Despite the rise of the web and smartphone technology, rumours of the death of the printed business card as an integral part of your marketing toolkit have been greatly exaggerated, says Allison Graham, author of Business Cards to Business Relationships: Personal Branding and Profitable Networking Made Easy.
“A business card is a cheat note about who somebody is,” Graham says. “It is important in making the interaction more than a casual ‘hello, goodbye’.”
To make the best first impression with your business card, follow these important tips:
> Check with your firm
While you might think you have a great way to jazz up your old business cards, you should consult your firm’s compliance or marketing department about any changes. Many of the major financial services firms have established templates that you need to follow, Graham says, in order to fit with the firm’s larger brand image.
If you are an independent advisor, you likely have more flexibility. However, you still should consider your overall branding and the message you want to communicate to your prospective clients.
“The relationship all starts with the business card,” says Donald Robichaud, president of Floodlight Business Solutions Group, with offices in Kelowna and Ottawa. “So it is a key piece of information on establishing the brand: who I am and how I do business.”
> Know your market
When you are developing the content for your card, pay careful attention to your audience. This means having a font that is legible and large enough to be read by prospects old and young.
“There is nothing worse than being 60-plus years old,” Robichaud says, “and being handed a business card that has a really small font on it.”
Consider using a conservative typeface, of a 14-point to 18-point size, to ensure your prospects can read all your information clearly.
“Sometimes it is better to go with the expected and boring stuff,” Graham says, “because it is the most tried and true.”
> Don’t be afraid to cross-pollinate
If you are on social media platforms, such as Facebook or LinkedIn, don’t shy away from including your handles on your business cards.
If you do, however, you must be active enough on these platforms that you will respond to any such inquiries as quickly as you would a phone call or an email, Graham says.
> Make the card match your style
While a little creativity can be effective, don’t let it obscure — or contradict — your message.
Graham describes the following scenario: “If you are someone who wears a navy suit and a red tie and a crisp white shirt and you [hand out] bright orange, triangular business cards with tiny black print, what is that saying about you?”
No doubt, it would express a confusing message.
“The issue,” Graham says, “s not about the paper but the person that paper represents.”
This is the first article in a two-part series on business cards. Next: What you should know about presenting your business card at networking events.