Business cards - Are still cool in the technology era?
The contemporary business world is shaped very much by technology and communication revolution brought on by the Internet and more recently by smartphones. With contact information available everywhere, a tool that used to be associated with professionalism for a long time, is now placed under scrutiny – business cards. Nowadays one can argue that business cards are not redundant. Going even further, they may even be considered as just another way to contribute to the waste of global resources. Perhaps, it can also be interpreted as a sign that the person who still uses these lacks the capacity to adapt to a new world.
Faced with these legitimate concerns, you have good reasons to wander if you should still invest in a business card. Nobody wants to invest money and effort only to receive in return raised eyebrows or even worse, lost partners.
The good news is that business cards are not a must any more. If you would rather skip a responsibility from your list, feel free to do so. On the other hand, the even better news is that business cards are still cool. In a way, it is rather similar to books: you can gain all the knowledge you wish by only using your Kindle, but at the same time owning and reading paper books will (probably) never become obsolete.
Business cards too have an old-fashioned charm and can boost the chances of a successful networking. According to statistics, 27 million cards are still printed every day around the world.
How good and lasting an impression you create when you hand your card to a newly made acquaintance is highly dependent on the card itself. But even beyond the specifics, the gesture is usually charged with positive connotations. You will show that you care about the small details which make the difference and that you value the other person and you want to keep in touch.
They encourage people to trust your reliability
Having a business card and sharing it with people you are meeting, shows that you are trustworthy. It shows that you are not just testing the grounds of a new business, but you are firmly grounded in it, willing to invest in order to secure your market.
They function as a tangible reminder of your existence
If you only had a face to face interaction with someone, there is a big chance that your name will be forgotten. People usually remember in terms of “that entertaining lawyer I once met at a conference on refugee rights”. If you also handed a business card, the chances of getting contacted increase. “Oh, but I have his card somewhere in a drawer. I should give him a call, maybe he will help me with this NGO I am looking to start”.
Business cards are a good way to share information which is not on the Internet
If you are a public person, having your personal e-mail or phone number on the Internet might be a burden. You could be contacted for trivial reasons, while you wouldn’t have time to handle the more urgent affairs. It can be a good idea to make a set of business cards only for the most important potential partners, which would contain your private contact information.
This way, you wouldn’t only assure that only a selected group has access to you at any time, but you can also stroke the ego of people you value. You could say something like “I really enjoyed our conversation and I’m looking forward to hearing from you. I’ll give you my card where you could find my private phone number. Feel free to call me anytime.”
They make it easier for introverts
Suggesting to exchange contacts might become awkward, if you are not exactly the most social person. An introvert might find it difficult to pick the right time or the right words. On the other hand, giving them a card is an easier social ritual. When the conversation approaches to the end, you should only take out the card from your pocket and say a phrase which can be identical in any circumstances.
Business cards create a direct visual link between you, your business and style
You can use business cards as a tool to transfer the capital of trust and sympathy from you to your business and vice versa. If you meet somebody at any type of networking event, there are chances to just make small talk unrelated to your profession. You could be perceived as a nice, sharp, trustworthy guy, but not as the writer, salesman or whatever you are into. The business card which could be just a way to express the wish to stay in contact will also show what services you can offer. And recommendations are essential to successful enterprises.
Now before rushing into a print shop and ordering a bunch of business cards bear in mind that changes occur in the way people use and perceive this introduction method. Business cards are still relevant, but since they are not made any more for a strictly utilitarian purpose, they need to show more than your name and your contact information. They need to reveal a glimpse of who you are and what your business style is. Moreover, they are expected to show just how different you are, not just a professional, but exactly the professional somebody is looking for.
Don’t choose a boring business card
A rectangular business card with only the intuitive information on it will not bring you to the forefront. Instead, try to innovate with shapes, colours, design techniques and even content. This is even more important if your business is based on creativity or technique. We could forgive an accountant for being boring, but the expectations from a website developer to create an original product is much greater, especially if he is not even able to ingeniously customize his business card?
