Business cards are overrated.

Rolodex: Does anyone still use these?

A lot of people stress over their business cards. They try to make them creative. But that never matters (unless you’re a designer).

I may politely say, “Wow, that’s a great card,” but in reality, I don’t care if the card is unique. I make a snap judgment about whether the card looks professional, and then all I care about is whether I can read the person’s contact information.

If you want to make your card creative, that’s great, but don’t do it at the expense of the card’s main purpose: giving me your contact information.

I get a lot of business cards, and the only thing I do with them is enter them into my computer address book. What impresses me is when someone’s card makes it easy for me to transfer the information to my address book. It has the information I need, doesn’t have extraneous information, and is easy to read and input.

Here are some ideas for your business card based on all the cards I’ve seen:

1. Include your email address. I can’t believe it, but I have received two business cards in the last month without an email address. And both people worked at technology companies.
2. Don’t include your fax number. There was a time when this was useful information but no longer. When was the last time you sent a fax?  If I really want to send you a fax, I’ll just call you for the number.
3. Put your contact information in the right order. Most people enter a business card into Outlook or another address book. So, why is your mailing address listed above your phone and email? Put your information on your card in the same order it is on the computer. Make it easy for me to keep your information.
4. Pick one: office or direct. I keep your card to reach you. If you are willing to put your direct line on your card, don’t give me your office number.
5. Learn how to send a vCard. If you forget your card, you can always just email me one, saving me the trouble of typing in your info.

Bonus Tip: The population is aging, so you probably want to increase the font size on your card…which means you have even less room for extraneous information.