards with illegible small type and half the information on the front and half on the back. Simpler, direct is better.
http://www.wisequeens.squarespace.com donna Jackson

good post ! I agree , but dont throw that pile of cards away yet Chris cos mines prob in there, and I dont pitch or stalk. and yes I have your number ;) see ya Donna
http://funkidivagirl.com Funkidivagirl

I never thought about not including my phone number on there, but I should leave it off as well. I HATE talking on the phone and will avoid it if I can. I prefer email or face-to-face.
http://www.SheSellsFWTX.com Jordan

I'm a realtor and because of the ridiculousness of my industry (their photo EVERYWHERE)-I opt not to put my face on my business card. Instead, it's basic and my first name is my logo. It's stylish and catches peoples' eyes because there's a lot of white space.

ooo and I love youmetgrant.com–very cool.

I hate biz cards too because they're small and they usually all lie around and bother me. So I got an app that puts them straight into my contacts for me. I think it's called WorldCard. Awesome app for the iphone.
Rob Hurt

I tend to send out customized (and often optimized-for-mobile) business cards via email from my phone, for a number of reasons.

Reduce my personal paper-wastage.
Emails have all the space I need for a message I want to include.
It serves as a gentle reminder later in the day of our meeting and increases callbacks, from what I've found.

Awesome article though!

Keep it rocking! :)

Also like Grant Griffith's comment and his take on effective design…
http://theflaggagency.com/blog/ Chuck Flagg

My picture is on my card and it is the biggest thing on there next to the logo. My name is next and I do have a phone number. So often tone can be misinterpreted that just picking up the phone and calling can save a sale.

I have my email then URL plus my twitter and Facebook presence. Finally a tagline reminding how I can help a potential client.

Now maybe it is too much like a phonebook, but at .03 or less per card I am willing to experiment and give people options on how they wish to contact me.

In my business where travel agents are a dime a dozen, having my photo on the card helps remind people they are dealing with someone personally and not with a company.

http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

I think a photo helps a lot. I see mostly real estate types doing photos. I wonder why that is.

http://www.christinameehan.net Christina Meehan

I remember months ago I was in a webinar that suggested unless you’re a Realtor not to put your photo on your business card. In this person’s mind it was because some employers may “judge a book by its cover.” While I would certainly hope that is not the case, it does cause me to hesitate in doing so.

http://www.virtuallin.com/ virtuallin

But, you have to ask yourself if you’d want to do business with any company that “judged” you thus and balance that against the brand recognition you establish with a photo. The guy you gave your card to (that has your photo) will be sorting through the tons on his desk, see your photo and go,”Right, I met him at xyz” and decide to keep it. My current card has a large photo of me that matches both my site and my Twitter background, the reverse has limited contact info and room for notes.

http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

I think a photo helps a lot. I see mostly real estate types doing photos. I wonder why that is.

http://www.mindadventure.com/ rob white

We all experience our reality on the level of abstraction, first … and then this experience becomes a reflection in our physical universe. Business cards are a consequence of imagining what image we want to offer others in a quick, efficicnet manner. When someone then takes the card to sell me something, they have missed the point (unless I have given them permission to sell me something). I give them a card and they think to themselves 'what's in it for me'. That's my point of view
melissaleon

I don't receive nearly as many business cards as you do nor do I give out as many but I can understand what you are saying. It does become a bit overwhelming. I am with you on the phone number, I HATE the phone and will go to extraordinary lengths to not use it. =)

I have printed business cards without my email on one occasion because I didn't want my inbox full of random emails. Although I decided that I actually wanted my email after writing it on a bunch of them.

Now all I really want to see on a business card is someone's name, twitter handle, email and url of business or blog.
http://twitter.com/davidamoore David Moore

Business cards are really becoming “Contact” cards. The initial contact starts the relationship as you said and may or may not lead to business. But the laser like focus on the “social” aspect is allowing us to move the Name above Company. Business has always been about relationships and now the business “contact” card is starting to reflect that.

In addition, so many of us have multiple irons in the fire outside of the 9-5 job. The “contact” card is like a “paper hub”. The recipient can choose where he wants to go to learn more about you and dig as deep as he wants to.

