Why Most Business Cards Don’t Mean a Thing
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I just received my seventh deck of business cards. I have been working at this company for three and a half year so it means two decks of cards per year. My job title has changed, I have been promoted, my job title has changed again, and so on. And every time something like this happens, I get new cards.
New cards that will never get used to anything but note taking and task lists.
Last time when I was told that I’m again going to get new cards and was asked to go through the information to see if it’s correct or not, I said: “yeah, it’s correct information, but if you want to save money, I don’t really need these cards.”
I got them anyway.
I know business cards are not expensive, it’s just that my mom doesn’t want to have any more of my cards, and I have already given my phone number to all of my friends. And my desk is running out of empty space in which to pile my business cards.
Business cards are perks, just like a nice title or an office with a window.
When I got my first set of cards, I had just started at this new job in a cool little games company. I felt enthusiastic about it and wanted to be a part of the team, and this nice card was a perfect way to show off to others: “Hey look, I really work at this company! How cool is that?”
So I carried a few cards in my wallet wherever I went and gave them to my friends and relatives.
I dealt maybe twenty cards, out of which about ten went to my coworkers - and my wife got two.
The next set stayed unopened until I got the idea to start to use the cards for writing down notes and tasks.
So, why is it that I don’t feel like sharing my business cards with people? After all, I meet new people every now and then, but I never give them my business card. I don’t even carry those cards with me anymore.
The card doesn’t represent who I am.
I have been having a lively and insanely interesting (and educating) discussion over at Shane and Peter’s blog about whether you are (and should be) defined by what you do or not. And just like Jennifer says, your job is just one part of who you are, or might even not define you at all.
Also, as writes at Mind Petals, many people (myself included) do so many things that defining us by just one job title doesn’t feel adequate. Saying, “Hi, I’m Jarkko. I’m a server programmer at <insert company name here>” is the same as a dog would say: “Hi, I’m Rusty, and I’m a guard at Jarkko’s place.”
While both of the sentences would be true (hmm… or in fact not true, because I don’t have a dog), they are overly simplified. Where is all the barking, running, wagging your tail, chasing cats and all the other things dogs do every day?
That’s what a regular business card does to you.
It flattens you to just another employee in the organization. So much that you don’t feel like you have a reason to give your card to anyone.
My next cards will be different.
For some time I have been planning to get my own business cards from MOO to support my personal businesses (including, but not limited to blogging here at Jarkko Laine dot com). But as I’m a real, multidimensional person, I want to have cards that represent all aspects of who I am. But how do you do that without filling your card with lots of small print finally making it unreadable for the recipient?
The solution is simple: Give a different card to everyone.
Every person you meet has a different story and every encounter is unique. So why should you present yourself as the standard version to each of them. Why not instead give them a memory of the you they just met?
So, here’s what I’m going to do: On the backside of the card there will be a picture of me. I’m thinking that some of the cards would just have my face, some could have me with Oiva, and some could include me as a kid. And on the other side, in the top left corner, I will include my name and contact information. The rest of the card will be empty. But only until I’m ready to pass the card to someone.
I always carry a pen with me so when I’m giving a card to someone, I could just pull the pen out of my pocket, write a few sentences on the card and then hand it over.
Much more personal than a standard business card.
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November 25th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
You know - I have always noticed that the more successful someone becomes, the less stuff seems to appear on their card. All three of the billionaires I have met had their name, an email, and one had a phone number. Nothing else, no title, no address, not even a business name. It really was a personal card.
I like the idea of allowing you to personalize a card to match the experience of having met someone. Thats cool!
November 25th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
That is a cool idea, indeed! I’m starting my own company soon, I’m so ’stealing’ this ;)
And one that most companies would dread. They want to be in control of how you present yourself to the world, when you’re “in function”.
November 25th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
I once produced an electronic music show using businesscard sized fliers. There where 10 different designs because I could fit 10 on a page. When I invited people, I’d pick the most appropriate design (or let them pick a design).
This episode revieled to me that businesscards are simply personal fliers that fit in your pocket.
As long as you are making an object on which to share your personal info, take a moment and think if a business card even makes sense. What about a sticker, or bookmark, or rubber stamp that you can stamp your info on anything?
November 25th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
I love it! My father and I were talking a couple of years ago about how it would be fun to start a company that specialized in “health” pet food - this was before the craze hit. It would be something fun and entirely off the normal track for either of us. And then it hit us: what would our job descriptions be in that kind of environment? I wanted to be a biscuit engineer. I still want to be a biscuit engineer. It just rolls off the tongue so well! And makes me smile (the important part)!
I use business cards regularly in my job. I have to be able to manage my suppliers and vendors. They need to be able to justify to their upper management the numbers that I want any quarter. The business cards help keep it organized.