Let’s see a few non-mainstream ideas:
- Handcrafted business cards – either done by yourself, if you have a little bit of an artistic side, either by somebody else at your request, handcrafted cards will certainly show to the other person that he/she is important to you;
- Even more old fashioned than regular cards are those which only have a name and maybe a profession written on them. Yes, you heard it right, no contact information! If you are a public person all the data is easily available through the Internet. You can opt for this unique way of advertising yourself, alluding to a world when everybody knew everybody by name inside a community;
- If you are not into medieval charm, you can go for a futuristic approach for your card. Augmented reality designs represent the high-tech oriented personality you and your business share.
On the other hand, don’t forget that sometimes less is more! Choosing a very bright combination of colours might be unique, but at the same time it might make the text unreadable. And when you think a bigger than average card will show you are bold, this choice could annoy people who will have problems storing it.
Invest in a high-quality card which makes you proud
Instead of ordering hundreds of business cards using the cheapest option of your print shop consider investing more in a high-quality product. This means both materials (the paper should have a proper weight and density) and technique.
For example, you could consider a special finish which will enrich the design of the card. These are the most common ones:
- Varnishing – a coat is applied to the card giving to it a plastic feel, while the colours receive a specific shine;
- Embossing – some areas will rise above the rest getting a 3D effect;
- Debossing – using pressure, some areas of the card are going inside the paper, allowing to create an effect of light and shadow;
- Foil stamping – using metalized foil, this technique allows for some text to be highlighted;
- Laser cut – letters are cut into the paper.
Business cards can be a great tool to promote your work while you attend networking events and they are certainly still cool, even if they are not necessary any more. A white canvas where you can put your creative ideas, sometimes a card can be the very detailed and it makes the difference between you and all the others.
Faced with these legitimate concerns, you have good reasons to wander if you should still invest in a business card. Nobody wants to invest money and effort only to receive in return raised eyebrows or even worse, lost partners.
The good news is that business cards are not a must any more. If you would rather skip a responsibility from your list, feel free to do so. On the other hand, the even better news is that business cards are still cool. In a way, it is rather similar to books: you can gain all the knowledge you wish by only using your Kindle, but at the same time owning and reading paper books will (probably) never become obsolete.
Business cards too have an old-fashioned charm and can boost the chances of a successful networking. According to statistics, 27 million cards are still printed every day around the world.
Business cards help with creating a memorable first impression
How good and lasting an impression you create when you hand your card to a newly made acquaintance is highly dependent on the card itself. But even beyond the specifics, the gesture is usually charged with positive connotations. You will show that you care about the small details which make the difference and that you value the other person and you want to keep in touch.
They encourage people to trust your reliability
Having a business card and sharing it with people you are meeting, shows that you are trustworthy. It shows that you are not just testing the grounds of a new business, but you are firmly grounded in it, willing to invest in order to secure your market.
Business cards may trigger the curiosity of otherwise uninterested people
You can have a good conversation with somebody and still not make that person interested in a business collaboration. Maybe your business is not of his or her current concern, or maybe you didn’t have the right opportunity to promote it. If you hand your business card, though, there is a good chance the other person will at least google your activity and maybe realize how compatible you are.Also, if your card is original and smart enough, it may function as a promotion tool in itself. Memorable cards sometimes get shared (even through social media), and you wouldn’t even know how you ended up with new important partners.
They function as a tangible reminder of your existence
If you only had a face to face interaction with someone, there is a big chance that your name will be forgotten. People usually remember in terms of “that entertaining lawyer I once met at a conference on refugee rights”. If you also handed a business card, the chances of getting contacted increase. “Oh, but I have his card somewhere in a drawer. I should give him a call, maybe he will help me with this NGO I am looking to start”.
