Offer Others an All-Access Pass

Post by Frances Cole Jones, contributing Women On Business writer

Few things are as off-putting as asking someone to exchange information with you, only to have them give you their office’s main number, and their assistant’s extension. Similarly, if and when you are asked for your information, it’s important to be generous. I’m not suggesting you hand over your home telephone number, but I am saying in this day and age, it’s easy enough to give people several ways to reach you: cell phone, skype number, email, etc.

This approach is also a form of politeness – implicit in it is that people prefer different modes of communication.  I always offer people at least two ways to contact me, and mention which one works best for me.  If you’re highly mobile – across time zones or continents I mean – this multi-method contact tactic is crucial as it makes others’ lives more convenient, and keeps your cell phone from going off at 4 AM (or worse, keeps people from wondering why you sound like you just woke up at 11 AM.)

 Do I have specific suggestions with regard to other elements of your business card? Not surprisingly, I do. And while there are as many permutations of business cards as there are businesses– and there are no hard and fast rules about what is “acceptable” and what isn’t– I’d like to include the following list of recommendations:

1. Have them. Regardless of whether or not you are currently employed by a firm, you should have business cards that state your full name and complete contact information.
2. As discussed, include multiple ways to reach you: land line, cell, skype number, email, snail mail address: you don’t want it to look cluttered, but you do want to give people confidence you can be reached—and that you’re in step with modern technology.
3. If you aren’t employed by a firm, and so the holder of a particular title, I’d prefer that you not include a description of what you do, because while you may indeed be a writer, editor, agent, or producer but there’s a whiff of desperation to including that on your card.
4. I don’t recommend including slogans, mission statements, affirmations, inspirational sayings, etc.
5. If your company’s logo is easily incorporated into the card then, by all means, include it. If it’s unwieldy, I’d leave it off. If you’re creating your own cards, I’d prefer you not include any design elements on offer at your local printing shop. You’re unique. Your card should be, too.
6. That said, unless it is your profession, I’d proceed with caution with regard to creating a design element of your own. Given the number of variables in play—scale, color, its interaction with typeface—it’s far better to have your personal ‘brand identity’ professionally created.
7. I’m not a fan of unusual trim sizes. Slightly larger or square can make it difficult for others to fit it in their wallets. Slightly smaller can come across as too precious.
8. Don’t skimp on your paper quality. Yes, it’s an additional expense to have cards printed on heavy stock, but it makes them far more memorable (and durable) for the receiver.

Why do these dos and don’t matter so much?  Because ultimately your card is selling you, and in this business environment you need something whose information and quality of design and printing are a direct reflection of the value you offer. 

If you find yourself in a situation where you’ve forgotten your card, rather than scrawling your information on the back of a napkin or piece of scrap paper, I would ask if they have a spare and then write your information on the back of that—we often throw out old scraps of paper when cleaning our wallets, but we’re unlikely to throw out our own business cards so there’s less of a possibility your details will land in the trash.

In Japan, the custom when handing others your card is to hold it with two hands and bow when it’s offered. While I don’t think it’s necessary to go to that extreme, I also don’t’ want a hand off that looks like you’re doing a drug deal: (something I see a lot) one which includes furtive glances at the surrounding people on the part of the giver and studied nonchalance on the part of the receiver. When you take another’s card—regardless of the value you perceive they offer—you need to treat it as valuable. Make a point of putting it into your wallet, or purse. Thrusting it into the pocket of your suit can leave the giver thinking they’re more likely to get a call from your drycleaner than they are to get a call from you.

Although the World Wide Web allows us to stay in touch with one another in numerous ways, the business card is not going out of fashion anytime soon. Taking the time to incorporate these recommendations and habits into your routine ensures that when you do find yourself offering your contact data to someone with whom you’d love to connect, you can be sure they will be able to find you.

Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).

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