What should I put on my business card, and what should I omit?

[HermanDune]

Now that I've got my Prince2 Practitioner I thought about getting some business cards made up.

I'm going for project and business management roles. Should I put the briefest details of my university degrees (such as qualification and uni) on or is that overkill?

[ThomasSoerensen]

Herman Dune
I get your tulip done!

nice and simple and gets the message out there

[Sockpuppet]

Now that I've got my Prince2 Practitioner I thought about getting some business cards made up.

I'm going for project and business management roles. Should I put the briefest details of my university degrees (such as qualification and uni) on or is that overkill?

No.

Name
Phone number
e-mail
company name

address if you really want


Your business card is not a marketing document - I've never seen university details on a business card it'll just mark you out to be a nutter and to put it bluntly Prince2 Prac is not much to should about.

[Ardesco]

I would stick the following on:

Herman Dune BSc DoDibak Phd
<company name>
email
phone

website address

[Gonzo]

By now, you should have accumulated a load of other people's business cards.

What do they suggest needs to be on them?

[HermanDune]

No.



Your business card is not a marketing document - I've never seen university details on a business card it'll just mark you out to be a nutter and to put it bluntly Prince2 Prac is not much to should about.

Yes but don't you think it will be more credible to have Prince2 on it when I'm going for project management work. I was only going to give them out to agents rather than friends and acquintances.

I thought the point of business cards was to market yourself as well give out contact details. I don't want people (that aren't friends) getting in touch with me unless it is about a job.

[RichardCranium]

Your business card is not a marketing document

I disagree completely. All output from your business should be considered part of your marketing package. Invoices, letters of application, business cards, CV, everything should be giving the same consistent message.

A business card is not just your phone number, it is 'who you are'. It is your greeting card, your letter of introduction, and an advertising flyer. It must get across in a few square inches what you are about and why someone should contact you.

- I've never seen university details on a business card

I regularly do. At least, qualifications, but not university. However, if you got your first at Oxford or Cambridge, why not say so? It will sway some people toward being more likely to give you business.

I now have quite a few letters after my name, and it does not include CSE or GCE either! Since building up that little lot I have found I am far more successful in securing the work I want. I started working toward that some years ago when I realised that everywhere I work, the directors and heads of department throw their post-nominals about. If they do it, I reckoned they will want to see applicants do it too; I was right.

However, that is because I now know my clients and what they want. If they want to see "HGV Class 1" then I would work toward having that on my business card instead.

it'll just mark you out to be a nutter and to put it bluntly Prince2 Prac is not much to should about.

If you are going for public sector project work, then why hide the fact you have it?

You never know when someone just might ring up because they have your business card...

... my wife is self-employed and her business card has got her two new clients that are providing over 60% of her work. (But then she has got through over 1,500 cards in 4 years! [at a cost of about £80 in total] )

[Sockpuppet]

Yes but don't you think it will be more credible to have Prince2 on it when I'm going for project management work. I was only going to give them out to agents rather than friends and acquintances.

I thought the point of business cards was to market yourself as well give out contact details. I don't want people (that aren't friends) getting in touch with me unless it is about a job.

I wouldn't bother...but thats me personally.

I'm a PM though I wouldn't list Prince2 on the business card. Then again I don't work in IT and the sector I work in doesn't really give a flying feck about qualifications or degrees.

[RichardCranium]

I wouldn't bother...but thats me personally.

I'm a PM though I wouldn't list Prince2 on the business card. Then again I don't work in IT and the sector I work in doesn't really give a flying flip about qualifications or degrees.

In which case, you personally in your case are quite right to conform with the clients and NOT put qualifications or degrees.

I have been working closely with a FRICS in this gig; so I went out of my way to get a Fellow-grade membership to one of my professional bodies. From the moment I told her I had got it her attitude to me changed from cool and professional to friendly and trusting. Win! I'm currently reading one of her paperbacks and she took me to lunch a couple of weeks ago.

However, I would not expect that to work in all industries. You have to fit in with the culture of the organisation.

One should design ones marketing material - including the business card - with the market in mind. Nobody wants to hire a plumber with a PhD!

EDIT: I bet a plumber with a PhD would get business from academics in Oxford or Cambridge, and could charge anything they wanted!

[HairyArsedBloke]

Any more than who you are and what you do together with the company name and what they do if not obvious or well known(not forgetting obvious contact points), is just plain vulgar.