Do you have a card?

[James Burke]

More than once, I've asked a business professional for their card. After a few seconds of rummaging through their wallets, they typically pull out nasty, damp (butt cheek sweat, I presume?) business card that usually has something scribbled on the back.

I, too, have been in the same predicament (minus the butt cheek sweat), and no matter how many cards I try to keep in strategic locations, it always seems I'm lacking.

One day, I got the idea to take a close-up photo of my card and store it in an easily accessible folder on my phone. Now when a customer asks for a card and I don't have one handy, I text it to them.

It keeps me looking good, and it also gives me a contact number for easy follow up.


JB

 

[MoultrieMade]

Good idea. Also enter yourself as a contact in your phone with all the details you'd want to share on a card. Then you can share that contact via text and your customer can immediately save it into their contact list without having to retype (or mistype) any of your numbers, etc.

 

[James Burke]

Good idea. Also enter yourself as a contact in your phone with all the details you'd want to share on a card. Then you can share that contact via text and your customer can immediately save it into their contact list without having to retype (or mistype) any of your numbers, etc.

Brilliant. I didn't realize you could easily share contact info like that. I did some checking on my phone, and it looks like I'd send it as a .vcf file.

Thanks!


JB

 

[kcollinsdesign]

I do both (physical card and .vcf file that I can send from my phone). I'm a firm believer in a well made, quality business card. They should have a nice tactile feel on a sturdy paper stock. I prefer a minimalist design; others may prefer something more decorative.

 

[binki]

I guess you can carry a separate holder for cards, I have seen that. I have a Ridge Wallet and they fit nicely in there.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Business cards used to be important but its rare that I exchange them anymore. If you just exchange a quick email usually all a persons contact info is in their signature. I keep some in the truck but probably give out one a month.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I like having them printed on poly. They are definitely eye catching, plus you can't quite ruin them from normal wallet trauma... Though it's not as crisp as the day it was plotted. View attachment 147919

You should use "electronic mail" instead of email so it matches your "cellular telephone" theme

 

[Notarealsignguy]

 

[kcollinsdesign]

You should use "electronic mail" instead of email so it matches your "cellular telephone" theme

"Electronically Transmitted Written Communication".

 

[kcollinsdesign]

There are stylistic flaws in all those cards. Hilarious!

 

[netsol]

I do both (physical card and .vcf file that I can send from my phone). I'm a firm believer in a well made, quality business card. They should have a nice tactile feel on a sturdy paper stock. I prefer a minimalist design; others may prefer something more decorative.
View attachment 147915

kcollins,
while i know you are correct, minimalist approach, that is (i am the first to criticize a bad sign design for lack of white space)
i am an offender with business card design. i want you to see WHY you would want to use me, instead of the competition, so, as a result, my card always ends up with enough information that you could do a 1/2 hour special on the biography channel

 

[Notarealsignguy]

kcollins,
while i know you are correct, minimalist approach, that is (i am the first to criticize a bad sign design for lack of white space)
i am an offender with business card design. i want you to see WHY you would want to use me, instead of the competition, so, as a result, my card always ends up with enough information that you could do a 1/2 hour special on the biography channel

I have to agree.
When I was in sales the company gave us real basic but professional looking cards. Often times youd drop them on a desk when nobody was there and it would just blend in with the other 10 guys in the same business so I made my own. Our advantage was big equipment (plus it paid more commission) so I put a picture of excavators on the front, put heavy equipment specialists as text and on the back that we rent 12k lb hammers which paid about $500/mo commission. In a few months I had every one in our region on rent.

 

[netsol]

I have to agree.
When I was in sales the company gave us real basic but professional looking cards. Often times youd drop them on a desk when nobody was there and it would just blend in with the other 10 guys in the same business so I made my own. Our advantage was big equipment (plus it paid more commission) so I put a picture of excavators on the front, put heavy equipment specialists as text and on the back that we rent 12k lb hammers which paid about $500/mo commission. In a few months I had every one in our region on rent.

to my thinking,
if my card doesn't have A HOOK, something to get the customer past " oh, good, another jackass in the sign business" . (if you think i am wrong, when was the last time you picked up a copier company's business card) there has to be something separating me from the crowd, and maybe i try to include too much info & cast too wide a net. it's hard to strike the right balance

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Nothing special...