by Greg Beck

Created on: September 23, 2011   Last Updated: October 05, 2011

About three months ago, I attended a media club monthly mixer.  There I met several people in our area's marketing and advertising industry.  I’m a bit of a wallflower, but I forced myself to make introductions, shake hands, and hand out business cards.  About 20 minutes into this process, I exchanged cards with a gentleman who had presumably been in the business for some time (20-30 years).  As we talked, he informed me that he had only recently left a larger firm as a partner to start his own PR and Marketing firm.  This is the only excuse I could come up with for him for handing me one of the worst, most unprofessional, cheap looking business cards I’ve ever seen. 

On the front of this man’s business card, in what appeared to be a stock graphic design, read his name, title, company name, phone, fax and email, but this isn’t what I saw first.  He presented it with the back face-up where, emblazoned in tiny, yet obvious text, was the following: “Business Cards are FREE at www.vistaprint.com!” 

Now, I’m not above using Vistaprint.  They provide a good service at incredible rates.  They offer various cardstock options, templates for design and can even provide you with a hat or T-shirt. The fact is, however, they’re cheap. I could not in good conscience consider this person as someone I’d want to use as a copywriter, project manager or otherwise.  He wasn’t willing to take the time to design his business card or better yet, hire a trained and seasoned graphic designer who would carefully discern and create a unique and outstanding business card.  A good graphic designer would incorporate a business logo, theme, color palette, and overall design based on the mission and message of this man’s company.  A good business card should be the voice of the business and is quite literally the first and most lasting impression anyone has at their disposal in any interpersonal exchange with potential clients, colleagues or employers.

To confirm that I was indeed being a business card snob I blacked out the name and took the card to a lunch the next day.  I presented it to a group of fellow business card elitists.  We all agreed that it was not a good card and no one thought this to be a person they would consider doing business with based on this first impression.

Now, I know you’re saying, “Greg, what does this have to

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