The World of Business Cards
We’ve crafted quite the simple, free, and perfect business card template in google docs. It’s at the bottom of this article. But you need to understand much more about business cards and their psychology.
So you know what business cards are, and the whole world has been using business cards for over 50 years. They’re very essential in the fact that they would just be your introduction to someone in the business world. Back then, there wasn’t LinkedIn or Instagram or all these things that could actually link people to their businesses. Additionally, when business cards were created, there wasn’t a lot of email as well. So all of that was the old age. Business cards still exist to this day, and they are critical in the sense that they tell a lot about the person who is pitching with them. That’s why the power of simplicity when pitching a business card is extremely important.
The Power of Simplicity
When you’re pitching to someone or introducing yourself in the business world, you want the first impression to be good in general. For that to happen, when you present a business card, it influences the other party’s psychology and what they think of you as a person. The power of a business card is much more important if they see simplicity in a business card. If they like the design you put into it, they might think, “Okay, this person knows what they’re doing,” especially if you’re pitching something like product design or a professional service. This also shows your professionalism.
I was in an event once, and I saw someone giving me a square business card that was quite small to fit in my hand. On one hand, I liked it because it’s a creative idea, but on the other hand, I actually lost it. So you have to find the middle ground between both of these sides. There are a lot of business cards that are simple and effective at the same time. Essentially, you want to show the person who you are and how to reach you. Simple business cards are what you really need. You don’t need to show more than that. You just want to show that your design is clean, your business persona is simple, and it gets things done. Simplicity enhances readability as well. If you make it as simple as possible and put your brand guidelines into it, just make it simple. This is why I worked on a very small Google Docs business card template that you can add your brand guidelines to and print out so that you would have what you need.
First Impressions Count
You might think that just giving someone a business card isn’t really that big of a deal when it comes to first impressions. But the truth is, everything you say, everything you wear, and everything you talk about influences first impressions. In the business world, first impressions count. If people are impressed, they would be more open to listening to what you have to say. If they’re not, then they’re going to be critical of you in their thoughts. There’s a very strong psychological impact of well-designed business cards. If you design them in a way that says a lot, you spare the person time or you can save a conversation if you already have a not-so-great first impression. In creating a first impression, people aren’t going to tell you to be yourself, but most business pitches or interests are not that long, so you don’t have much time to impress. That’s why always consider saying what is needed, not more and not less, and then give the card as a portal to more information.
The Digital Shift
Of course, everything now is digital. I’ve seen websites online with metallic cards, engraving your logo and information on them, which looks quite cool like a credit card. Additionally, there’s LinkedIn and WhatsApp. For instance, I was speaking to someone I wanted to connect with, and they said, “Let’s talk on WhatsApp.” I asked for their number, and they just opened a QR code from their WhatsApp application. I scanned it with my camera, and bam, I had them in my contacts. Digital alternatives like NFC and everything around that make it a lot easier. Honestly, there are a lot of people that I would just say, “I’ll find you on LinkedIn,” and I just Google their name and find them, which is simple and easy. The advantages of digital business cards are that they provide a reminder, but it’s much like how people wear watches. Watches are not really functionally important; no one looks at their watch to decide the time. It’s a classy thing you wear for the impression of people you’re talking to. Business cards are the same. That’s why physical business cards still hold a little bit of value when it comes to showing luxury and who you are as a person, showing that you value a bit of humanity that still exists outside of the digital world.
The Magic of a Business Card
Countless times I remember seeing someone’s business card when they gave it to me and losing it. But it’s always memorable when you see a business card because it feels like seeing a drawing. I remember seeing a few business cards that struck me as beautiful, which made me immediately think that this company knows what they’re doing in terms of design. I have a lot of personal stories about business cards and how they impact me. Eventually, I would consider these people for callbacks for what we were talking about. These business cards could result in more connections. It’s not about the moment; it’s about the future. They might throw that business card in the car and find it months later, just to remember they need something like that. It’s a good add-on for future return on investment.
Design Tips for an Effective Business Card
The key elements of a great business card are simplicity and putting the exact information needed, not more, not less. You don’t have to put your fax number because no one uses fax anymore. You don’t have to put your home telephone or office phone. Just your email would be enough. If you’re worried about the spam folder, put your phone number for your work mobile. Put your name; don’t put your CV there. Putting your name and your position makes it simple. Honestly, I saw a few well-designed business cards from one of my designers. What they did was they just put the email and the name of the company because the email is related to the name of the company. For example, if the email is al@buzzy.com, the business card would say, “Al @ Buzzy.com.” An email could be enough to show on a business card. Common mistakes include overdoing it. Keep it simple, print it in the right way, and ensure good quality. If you print it, print it in good quality. That’s everything you need to do to pitch properly with a business card.
Conclusion
Don’t forget that it’s not just about the pitch. It’s about the upcoming days after the pitch. So keep that in mind. Feel free to download the free template that we have.
Business Card (Google Docs Template)
PS. We’re working on a crazy new AI tool that aims to help you with all of that – intensify.