A Sexy Business Card: 6 Reasons Freelancers Need One
Posted on 23. Sep, 2009 by Shoaib in Clients, Lists, Marketing
An excellent marketing technique which is sometimes overlooked and usually undervalued is to hand out business cards. A successful business card can have some very healthy advantages. Below I have discussed why it is a vital marketing technique which will fuel your career.
1. Impression
A business card can leave a lasting impression on the person who receives it. Design, therefore, is the most important aspect of a business card. If you are a designer and your business card is plain, then this is exactly what a potential customer will perceive to be your designing potential.
If I look at the business cards which I have kept over time, they are either the ones with an outstanding design or business cards from very important people. So unless you are a Lord, Senator or Obama himself, I suggest you take time and effort to design your business card well.
2. Networking
When you pass a business card on, the receiver of the card may never require your services, however, in the future if they have a friend or family member who require services you offer then they will pass your business card on.
On numerous occasions I have passed on a business card. Once a friend of mine had a problem with procrastination so I recommended an NLP Practitioner simply because I had his sexy looking business card on my desk. This is why you should also seduce people to pass on these cards!
3. Conversation Starter
I was once in a very tight situation where I wanted to pitch to a wealthy entrepreneur…at a formal party. The way I got around the awkwardness of the surrounding was by starting a short conversation and handing over my flashy business card. A conversation started about my work and I moulded it into a pitch!
4. Professional
Allow me to compare two freelancers. One is a teenager wearing a scruffy hoody and three-quarters and tells you “I am a freelance coder”. The other teenager wears a shirt with smart jeans and gives you a business card explaining his credentials as a freelance coder. I would rather hire the latter, not just because of the smarter dress sense!
No matter how much our school teachers drilled “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” into us, we still decide that it’s the best way to judge a book! You may disagree, but the way to attract more clients is to place yourself into the shoes of a client.
5. Marketing
You and I may know what HTML, CSS, and PHP are, however a client doesn’t know the difference between NASA and MYSQL. A business card can be a great way in which an innocently ignorant client can ask you a question.
Just think, a person rings you after you give them a business card stating “Freelance Web Designer”. They ask you “Hi, I was just wondering if you could help me by telling me what a coder is?”.
This is not unheard of at all. The general masses don’t know the difference between a coder and a designer just like I can’t tell the difference between a Senator and a Congressman. By simply educating that person with such basic education, you will command authority and build trust. Next time they require services you offer, they will give you a call before anyone else.
6. Personal
Giving a person a business card from your very own hands favours better with a potential client than a web portfolio. A portfolio on the web which a client finds after googling your services does not have a face to it nor does it have the personal touch.
Conclusion
I believe that to miss out on this simple marketing technique is to miss out on serious custom. If you don’t believe me then watch Will Smith’s “Hitch”. In “Hitch”, the character played by Will Smith survives on a single business card
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Lars
24. Sep, 2009
You would think it would be commonsense, but unfortunately there are a lot of ‘weekend web designers’ out there trying to just make a quick buck without really understanding the field they are in and thus cheapening it…In my opinion, if you don’t have a solid business card that has the same amount of thought and finesse that one would put into a website, then you probably make crappy websites as well. I’ve received countless compliments on business card and they always lead to higher quality and higher caliber clients. So, great post, thank you.
Chris Burbridge
24. Sep, 2009
One thing that I realized recently: When you are in any sort of networking situation, it’s really good to have a business card that easily associates you, the person they met, with the business card.
You might have this great connection with someone, but they might have met 15 other people. After FreelanceCamp recently, I was struck by how often I could not recall who a particular card was associated with.
In an extreme example, at FreelanceCamp I needed new cards, so I quickly printed some up on some of those Avery sheets, and, I put an actual photo of my face on the card.
While that did seem a tad cheezy, it was very effective – I was confident that people would remember whose card it actually was.
I realized that one of our jobs is to *maximize* the degree of *retention* that any of our contacts with people, make in their minds.
cypherbox
24. Sep, 2009
Nice post. Very useful tips for freelancers. Thanks!
Adam Haney
24. Sep, 2009
I’ve found that a business card is also a great way to get people to remember you. If you business card is original (but professional) people will often hold on to it, that way you get a phone call when they think about “that guy I met who did websites”.
tripwire magazine | tripwire magazine
24. Sep, 2009
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Kayla
24. Sep, 2009
I still need to get a good business card, definitely on my top to-do list. I think many freelancers don’t see the benefit since we work and find clients primarily online, but a good business card is a great way to expand the business to more offline venues!
Ben Hallam
24. Sep, 2009
I agree that this is often overlooked, which gives the perfect opportunity to make an outstanding impression.
Having a personal ‘shop front’ as well as one on the web shows a firm understanding of branding, which can only help the cause!