Business cards are a good way to share information which is not on the Internet
If you are a public person, having your personal e-mail or phone number on the Internet might be a burden. You could be contacted for trivial reasons, while you wouldn’t have time to handle the more urgent affairs. It can be a good idea to make a set of business cards only for the most important potential partners, which would contain your private contact information.
This way, you wouldn’t only assure that only a selected group has access to you at any time, but you can also stroke the ego of people you value. You could say something like “I really enjoyed our conversation and I’m looking forward to hearing from you. I’ll give you my card where you could find my private phone number. Feel free to call me anytime.”
They make it easier for introverts
Suggesting to exchange contacts might become awkward, if you are not exactly the most social person. An introvert might find it difficult to pick the right time or the right words. On the other hand, giving them a card is an easier social ritual. When the conversation approaches to the end, you should only take out the card from your pocket and say a phrase which can be identical in any circumstances.
Business cards create a direct visual link between you, your business and style
You can use business cards as a tool to transfer the capital of trust and sympathy from you to your business and vice versa. If you meet somebody at any type of networking event, there are chances to just make small talk unrelated to your profession. You could be perceived as a nice, sharp, trustworthy guy, but not as the writer, salesman or whatever you are into. The business card which could be just a way to express the wish to stay in contact will also show what services you can offer. And recommendations are essential to successful enterprises.
Now before rushing into a print shop and ordering a bunch of business cards bear in mind that changes occur in the way people use and perceive this introduction method. Business cards are still relevant, but since they are not made any more for a strictly utilitarian purpose, they need to show more than your name and your contact information. They need to reveal a glimpse of who you are and what your business style is. Moreover, they are expected to show just how different you are, not just a professional, but exactly the professional somebody is looking for.
Don’t choose a boring business card
A rectangular business card with only the intuitive information on it will not bring you to the forefront. Instead, try to innovate with shapes, colours, design techniques and even content. This is even more important if your business is based on creativity or technique. We could forgive an accountant for being boring, but the expectations from a website developer to create an original product is much greater, especially if he is not even able to ingeniously customize his business card?
Let’s see a few non-mainstream ideas:
- Handcrafted business cards – either done by yourself, if you have a little bit of an artistic side, either by somebody else at your request, handcrafted cards will certainly show to the other person that he/she is important to you;
- Even more old fashioned than regular cards are those which only have a name and maybe a profession written on them. Yes, you heard it right, no contact information! If you are a public person all the data is easily available through the Internet. You can opt for this unique way of advertising yourself, alluding to a world when everybody knew everybody by name inside a community;
- If you are not into medieval charm, you can go for a futuristic approach for your card. Augmented reality designs represent the high-tech oriented personality you and your business share.
On the other hand, don’t forget that sometimes less is more! Choosing a very bright combination of colours might be unique, but at the same time it might make the text unreadable. And when you think a bigger than average card will show you are bold, this choice could annoy people who will have problems storing it.
Invest in a high-quality card which makes you proud
Instead of ordering hundreds of business cards using the cheapest option of your print shop consider investing more in a high-quality product. This means both materials (the paper should have a proper weight and density) and technique.
For example, you could consider a special finish which will enrich the design of the card. These are the most common ones:
- Varnishing – a coat is applied to the card giving to it a plastic feel, while the colours receive a specific shine;
- Embossing – some areas will rise above the rest getting a 3D effect;
- Debossing – using pressure, some areas of the card are going inside the paper, allowing to create an effect of light and shadow;
- Foil stamping – using metalized foil, this technique allows for some text to be highlighted;
- Laser cut – letters are cut into the paper.
Business cards can be a great tool to promote your work while you attend networking events and they are certainly still cool, even if they are not necessary any more. A white canvas where you can put your creative ideas, sometimes a card can be the very detailed and it makes the difference between you and all the others.
user rating :
4.90 stars (175 votes)
A student of life and probably for life. She likes putting theory into practice and to challenge norms. Currently on a mission to understand human behavior and interaction. Always on the lookout for the next challenge.