Are business cards still relevant?

Brand expert and founder of his eponymous consultancy, Harish Bijoor remembers getting a business card from the late Shri Atal Bihari VajpaSumityee. “It was just his name written in a flowing style on the card. No address. No number.” Taking that as an inspiration, he printed one for himself. It simply has his email printed in blue. “The ID was all one needed to get everything else,” he says.It’s been many years since and just like the man whose card inspired him, Bijoor feels visiting cards too are gone.
AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
In an increasingly digital world, your phone is the new business card. Though, head of an HR consultancy, Sumit Kumar doesn’t believe that all has gone the way of the dodo for the card. He has his reasons: “Digital era is supported by you being connected or having a screen in front of you. Either of them lost, you suddenly become non-digital. A huge population still doesn’t have smartphones or laptops. Ask the sales people who need to visit the last mile, they will tell you that the only thing which people remember will be the business card.” Cards remain one of the best ways for you to tell people that you run a trustworthy and reliable business. A reason why you need professional-looking business cards – read neutral colour, no-nonsense fonts and fewer gimmicks. If you are in a creative field, opt for a quirky card that showcases a slice of your work.
Agrees creative director with a digital firm George Koshy, who still hands out visiting cards at every meeting. “It’s the first point of contact with the client or anyone new – an effective way to put a name to a face,” he mentions. Kumar says business cards are here to stay. A 2017 US survey supports this as it found that 27 million business cards are printed daily – 10 billion cards annually. Though of these, 8 billion are tossed within a week. But it also found that a company’s sales increase 2.5% for every 2,000 business cards handed out. Kumar says, “Cards add legitimacy, a face to your brand and describes your culture.” Places you must carry your card? Formal gatherings, networking events, and meetings – semi-formal events don’t require you to proffer a card. However, keeping one on you — in case someone asks — is a good idea.
CARD TRICK
What has changed is how people are saving cards (bye, bye rolodex), thanks to card scanners built by professional apps like Zoho, Microsoft Lens, Evernote. Even card-exchange etiquette has changed. Bijoor says, “While earlier, biz cards were a trace-back, today an exchange of a mobile number is enough to get your face across. A WhatsApp connect adds more. The mobile number is the new business card. Really.”
There has also been a rise in quirky cards, as that has a certain stickiness. He remembers getting one which was like a punched coin – gimmicky but effective. Kumar says, “Conventional business tools like paper, fax machines, and even physical offices are beginning to lose their meaning. However, of all the conventional tools we’ve had, business cards have not lost their importance.” Yet.
Get your card right
-Opt for a professional design. Make sure it looks consistent with other printed materials
-Don’t go for generic design
-Prioritise readability over creativity. Heavily styled fonts are difficult to read
-Choose the layout wisely. Stick to traditional size (3.5 inches by 2 inches) – odd shapes are difficult to store
-Don’t use cheap paper and go for eco-friendly picks
-Print info at back only if vital
-Avoid garish colours
-For easy reading, print text in a dark hue (black or navy)
-At a minimum, you should include three pieces of information: your name, phone number, and e-mail address. If space permits, include address and website
-It’s not necessary to print links to social networking sites
-Double-check for typos
-Reprint your cards as soon as your information changes
-Add a QR code that instantly provides information that you couldn’t fit on the card – website, app, etc
Play your card right
- Give card after you introduce yourself and shake hands
-Keep your cards handy in a professional-looking holder
-Stock up on cards as the phrase, “Excuse me, I am out of cards” is unprofessional
-In networking events, offer first to give yours. But don’t expect it in return
-Make one pocket for your cards, and another for the ones you receive
-After the event – make small notes to the cards to memorise the person
-Show respect and interest in the person who gave you her/his card by reading it
-Don’t hand your card too early in a conversation. Wait for someone to request for it
-Pass it with the words facing their direction