Considering a Photo on Your Business Card

Have you ever wondered how your business card would look like if you put your photo in it? Some would shudder at the thought of it but some would like to believe that adding a photo on print business cards make it more personalized.

Would you agree with this? To add a photo or not - that is the question. There are obviously advantages and disadvantages to adding your photo. Let us look at them and you decide whether to add or not to add.

Why do candidates plaster their faces and names on posters? Because they would like to be remembered. If you want a name to be remembered easily, put a face to it. That is an advice I heard from experts on how you could improve your ability to remember names. The trick is how you associate the name with the face. Take this name/face recall strategy that I always use. For instance, if someone introduces himself to me as a Rick, I would try to find something in his appearance that would sound like his first name like Rick with the big stick. Or Larry who is lanky.

Clients, associates, or even high school classmates are more likely to remember you if you have a photo. So when a client rummages through their rolodex, your photo on your print business card would help them remember you. There is even a greater probability that they would get the services of the business with a photo on it. A card with a face on it creates some sort of a connection right away. Agree?

If there are obvious advantages, there are of course some disadvantages. The photo might have been taken several years ago when you were 30 pounds lighter and 10 years younger. How do you suppose your contacts would react to it when you hand them your custom business cards? One thing is for sure, the photo would not help your clients remember you upon seeing you again. Unless you print your business cards regularly, photos can make your cards obsolete.

Despite some disadvantages, photos can really help because photos or faces build trust. A photo can help convey a sense of familiarity, a sense of trust. So if you are going to a client call and this is the first time you are going to meet this client, it would be an advantage if you could send a card with your photo in it. It is not only thoughtful; it will also help to put your client at ease with you. Try it.