Business cards are boring. So what can we do about it?

Last month, I went to an app developer meetup, and met an aspiring software developer named Cole. Cole had just graduated from the Code Fellows iOS development class. After we spoke for a little about app development and Code Fellows, Cole handed me his business card and suggested staying in touch.

I’ve seen hundreds of business cards. I have stacks of cards in a storage unit in Brooklyn that I’ve collected during investor meetings and networking sessions over six years in the financial services industry. Cole’s business card was totally different.

Cole’s wife designed the card. It was laser-cut from a thicker, greenish plastic. Just below the unique font for his name, was a simple etch of a handlebar mustache. This mirrored the distinctive handlebar mustache Cole sported himself. His business card made it easy for me to remember what he looked like. I began to think about —

What could, or rather what should, a redesigned business card look like?

I brainstormed reasons someone might exchange a business card.

1. As a greeting, like a handshake
2. As a name tag
3. The person giving out a business card is looking for a job
4. To follow up on something discussed
5. To pitch a business idea
6. To stay in touch with someone who could become a friend
7. As a friendly gesture at the end of a conversation
8. Adding a connection, like a new friend on Facebook
9. To become a mentor/mentee to someone
10. To advertise your company
11. To advertise YOU

(A business card as a name tag might seem like a strange idea. Let me share a story.

In my previous career as an investment associate, we’d meet company management teams and the bankers who represented them. Meetings could be five people, or more. Keeping track of all these names was difficult, so I would rest the business cards on the conference table in the same order in which they sat. If I had a question, I could easily address the individual by name. The layout of business cards in front of me mirrored their seating arrangement, much like name tags on a table.)

A business card is like dating. An opportunity to establish further contact, but unlikely to amount to anything. In professional circles, a business card is something you carry with you everywhere, much like you would a wallet or a set of keys. It is ubiquitous.

How can we improve upon the business card? How would I redesign it?

Let’s focus on one of the reasons listed above for why someone might give out a business card. This person is looking for a job.

Who gets jobs? Those who are memorable. I don’t mean you need to wear a $1,000 suit, stylish shoes and smart glasses. Fashion industry notwithstanding, nobody is going to say to a hiring manager “we ought to hire Jonathan because he dresses well”.

Nobody is going to say, “we ought to hire Jonathan because he dresses well”.

You will get a job if you can tell stories that demonstrate skills a company is looking for.

A fundamental way people connect with each other is through stories and images.

Cole’s business card was able to create an image. But it didn’t tell a story. If I was hiring Cole, I wouldn't remember much about his background, except his handlebar mustache.

That’s not going to cut it.

A business card might be better off if it was a “teaser”. What do I mean by this?

I mean including a tagline, or a few words that would hint at one’s past experiences, locations, interests, and other activities. This might give an employer a reason to get back in touch to schedule an interview.
Let’s imagine someone named Donald.

Donald graduated a year ago from UC Berkeley with a math degree. But at the end of his senior year, he started to get interested in software development. He learned some Ruby and the LAMP stack, and after graduating, worked on front-end development for a travel planning site led by a business development person. Now Donald’s looking for an established start-up to further hone his software skills. In his spare time, Donald enjoys building things, like a potato cannon. He also was a senior staff writer at his school’s newspaper, the Daily Californian.

Here’s what his business card could look like:

In just a few “tags”, Donald gives tremendous insight into his background. He was a math major and a journalist. He’s got some technical skills. He has hobbies outside of his work. The business card gives a potential employer both a story and an image.

Standing out among the crowd is critical, no matter where you are in your career. A redesigned business card might help.