What should I put on my business card, and what should I omit?

[The Lone Gunman]

Herman Dune
Project Manager
<Phone number>

Please call with your rate and location.

[RichardCranium]

Any more than who you are and what you do together with the company name and what they do if not obvious or well known(not forgetting obvious contact points), is just plain vulgar.

That's all well and good when your business card says:

Al Fayed
Harrods

or

Sterios
Easyjet

or

Elizabeth Regina II

but I don't think anyone on here is that well known.

Selling is vulgar. We are in business and what we are selling is ourselves. Ergo, our business cards must be vulgar.

I come back from conferences and professional body meetings with loads of business cards. Those that say "Name, some company, contacts" go in the recycling. Those that say something interesting are still kicking around on my desk years later. Those of people in my sector, or related technologies. The only way I know they are is because the business card says so.

There really is nothing wrong with a business card that says:

Fred Bloggs
Young, keen IT bod with a sense of humour.
Seeking junior, public-sector project management work
so I can practice my PRINCE2 Practitioner skills.
Low-end rate charged until 2009 for the chance
to run a real 12 month project.
Phone me on: 07xxx xxxxxx

if that is what you want to say.

There is no point being shy and modest when you are competing in the market, especially for project management work!

[RichardCranium]

Yes but don't you think it will be more credible to have Prince2 on it when I'm going for project management work. I was only going to give them out to agents rather than friends and acquintances.

Wrong! Friends and acquaintances should get them too. It's called 'networking'. "You know that exam I did? Let me buy you a beer 'cos I'm happy I passed... here, I have a business card now, waddya think? Take a few, you never know..."

Everybody you meet should get a business card.

I thought the point of business cards was to market yourself as well give out contact details. I don't want people (that aren't friends) getting in touch with me unless it is about a job.

Herman Dune BSc
HermanDune PM Enterprises
Professional IT Project Management to the Widget Industry
PRINCE2™ Practitioner & ABCD Certificated
Address
Telno
Mobile
Email: [email protected]
www.HermanDune.co.uk

[HairyArsedBloke]

Any more than who you are and what you do together with the company name and what they do if not obvious or well known(not forgetting obvious contact points), is just plain vulgar.

[RichardCranium]

I wouldn't bother...but thats me personally.

I'm a PM though I wouldn't list Prince2 on the business card. Then again I don't work in IT and the sector I work in doesn't really give a flying flip about qualifications or degrees.

In which case, you personally in your case are quite right to conform with the clients and NOT put qualifications or degrees.

I have been working closely with a FRICS in this gig; so I went out of my way to get a Fellow-grade membership to one of my professional bodies. From the moment I told her I had got it her attitude to me changed from cool and professional to friendly and trusting. Win! I'm currently reading one of her paperbacks and she took me to lunch a couple of weeks ago.

However, I would not expect that to work in all industries. You have to fit in with the culture of the organisation.

One should design ones marketing material - including the business card - with the market in mind. Nobody wants to hire a plumber with a PhD!

EDIT: I bet a plumber with a PhD would get business from academics in Oxford or Cambridge, and could charge anything they wanted!

[Sockpuppet]

Yes but don't you think it will be more credible to have Prince2 on it when I'm going for project management work. I was only going to give them out to agents rather than friends and acquintances.

I thought the point of business cards was to market yourself as well give out contact details. I don't want people (that aren't friends) getting in touch with me unless it is about a job.

I wouldn't bother...but thats me personally.

I'm a PM though I wouldn't list Prince2 on the business card. Then again I don't work in IT and the sector I work in doesn't really give a flying feck about qualifications or degrees.

[RichardCranium]

Your business card is not a marketing document

I disagree completely. All output from your business should be considered part of your marketing package. Invoices, letters of application, business cards, CV, everything should be giving the same consistent message.

A business card is not just your phone number, it is 'who you are'. It is your greeting card, your letter of introduction, and an advertising flyer. It must get across in a few square inches what you are about and why someone should contact you.

- I've never seen university details on a business card

I regularly do. At least, qualifications, but not university. However, if you got your first at Oxford or Cambridge, why not say so? It will sway some people toward being more likely to give you business.

I now have quite a few letters after my name, and it does not include CSE or GCE either! Since building up that little lot I have found I am far more successful in securing the work I want. I started working toward that some years ago when I realised that everywhere I work, the directors and heads of department throw their post-nominals about. If they do it, I reckoned they will want to see applicants do it too; I was right.

However, that is because I now know my clients and what they want. If they want to see "HGV Class 1" then I would work toward having that on my business card instead.

it'll just mark you out to be a nutter and to put it bluntly Prince2 Prac is not much to should about.

If you are going for public sector project work, then why hide the fact you have it?

You never know when someone just might ring up because they have your business card...

... my wife is self-employed and her business card has got her two new clients that are providing over 60% of her work. (But then she has got through over 1,500 cards in 4 years! [at a cost of about £80 in total] )

[HermanDune]

No.



Your business card is not a marketing document - I've never seen university details on a business card it'll just mark you out to be a nutter and to put it bluntly Prince2 Prac is not much to should about.

Yes but don't you think it will be more credible to have Prince2 on it when I'm going for project management work. I was only going to give them out to agents rather than friends and acquintances.

I thought the point of business cards was to market yourself as well give out contact details. I don't want people (that aren't friends) getting in touch with me unless it is about a job.

[Gonzo]

By now, you should have accumulated a load of other people's business cards.

What do they suggest needs to be on them?

[Ardesco]

I would stick the following on:

Herman Dune BSc DoDibak Phd
<company name>
email
phone

website address

[Sockpuppet]

Now that I've got my Prince2 Practitioner I thought about getting some business cards made up.

I'm going for project and business management roles. Should I put the briefest details of my university degrees (such as qualification and uni) on or is that overkill?

No.

Name
Phone number
e-mail
company name

address if you really want


Your business card is not a marketing document - I've never seen university details on a business card it'll just mark you out to be a nutter and to put it bluntly Prince2 Prac is not much to should about.

[ThomasSoerensen]

Herman Dune
I get your tulip done!

nice and simple and gets the message out there

[HermanDune]

Now that I've got my Prince2 Practitioner I thought about getting some business cards made up.

I'm going for project and business management roles. Should I put the briefest details of my university degrees (such as qualification and uni) on or is that overkill?