Business Cards - Make a Great First Impression

May 9
19:24

2012

Antoinette Ayana

Antoinette Ayana

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Too many professionals make the mistake of underestimating the importance of great business cards. It's easy to go off the rails, and you don't want to make the wrong impression.

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Too many professionals make the mistake of underestimating the importance of great business cards. While a light-hearted company can get away with having a little fun with the concept,Business Cards - Make a Great First Impression Articles a professional company needs to look that way through every aspect of their promotion. When you hand that little rectangle to a potential client or associate, you're saying something about the company you work for, about what they can expect, and about yourself. Don't forget that when you're tackling the options you have when making a purchase. It's easy to go off the rails, and you don't want to make the wrong impression.

Image Matters

If you wanted to play a round of golf at one of the country's most prestigious courses, would you show up in cutoff jeans and a Budweiser cap, or would you dress appropriately? It's a no brainer, but people forget that business cards are an extension of themselves and an extension of the company they work for. If you work for a pest control company, it might make sense to put a giant bug on top of your car. If you work for a law firm, you probably don't want a statue of the scales of justice on top of your vehicle. Image matters and certain things are appropriate (and inappropriate) for various situations. Make sure you know the difference when designing your promotional materials.

Exercise Caution With Art

There are a lot of ways you can go wrong with business cards, but artwork is one of the easiest and most common of them. Go into one of those shops that sets a fishbowl out for customers to drop theirs into to win prizes and such. Notice the ones with artwork on them. Most of the time, it's that cartoonish clip art that makes you look as though you work in a kindergarten classroom. Is that the impression you want to give clients? Having a sense of humor is a great thing, but it isn't always appropriate to let people know that you are whimsical through your use of artwork on your business cards.

Use Minimalism

You can almost never go wrong with careful and merciless editing, especially when it comes to your business cards. You have a very limited amount of space with which to convey the information. But that doesn't mean you need to use every available bit of it. In fact, you should endeavor to do quite the opposite. Let the white space speak for you. If you have had your cards professionally done, even something as simple as your name and a phone number can look classy and enticing.