But…you still need paper. And I'd say that even if I wasn't a printer.
http://www.blighgraphics.com Carolyn Bligh

Chris, I couldn't agree with you more. One thing I would like to add is that a signature block on an email often acts you’re your digital business card too. Some people do it well, and others design billboards that you don't even see the email message. My biggest disappointment is when people attach their logo and it comes over as an attachment – paper-clip icon. I think they are sending me something important… but it is just their logo. I offer a few pointers for designing email signatures at http://blighgraphics.com/site/brand/crumbs/crum…. Thanks for sharing your great perspectives!
acowboyswife

I've noticed that talking on the phone has really helped me with the relationships…..I usually include my cell. I need some new cards……I know your philosophy about not giving business cards to every Tom ,Dick, and Harry…

Hmmmm, I can't remember if you gave me yours…and if you didn't, I guess I know what THAT means! ;)
David Siteman Garland

Who else hates the phone? I know I do. Why do you think that is?
http://www.superdumbsupervillain.com/ superdumb

It's probably just my paper fetish but I love the tangible nature of cards. I like seeing how people choose to represent themselves. I think it would be telling to mandate a motto on each one, too: sum yourself up in one phrase.
http://www.christinameehan.net Christina Meehan

Interesting post Chris. I was just reading a LinkedIn discussion about whether or not people who hand out their business cards expect to be pitched to or to receive an e-newsletter. Everyone in the group agreed yes, but the surprising part is that most didn't mind. Why? Many agreed that by handing out the business card we are inviting that to occur. In my ideal situation, I'd prefer a follow-up e-mail from the person telling me what a joy it was to meet me and then ask whether or not I'd like to receive the e-newsetter and/or if it's ok to pitch story/product ideas to me. Then I actually think I'd say yes. I liken it to a personal opt-in request.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Because you can't call me on airplanes or at 3AM when I'm awake.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

That's a great point of view, Rob. What do your cards say about you?
http://privacyregulation.com Stephen Meltzer

I am in a traditional business sector – I'm a lawyer. I have two business cards – one is a traditional one with my firm name, telephone, url, fax, and logo. The other card has simply my name, the two practice areas I want to promote, the word “Lawyer” so as to be clear, and my “.tel” address which has links to everything else about me. In different settings, I use different cards.

Anonymous

Stephen, I’m in the same boat. I’ve got a business card for my clients, complete with phone, fax, email and URL. For networking and other events, I’ve got my name, email and our tag line – “Protecting Consumers From Abusive Bill Collectors, Creditors and Mortgage Companies.” It’s simpler, easier and seems to work better than the “kitchen sink” approach for people who meet me casually. I’m considering a .me address for a centralized point of contact, so your .tel is a good one. Thanks for the tip.

http://privacyregulation.com Stephen Meltzer

My .tel links to a .me which lists all my identities (the many-me’s). What I like about the .tel for a first contact link is its simplicity and because, from a mobile device, the telephone number is clickable and just calls from the device.

http://mikeambs.com mike1630

I love that you don't put your phone on there. I kinda' loathe the phone too – and I've always felt like a bit of a jerk because of it… but seeing that you just put your preferred method of contact and skip the phone (even though it's the norm) makes me feel like I can get away with it :)
http://www.ivanwalsh.com Ivan Walsh

If you plan to do biz in Asia… give and receive the cards with both hands.

It’s the person’s reputation you're holding.
http://www.christinameehan.net Christina Meehan

I'd also be interested in hearing what others think about the resume business card. If I had to guess, most of you would hate them?
http://bit.ly/9H03QV
http://www.virtuallin.com/ virtuallin

Ahh, it's so great to hear I'm not alone in detesting the phone! When you put every Twitter, Skype and Harry on your biz card, don't be surprised that you'll never get a lick of work done again because you'll be interrupted every 5 seconds with; “Can I pick your brain?” or “Do we have a status?” Grrrrrr ;)
http://startups.com/ juliacassidy

Great post. It is good to see there are still good tips out there to create business cards, even when, nowadays, everything is done online. The tips are great and they seem to be very effective as well. I still interact with some entrepreneurs that are interested in learning more about this kind of strategy and I will recommend them to read this article.
Thank you for sharing this.
http://inculcative.com Inculcative

Funny thing about business cards…. they can actually be a real benefit if we think outside of the box a little, and not consider them as just a “contact card”.

