Have a simple business card

May 27, 2017 by Adam C. Powell, Ph.D.

Business cards are tools and serve three purposes:

1. They identify you at the beginning of a conversation
2. They tell or remind people of your skills
3. They provide a quick way for people to obtain your contact information at the end of a conversation

Having attended a number of conferences, I have found that not all business cards achieve these three equally effectively. Surprisingly, many business cards are ineffective at sharing contact information. After receiving business cards, I typically scan them with my iPhone to automatically input their information into a contact management program. Cards that are very glossy, contain white text on dark backgrounds, or contain text at an angle tend not to scan well. Needless to say, I’m less likely to retain the contact information contained on cards that do not scan. So, do yourself a favor and consider getting simple business cards that look standard.

That being said, my own business cards are mildly non-standard. On the back, I list the ways in which I serve clients. As I’ve found that people sometimes write down a description of what others do on the backs of their cards, I figured that I would simplify things and have the information pre-printed. As this information is not printed on the front of the cards, it does not interfere with scanning.