Part 2: The Smarty Pants’ Top 10 Business Card Boo-Boo’s!

I don’t expect that this list will make it to the David Letterman show, but maybe it should.

Part 1 of this article addressed a lot of content and technical aspects like fonts, spacing and legibility concerns. I never got around to the obvious“Don’t make your business card oversized so it doesn’t fit in a man’s wallet”, or “Don’t use metal business cards unless you really want a body cavity search the next time you try to board an airplane”.

Those are all easy fixes, really. Part 2 starts to wade into some deeper issues… about the brand, the identity and the image a business card portrays to the world – and the damage that can result from sending the wrong message.

Boo-Boo #5.         Lack of clarity about what you do.

Often we think that we created the perfect message about our business because it has significance to us… but we forget that it may mean nothing to our prospective customer.

Going to the extreme, I know entrepreneurs that have actually changed their business names two or three times, simply because they got more clear and specific about the kind of work and service they wanted to provide.

I’m willing to bet the issue is less about a business name and more about the business brand. You have to clarify who your intended audience is, and what you can do to help them. Get that right, and you remove all doubt.

Boo-Boo #4.         Using “free” card services.

Vista Print is a company that provides free business cards for small businesses. Yes, I said free. Now before you get excited about the prospect of getting something for free, remember that there is always a trade-off. And in this case there are two.

The first trade-off is that they use YOUR card to advertise THEIR services. You only get to print on one side of the card, because on the back they advertise their business with a blurb like “Get YOUR free business cards at www.vistaprint.com” So instead of possibly using the back side of your card to promote your business, it is busy selling theirs.

Secondly, you have a limited selection of pre-printed card options from which to choose. And guess what? There are going to be THOUSANDS of other cards floating around out there that look just like yours. So much for making your marketing memorable and standing out from the crowd.

There’s one last sour note that customers pick up when they get one of these ‘free’ cards – especially when it says right on the back of your card that you did indeed get it for free. It tells the prospective customer:

“I’m cheap and don’t value my business enough to spend money on one of my most central marketing pieces, so you might want to reconsider how much you’re willing to spend on me too.”

Not a resounding endorsement from the company CEO.

Boo-Boo #3.         Using stationery store “punch out” cards.

This is a bit of a continuation of the last Boo-Boo… because the message is the same. Yes, you can buy a package of pre-cuts at Staples or Office Depot for under $10, and print them yourself on your little desktop inkjet. But the stock is a lightweight so it will feed through your printer (card weight stock is sure to jam) …and flimsy is not professional.

Customers see those little perforated edges and hear a little nest of baby birds singing “Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!”

You can have business cards printed on a digital press (most print shops have them now) in a small run of 100 for about $50 - $100. Ask for a good quality heavy-weight stock (most printers can handle 12 pt or 100 lb card). And ask to see a proof before having them print the whole works. It’s a great way to get started, especially if the business is new and you want to test the card before settling on a final design.

For a start-up it’s an economical solution… not “Cheap!”

Boo-Boo #2.         The card does not match the services and products you sell.

The quality of the card – its design and print production – should match the level of products and services you are selling. If you are selling four- and five-figure products and services, then you should be investing some solid coin on professional design, high-end paper and proper print production. Remember, your business card is your traveling salesman… it has to reflect the level of products and services you provide – in other words, it has to portray the brand that you have built.

In the Victorian era, gentlemen used “calling cards”. It was gauche to hand out a business card at a social function (and yes, there is still ‘business card etiquette’ required today too – thus the calling card is making a comeback). But the calling card of old carries forward some principles that business cards hold today. Here is an excerpt from a wonderful post on “The Art of Manliness” blog: (I bolded a couple of important points for the purpose of this article.)

In the 19th and early 20th century, social interaction was a richly cultivated, well-mannered affair. The tool that facilitated these interactions was the calling card… The calling card also served as a way to brand your social identity. The way your card looked and felt or the way you handed it to someone communicated your standing and relationship with the receiver.

Even in the Victorian age, a personal brand was vital.

Boo-Boo #1.         No call to action.

Maybe you haven’t noticed, but you DO have a second side to your business card. Use this right, and you’ve doubled your real estate purchase and can increase interest in your business.

Are you using the other side of your card effectively? If you’re just prattling off a grocery list of all the things you do or sell, you’ve wasted that space. Make it about the customer – what benefit do they get by keeping this card handy?

Without a call to action, what is to prevent a prospect from placing your card in the round file? Give them a ‘next step’ to the relationship. We’ve seen dentists, salons and other appointment-based businesses use this space to remind customers “Your next appointment is on ____ at ___ a.m./p.m.” It’s a great way to assure repeat business.

Provide a coupon on their first purchase in your store. Offer a free report from your website. Use it as a ‘punch card’ – buy 10, get one free. These are all commonly used methods of giving people a reason to keep your card handy, to call you or visit your website. Give it some thought, and get creative.

Here’s an excellent example – the best I’ve seen yet:

A friend of mine is a very successful car salesman at a Ford dealership (he’s one of the best Ford has in Canada). When he handed me his business card, it looked like a typical corporate-issue dealership card. Clear printing, high quality, easy to read, large boldface on his name, accessible contact information, and the Ford logo. And obviously I know Ford builds and sells cars and trucks.

Then I flipped the card over. On the back he had printed an image of a miniature $100 bill… and space to write my name.

Yep. If I ever refer a customer to him – and my referral purchases a vehicle from him – my buddy will pay me $100 as a thank you for sending him the business.

Now, out of ALL the many car salesmen I know, WHO do you think I’m going to send prospective customers?

THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is a business card that WORKS.