Is your business card losing you sales?

By Bruce King | 25 November 2022

Yes they can - here's how!

Last year, I presented three keynote speeches in Scandinavia and collected most of the delegate's business cards.

Between events and during my return journey, I decided to look through them. There were eighteen hundred and fifty in total and three things really stood out for me:

1. Three hundred and ninety-four (21%) had only the most basic details on them and the company name gave no indication of what the business actually did. Neither were they brand names I would instantly recognise.

2. Only one hundred and eight-eight (12%) had more than a one-line description of what the business did, what they stand for and why I might consider doing business with them.

3. Only three hundred and fifty-two (19%) had anything printed on the reverse of the card.

So let's take a closer look at these three points…

1. Three hundred and ninety-four (21%) had only the most basic details on them and the company name gave no indication of what the business actually did.

If I had collected any of these cards in a networking session, it's most unlikely I would have made contact with any of the people who gave them to me afterwards to make further enquiries on how they might help me because I would have no idea what they actually did. Even if they had made a positive impression on me at the time, I'd still be most unlikely to remember which was their card.

2. Only one hundred and eight-eight (12%) had more than a one-line description of what the business did, what they stand for and why I might consider doing business with them.

And

3. Only three hundred and fifty-two (19%) had anything printed on the reverse of the card.

A business card should contain as much information as can be professionally presented to give the recipient sufficient information to inform and interest them. At the very least it should accurately describe what the business does, and could possibly incorporate the company's mission statement or something else that tells the recipient what you do, how well you do it and why they should be doing business with you -WIIFM - What's In It For Me? (Everyone's favourite radio station).

There is of course plenty of room for all this, after all you paid for and received a double-sided card - so why not use both sides?

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