Common Business Card Mistakes (Black Enterprise Magazine) Sonya Lowery (750 hits)
Presenting yourself as a professional is key to any executive. Here are some common business card faux pas to steer clear of by Marcia Layton Turner.
You only have one opportunity to make a first impression. That's why Sonya Lowery, author of The Secret Language of Business Cards: And what your brochure is saying behind your back (Jordan Maxwell Publishing; $14.95), is constantly surprised by the gaffes business owners make in the design and production of their business card. Here, she points out the eight most common mistakes professionals should avoid:
1. Having no business card at all suggests you aren't serious about your business and makes it virtually impossible for potential clients to follow up with you. 2. Not using a professional logo makes it difficult for customers to differentiate you from other companies in your industry. 3. Leaving your Web address off your card discourages potential customers from researching your company or visiting your Website. 4. Using an unprofessional email address, such as doglover@hotmail.com, which is a free email account, is much less professional than you@yourbusiness.com. 5. Buying template-produced cards printed for free by companies online “are a tell-tale sign you paid nothing,” says Lowery 6. Settling for cheap printing “cheapens your entire company image,” she says 7. Listing several professions on one card suggests you may be a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none 8. Presenting tattered and torn cards with information crossed off portrays you as a struggling and unprofessional business owner