I get theirs, write tons of notes on the back and give them mine. I use a made up title on my cards that makes more sense to them then it does to my company. Who cares? It gets the job done.
I like Peter’s comment that they are personal little fliers. I know people who have used stamps - but they don’t carry them around. I have seen other use poker chips, there is the coffee mug. Starbucks is running a promotion that you can customize your gift cards - THAT could be a neat type of business cards.
“Here’s my info. Please! Have a coffee on me!”
November 25th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Shane: That’s an interesting observation. Why do you think it’s so? Is it because the billionaires are up to so many different things that their roles are hard to define? Or is it because they are the ones who actually have the possibility to define what they put in their business cards?
Lodewijkvdb: I’m glad you like the idea. Feel free to use it :)
I just checked the details at MOO and found out they let you print a different photo on each of the cards. That’s so cool: 100 business cards, and all of them unique!
Peter: Good point! I guess depending on the business there’s always something unique that you can come up with. For someone in the games business a playing card would be rather cool…
But I think for my own business I’ll start with the MOO cards - they are cool :)
November 25th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
What a fitting topic, now that I have 5 working days left as an employee.
My new card will describe what I do (”Open source migration and Linux system administration”), has my name, email, phone number and PGP key. Sometimes I end up writing things on them before handing them, often not. I’m happily without a title in my own company, as most titles feel a bit artificial anyway.
November 28th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
This is a coincidence! (Well, maybe not a huge one…)
Just got a second batch of business cards done up. The first had my name, a title, phone number, email and website address.
The current cards have just my name and a generic logo (which fits in to many of the business / personal things I persue).
Got the idea from watching Ocean’s Eleven. At one point Daniel Ocean leaves one of the characters a card, it simply says Daniel Ocean.
Hopefully I don’t go the route they take in American Psycho though getting newer and slicker business cards every week!
Similarly to you, I’m going to bring a pen with the cards. It not only personalises the cards, but allows one to give different people different information / contact details!
November 28th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Hi Jarkko,
I would like to respectfully disagree. I moved from a more back office position to a more front office position a while back and I visit customers and intimate trade shows.
When I meet someone from a potential customer who the person is doesn’t really mean anything, what really matters is the position that he’s holding in other words is he the right person to go after or add in your rolodex.
I also carry a pen with me and I write on their business card on the back side the action point. ie. “Send Presentation of Product X” etc.
To have a picture of your self would render the card unprofessional and tacky at least in the Americas region, where I’m working. Perhaps you work in the world of fashion where publicity stunts are ok, but in telecoms area less is more.
November 28th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Lynoure: Congratulations on your next step forward! When we last met you were telling me that you had a secret project - I suppose this is it then? :)
A PGP key? I guess that works really well with the kind of customers and partners you’re looking for. In fact, I’d say it’s a personal touch. Although if I’d receive a business card with a PGP key on it, I would be rather scared to e-mail you, because I wouldn’t know if I need to use the PGP or not - not to mention that I would be unaware of how to use it…
Shane R.: Hehe, it’s cool how your card is getting blanker in every version. Maybe your next card will be totally blank? ;)
I like your approach!
John: I think the difference in our thinking comes from the fact that we’re thinking of a different kind of organization structure.
From your comment I read that you’re in a big organization in a world where you need to be careful if the person you are talking to actually is in a position that gives him any power to do business with you. Well, I guess in my day job, I’m in a similar situation as you (and that’s why my business card says “Server Programmer”).
But in my own business, for which I’m getting the new cards, I’m a solo entrepreneur. That means that the company is me: my personality, my talents, my interests. So, I want my cards to represent that as well: me instead of just one of my many roles.
Does that make sense?
In fact that brings us to an even more interesting question: What do we see our roles to be in our businesses (work, entrepreneurship, etc.) and how does it relate to our business cards? Are business cards only business related stuff, or something you give to your friends and acquaintances as well?
November 30th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
I came to basically the same conclusion. I got my first Moo cards over a year ago. I have different pictures on the cards with my contact info. on the other side. But now I have to get new ones because I moved from California to Switzerland.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2053/2075971320_b32b96841a.jpg
A warning though. Moo cards are small so be prepared to write small.
December 1st, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Thanks for the warning, Lamar. Your cards look really good!
I wonder if it would make sense to even leave out the contact information (except for an e-mail address) so you wouldn’t have to get new cards when you move…
Then you could write your phone number and address on the card when you want to share it to someone. What do you think?
December 1st, 2007 at 11:14 pm
I had this idea a while back to use a 2D barcode to encode some sort of data onto the back of a business card. I never figured out a good way to give someone quick access to a program to decode the data, other than sending them to a website. But if I did that, why not just send them to the website for the info?
I suppose having the barcode would make them more interested to go to the website to see what information it held.
I wonder what sort of information would be useful for such a thing…