Get the Most Out of Your Business Cards

By Jordan Warshafsky, Partner, Ashton Tweed

Whether you’re looking for a new career opportunity or simply trying to build a professional network, your business cards can be one of your most valuable networking tools. Here we provide six quick tips to help you use your business cards effectively.

What’s in your wallet? Hopefully you have plenty of your business cards. Carry them with you wherever you go – you never know when a business opportunity will present itself.

Don’t be stingy. Hand out multiple cards to business acquaintances, friends, neighbors, and family. And don’t hesitate to ask for a referral when possible. Also, be sure to include business cards with all of your correspondence.

Brand yourself. In addition to the usual contact information and degrees and certifications, include a sentence or a slogan that sums up your job description and what you can do for a company that hires you.

Show them you care. Take their card too! Let people know you’re interested: Look at their business cards, perhaps make a comment about the content of the card, and if appropriate write a note on the card about when and where you met.

Stand out in the crowd. Although you want your business cards to be professional, consider a card design that is unique and memorable. Think about ways to use color, graphics, copy, font, and shape and size of the card to best represent your business persona.

Give them more. You obviously can’t fit everything about yourself on a business card. So don’t forget to include links to your professional information, such as a LinkedIn username or a website with your résumé or CV.

If you’re looking to exchange business cards with professionals in the life sciences and make some outstanding networking connections, be sure to check out our latest listing of local events.

Share your insights! Contact jamesrudman@ashtontweed.com to contribute your life sciences article as a guest writer.