My favorite business card is that business card from a “Jamba Juice” type of establishment that promotes buyer frequency….I've got to get to that 10th drink to get my free one…. Or that card that promotes referrals… “Hey Friend, give this business card to the orthodontist, I wrote my name on it so the doc knows where you came from and I can get my $100 gift certificate to the mall.

The business card can promote action, if you remember to put it in there! Yes, you will get those spammy email newsletters and junk – but the opportunity cost of gaining a customer could be well worth it, if there's a call to action in it….What is the call to action on your business card?

A couple of pet peeves that I find with a large percentage of business cards today…

Number 1 – those cheesy cards that Chris mentioned getting from OfficeMax, Staples, or online resources like VistaPrint….yes they are cheap, and full color – look great….but the glossy finish irritates me…I can't write on the cards…. What use are they if you can't write on them…I find that they are perfect for Mindmapping, but not if I can't write on them :)

Number 2 – I don't know about you, but have you noticed that the font sizes on cards today getting smaller…. People tend to jam it with too much info, and our older folks (which is a huge base), can't even read them….Small Type a big NO NO….

Just my 2 cents on business cards.

Great post Chris…got me thinking about what on want on my cards.
http://www.tammycamp.com Tammy Camp

Aha, I've found a fellow international etiquette buff?! How do you do?

http://www.ivanwalsh.com Ivan Walsh

Hey Tammy,
I’m in Beijing & made all the mistakes that expats can make. The biz cards is real big here as is gift giving, which is real can of worms. What’s a gift, what’s a bribe… lots of layer to peel away.

http://twitter.com/jeremygould Jeremy Gould

I stripped lots of info off my cards last time I had some printed. I kept two phone numbers – since I work in two countries and have different numbers for each – but removed all urls apart from my Google profile with the prefix “all routes to me online start here”. Saves a lot of space.
http://www.tammycamp.com Tammy Camp

I cannot make up my mind about business cards; I think it's one of those things that have to be done REALLY well, or not at all. I get quite a number of business cards from people in the design industry, and some of these are mind-blowing. I pin them up as little works of art. Now that's effective marketing!

Unfortunately, most business cards I've been given are bland and forgettable, and are currently residing in a specially designated shoebox. When it's full, I'm going to wait until my assistant screws something up, then I'm going to send her the shoesbox full of crappy business cards with generic logos and tiny, tiny type and get her to enter all the details into my Google Contacts.
http://impulsemagazine.net Impulse Magazine

This is one thing that I definitely recommend outsourcing because you want to have a card that is rememberable as possible
knealemann

Thanks dude, just cleaned mine up and put in the order. Clean, simple, make it about them.

So they can remember who they met and how I may be able to help them. Another great post, sir.
http://www.famzoo.com/ Bill Dwight @FamZoo

The “Moo” card approach is a nice way to make the dull “all-about-me” business card exchange into something more engaging and two-way. You can have a whole variety of designs on the front and let your recipient pick the one they most identify with. In our case, we have 23 different animal cartoons on the front of our cards. It's fun to fan them out a see who picks which animal – great conversation starter and consistent with our brand/style. The cards are easily made on Moo.com. It's a great site (and I have no relationship to Moo other than being a happy customer).

You can see our cards here as an example:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/famzoo/4595771707/…
http://carlnatale.com Carl Natale

I'm going to disagree maybe with your aversion to putting all your social media accounts on the card. Different people have different levels of comfort with different media. I want to give them some choice.

There can be two ways to deal with this. One, create a landing page for your business card. Make the URL simple to type. On that page, add – depending on how you want to be contacted – links to your social media accounts, a contact form and phone number. Better yet, add a click to call button.

One and a half, maybe use a social media profile to be the contact landing page. Google Profile looks like an excellent option for this.

Two, instead of just listing social media accounts, explain why someone would be interested in those accounts. This requires a well defined social media strategy and incredibly tight writing/editing skills.

<img src=”http://www.carlnatale.com/images/100527bizcard.gif”>
http://www.WhatDidEricSay.com Eric Miltsch

Hey Chris,

I got a little tired of biz cards about a year ago as well; I've had better reaction by simply pointing someone to my Google profile.

My main reason – the unsolicited sales call from the person who told me they just wanted to add me to their “files.” Nobody is just building a card collection.

