Business cards. For some, it is a straightforward decision on their design, layout and information to be presented. For others, it is a process more agonizing than it should be. When I designed my initial cards for Dunkirk Systems, LLC, I was somewhere in the middle, and eventually went with the recommendation of my designer. But over time, you see other cards or people comment on yours, and you agonize once again.
Just like I do not review books, rather identify takeaways from them, I am able to take-away ideas from this guy. A quality business card with style stands out. Do I need to have a die-cut profile of myself on it? My guess most people would agree with me that I should not!
If this guy gave me his card, I’d throw it in the bin for two reasons:
1 - it’s non-standard. if it doesn’t fit in the rolodex, I’m sure it’ll fit in the trashcan.
2 - it screams “I’m an pompous jerk” - which is confirmed by watching the video
So after 25 years, he still fails.
the “take away” here is that you want your card to be memorable and stand out, but not to be so obnoxious that people pitch it immediately after meeting you.
One could argue the relevance of business cards in this day and age (and industry) anyway.
Comment by cmcgowan
on 05/07/09 at 12:14 PM
You knew I’d comment on this one! @Cara put it well.
He shot himself in the foot when he said it didn’t fit into a rolodex. People like to organize their business cards into rolodex’s, so even if you want to do an alternative size/shape it’s helpful if it fits in there.
I pretty much agree with the previous comments. He does come off as a bit self-centered, even his tone, but does make a good point. I read this after I had just designed new business cards for a new side venture, I decided NOT to go with a larger than standard business card, because it wouldn’t fit in the rolodex. I made it stand out in other ways - colors, two-sided, vertical vs. standard horizontial.
A business card design says a lot about the person who gives it out. Its design is really tricky to fine tune; mostly, though, we all like to have a business card that fits our business.
I deal in a very conservative business for very conservative customers. In that business, I chose a name that stands out and a range of colors that stand out; the rest of the design is very sober and to the point.
I actually only want to have my company and my name to be remembered. Design is there to support these ambitions. The rest of my sales and marketing efforts aims at being found easily.
This guy seems like a pretentious narcissist. I do business in engineering.
I don’t care that he’s a pretentious narcissist. I care that he could sell people on ideas. If I was going after the gullible non-thinking crowd I would choose him for marketing. Otherwise I would choose someone else.
I would never have that as my own card, pretentious narcissism is looked down upon in my field.
Comment by Greg
on 06/17/09 at 04:00 PM
It’s not a business card, really is it. It’s a brochure. Trust me. That is a brochure.
The Hot Iron strives to present unique content and perspective on business, technology and other topics by Mike Maddaloni, founder and president of Dunkirk Systems, LLC, an Internet consulting firm based in Chicago.
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