Large business cards!? What is the message someone is sending when they hand you a larger than standard size business card?
According to BusinessKnowHow.com, Using oversized business cards is a huge mistake.
“Using an Oversized Card
Common sense dictates the use of the traditional and standard 3.5 by 2-inch business card. Anything bigger will not fit in wallets or most business card holders. Chances are it will end up being filed in the trash bin.”
When Time Comes to Be Different, Don’t
Five years ago the Mini-Cards and Circle Business cards were trending. Now business people are handing out a postcard-sized laminated business cards.
I suppose you could use the size of the business card as an indicator of the high level of competitiveness in the market. It is not enough to be a loud talker anymore. Now they have to back it up with a loud business card.
Don’t Make the Mistakes Others Make
It is very unfortunate more and more business people feel they need to hand out nonstandard size business cards to stand out from the crowd. Granted, something is needed to stand out from others when it comes to business network marketing events where hundreds of business cards are handed out. Unfortunately, business cards the size of restaurant menus are not the solutions.
What would happen if everyone handed out a full page business card? It would make going to a business networking gathering a deterrent.
Actually, handing out a non-standard size card could be hurting your business more than helping. Large cards are for a fact a shocker and for a brief time will get a person’s attention. And they do provide a lot more space for content. So much more content that the receiver sometimes has to sit down to read all of the information provided.
Large Business Cards Hurt Your Image
I received a large card recently that I found was just a sales pitch on a card. But Wait, There’s More…was actually printed on the card indicating there were 300 more words on the back.
I can only assume the giver of that monster was intended to influence me to buy something, but he was wrong. I can’t be the only person that thought less of that person for Spamming me with his business card.
Standing Out Sometimes is Not Cool
I get how making oneself stand out and makes a memorable moment for the receiver, but when a business owner’s business card is too large to fit into a business suit pocket the large nicely designed card is probably heading to the first trash bin.
Surely there is a reason small business owners chose to use larger business cards. Is it due to someone they see as an influencer told them they should have large business cards?
Whatever the reason they need to know that what they hope would work did not work..that is unless they wanted someone to blog about them handing out large business cards and the negative impact it had on their professional image, then that worked.
What I have found to work the best is to have a well designed, conservative looking, business card that provides the receiver the basics they need to get in touch with the giver. The tagline or the slogan a person uses to describe their business is all one needs to remember who they were once they get back to the office with a stack of cards.
Be Smarter With Your Marketing
The goal of a business card should always be to have the viewer of the card want to check the giver’s website. Then on the website, there should be a Video Business Card for the viewer to watch.
Let me know how I can help.
