Tool Cards

A smart business card is a “tool“--a device that aids in accomplishing a task. The information it presents should encourage your contact to keep your card within reach--it should add function to form.

Though it seems obvious, I'm guessing there are billions of business cards printed each year with blank backs. They represent countless numbers of intelligent business people who are surrendering half the real estate, on what is often their most widely circulated print piece, all for the want of a better idea.

The better idea is to add worthwhile information to your card. Information that is worthwhile whether or not your prospect buys your products or services immediately. After all, the goal is to keep your name in front of your audience for the long haul.

What type of information? Build on what you think your prospect hopes to gain from you--the problem you promise to solve. For example, a designer who works with small businesses might include "Five fundamentals of marketing." A copywriter who seeks work with corporate communications departments might include a link to a finely tuned piece about interviewing experts for writing projects. Or a photographer who is in search of freelance work with an agency might include thumbnails from their portfolio.

Your hook could be a list of tips or insights, a conversion chart, a table of measurements, a glossary of industry terminology, and so on. Some general business examples:

A bike shop proprietor incorporates a metric conversion table:

A copywriting teacher provides a list of proofreader's marks:

A guitar teacher includes basic chord diagrams:

A cafe shares a recipe that has brought it acclaim:

A pastor provides a list of local help line phone numbers:

I promote my design books and web by take the same idea one step further (below). Side one of the postcard I distribute includes inch, pica, millimeter, and point rulers, a basic color palette with CMYK values, charts of line values and shades of black and information about ideabook.com. Side two features “Brainstorming: Create an idea” and “Evaluate an idea,” a list of sometimes confused characters, a fraction to decimal conversion table, and a collection of interesting font combinations.

I offer to send as many as are requested for free to anyone who has a large group of people who are realistic prospects for my books--to teachers and trainers, user groups, and so on. You could use the same concept to promote yourself or your organization.

Here is a list of prime elements to consider including on your business card:

PEOPLE

Name of person
(Nickname) in parentheses
Title
Affiliations
Professional/academic designations

PLACE

Pronunciation of unusual names
Department/division name
Organization street address
Floor/suite/mail stop
Alternate P.O. box address
City/state/state abbreviation
Zip+4/postal code
Country
Home street address

DETAILS

Office hours
Time zone
Appointment fill-in
Map/directions

COMMUNICATION

Voice phone/extension number
Toll-free phone number
Mobile phone number
Pager number
Fax phone number
Home phone number
E-mail address
Web site address

ORIENTATION

Name of organization
Defining phrase
Product/service categories
Resource info
Special offer
Invitation
Illustration/photo
Logo
Organizational affiliations

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