If they're familiar with it, they jump right on it. But I have noticed the amount of vendor solicitations have been reduced by pointing people to the Google profile. If they don't know about Google profiles, they just learned something new.

Nice, simple post Chris…its the basic stuff that makes all the difference.
http://www.tammycamp.com Tammy Camp

MOO cards, start to finish awsomeness, I love them for their brilliant re-invention of biz cards, their great interface, and even their quirky robot who send you your order updates. (I too have no relationship with Moo)
http://www.sanerapdc.com Alicia Arenas (@AliciaSanera)

I was at a networking event on Tuesday where the facilitator told everyone “Be sure to collect business cards from everyone in the room.” Give me a break.

What's funny is that when the majority of the people introduced themselves, they talked about the importance of building relationships with people. How can you build true relationships with everyone you meet at a networking group and why would you want to? Ugh.

I only give business cards out if people ask for them and I only take them from people in whom I am willing to invest the time to build a relationship. Thanks for the post and great reinforcement Chris. I'm excited to hear more about your new adventure! PS – Joined Third Tribe this week.
http://keithstoeckeler.com keithstoeckeler

Hey Chris, while on the topic of business cards, did you see this?
http://www.t4f.org/projects/business-card
http://garybloomer.com/ GaryBloomer

Chris,

Business cards? How much do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways:

Far too many are single sides wastes of trees. People, if your business card has two sides, why not USE both (think about that for a second … every card has two sides!) Anywho … at the moment I'm working on a gatefold card (lie three business cards short end on and you'll get the general idea). One's business card needs to be MEMORABLE and yes, yes, YES … its content needs to be about what you can do for the person you're giving the card to.

My wife's been collecting business cards for just over 4 years and I'm stunned by the number of cards that cram in every last contact detail but that then fail to tell me what the company does, or the cards that are all about design and not about content. It's difficult … almost impossible really for me to take my graphic designer hat off. Can't do it actually.

So, one's business card ought to give one's prospect an idea of what's to come. If you're handing out bland, blank-backed cards, what is that single act REALLY saying about you and your business? Think about it and place yourself in the boots of the person accepting your card and take the chance on making your card more than a card, take the chance on making your card and event!
http://garybloomer.com/ GaryBloomer

This card is AWESOME!
http://garybloomer.com/ GaryBloomer

Alicia, I agree one billion percent!
http://twitter.com/Brandon_Connell Brandon Connell

There is nothing wrong with leaving off the phone number. I hate talking on the phone too. I prefer email, and nowadays I prefer the commenting area of my blog even more because I practically live there.
http://www.mikestenger.com Mike Stenger

Have to agree that a business card is the start of a relationship, however, we should always be building a relationship before we even hand over the business card. With all the business cards being handed around at events and gatherings, the mass majority of them just end up in the trash or in a huge stack that never gets went through.

The ones that do stand out are those where you remember the person behind the card. You remember your interaction with them, your conversation, etc., and you weren't just handing out to just hand it out.
http://www.danieldecker.net Daniel Decker

I like the list. Especially… “My idea on how I can help you. Most cards talk about how awesome the giver is. I want you realizing how awesome I think YOU are.”

Sounds like you don't do Business Cards. You do Relationship Cards. Might be a good subtle shift for us all to make. Reframes the perspective.
http://inthebellyofthefailwhale.com Rob Gokee

This will probably be the most informative blog post I read today. Thank you. For the record, I cannot stand the phone either, I use my Google Voice number now for business so that I can get transcribed voicemail when I don't answer the call. Which is 95% of the time.
http://sellinginformationproducts.net John Soares

Excellent timing for me. I'll soon be creating two new business cards, probably through Vistaprint, and you've helped me clarify what I'll put on those cards — and what I won't.
http://BestLifeDesign.com drmolliemarti

Relationship Cards … or Connecting Cards. Brilliant, Daniel :) Love your reframe and it's a great fit with how Chris is leading the revolution to do business in a different way. Thanks for sharing this shift in perspective.
http://www.danieldecker.net Daniel Decker

Thanks Mollie. :) Glad to add something to the conversation. I know for me it's often the subtle reframes that make a giant impact. Helps me clarify my intent as well so that I keep myself focused on making the main thing… the main thing.

Make Your Own Business Cards

ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Genesis Framework

Supporters

About

Subscribe