Rose King of Bschool.com sent me a nice email today, suggesting I share a recent Bschool.com post which includes links to dozens of cool new takes on the business card. I enjoyed looking at each of them. (Thanks Rose!). My favorites from the list provided by Bschool.com was the Card Deck card, the translucent card, and the card with the photo a cool story about the person being "advertised."
Design for design-sake is fun, but what about utility of the old networking standby?
How do you USE business cards (not give out, but use the ones you get?)
When I was 21, I started my own business. I created what I thought were the coolest business cards ever. They cost a fortune, had a fold-over design element, and looked gorgeous. But did they matter? Were they worth the cost? I don't think so, in retrospect.
In the Corporate HQ world on the "buying" side, I witnessed little value assigned to business cards given out, beyond helping those around the conference table remember the names of the other people in the meeting. Mind you, that was very useful!
The best business card I ever saw had its value, not from what was printed on it, but from the personal gesture the owner made by writing his home phone number on the back of the card. He was a CEO, and wanted his customers to know how important they were to him, and how available he would be for them.
Before eager B-school grads, I, or anyone else spends time and effort on a cool new card, could you help answer the question on business card use, and value, .... in today's world?
I'd love your take.
How do you use business cards? (Not give them out, but USE them.)
Are they still relevant in the way you work, and hire people?
What is an ideal business card to hand to people who generally lose them, who get too much email, and who may or may not be active in the social media world?
A friend of mine re-set my perspective on business cards recently when she said, "I don't give them out in a networking setting any more. I share my name, and something to remember me by. They can Google me, and find me a lot faster than looking for a card."
Humm.
That said, I'm tempted to get some new cards made. Some people still like to get them, as do I -- I just don't tend to be good at SAVING the cards in a useful manner, or USING them at all. You?
I'd love your take.
----------------- Talk Back -----------------
If you were to create the ideal business card from the perspective of having the card be USEFUL to you, (as the recipient). and ACTIONABLE to you (the recipient), what would your input be for the creation of a great card?
And if you're in the design, or business card business and would like to experiment on me, I'd welcome your help and insight as well!
Thanks for reading and sharing.
Polly
www.pollypearson.com; @PollyPearson on Twitter.
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