Will
24. Sep, 2009
Great post. I’m in the works of creating my new cards today. It’s so freaking hard to design things for yourself. I’m constantly tweeking and changing things. Hopefully I will see the light today.
PS I really recommend Mondo Print. They have great prices and awesome quality products.
http://www.mondoprint.com
Dani
24. Sep, 2009
I strive for unique and memorable card designs, not necessarily sexy ones. My card, for example, is a solid dark matte brown on one side and solid golden yellow on the other, with color blocks for my web address and widely spaced text regarding who I am and what I do. It’s not particularly sexy, but it’s clean and bold, and the design doesn’t stand in the way of the message, which is what my design philosophy’s all about.
That’s not to say freelancers (or any business owners, for that matter) should overspend on diecuts and special shapes, but I think the key is to make sure your card doesn’t look like every other card out there. Go to a single networking event, look at the pile of cards you have at the end of the night, and strive to look nothing like them.
Simon
24. Sep, 2009
Thank you, very interresting article.
Camille
24. Sep, 2009
I definitely agree that a business card is important – for freelancers and any other professional (I actually wrote a post on my blog about this same subject).
As you indicated by your examples, not only is one’s card often the first impression one makes upon meeting someone new, it can be a lingering impression as well – one that can pay off down the road.
Thanks for the insight!
chris
24. Sep, 2009
I agree, I have invested in a really nice business card, and a business card case (let’s not forget that essential finishing touch) which is a perfect conversation piece.
I have found that a decent card does somehow seem to resolve atmospherics that were unspoken and suddenly only noticeable by their absence, clearing the air, so to speak.
Paul Hebner
24. Sep, 2009
I’ve always known the value of business cards. The trouble is finding, or creating, an impressive design. I don’t have the resources at the moment to hire a designer and all of the templates I’ve seen are ordinary-looking, lame, or just plain ugly. Does anyone have any suggestions?
A Sexy Business Card: 6 Reasons Freelancers Need One | Design Newz
24. Sep, 2009
[...] A Sexy Business Card: 6 Reasons Freelancers Need One [...]
Adesign
24. Sep, 2009
I hadn’t found a business card that I love in years. I’ve hired, I’ve created and still can’t fall in love. I just create a new one for each pitch, print and cut it my self and keep it moving.
A Sexy Business Card: 6 Reasons Freelancers Need One | FreelanceShack
24. Sep, 2009
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Adriana R
24. Sep, 2009
One thing that has become overlooked with the availability of digital printing is the sensory effect a well printed business card has. Besides the design and information, people take more time to notice the texture and smell of silkscreened cards and remember you better!
Steven Haggerty
24. Sep, 2009
Anyone know where i can get business cards like this printed? At a fairly low rate. Twitter me if you do @stevenhaggerty
Thanks in advance
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[...] A Sexy Business Card: 6 Reasons Freelancers Need One [...]
Detroit Web Design
24. Sep, 2009
“An excellent marketing technique which is sometimes overlooked and usually undervalued is to hand out business cards.”
That depends on who you ask and how long you’ve been in the field. This post has good information for people who are new to marketing themselves.
Zed Shah
24. Sep, 2009
Nice article, i done a marketing exercise once where we took loads of business cards from different traders in a specific field. we then separated them into piles of like and dislike, we then disseminated why we liked the ones we did and vice versa …a very practical and enlightening, sometimes shocking learning technique
dotndot
25. Sep, 2009
Very useful information…Nice article.
Kevin Oh!
25. Sep, 2009
True dat.
Just don’t go to great lengths to make them stand out TOO much. Like making them square and oversized. They won’t fit in anyone’s business card holder and they’ll end up in the can.
A Sexy Business Card: 6 Reasons Freelancers Need One | Web Design Updates
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Mark
25. Sep, 2009
I think no matter how far we advance technology the need for a professional business card will always be there. That moment when business cards are exchanged is one of the best marketing moments you will have created.
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matCoes
30. Oct, 2009
As someone that sees zillions of business card designs a year (lots from designers), I recommend a couple things:
1 Keep it simple – don’t list every service you could possibly perform; one phone and one email; do you really need your address? and keep all relevant information on one side of the card
2 Be you – you’re not the CEO or President of your one-person design shop, you’re the designer, and that’s good
3 Quality not quantity – Unless you’re littering the countryside with your materials, 1000 business cards is way too many. If you’re starting out, or freelance is your sideline, then 500 is more than enough and 250 is better. You’ll change phones, emails or get sick of your design before you know it, and you can use the drawer space
Have fun!
Craig
23. Oct, 2010
Great post, and definitely an important part the business card for networking and business promotion, and great points to keep in mind.
joyoge designers' bookmark
06. Apr, 2011
Nice post, thanks..
Best Backpack
15. Apr, 2011
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