What Should Your Business Card Say?

You do have a business card identifying you as a real estate agent, don’t you? If you don’t, it’s time to get one.

You’ll use them in all sorts of face-to-face meetings. They are great to leave every time you show or visit a listing. You can include one or two in anything mailed in an envelope and more.

In fact, business cards are probably the most effective and least expensive print advertising you can find.

The purpose of your business card

The purpose of a business card is to provide a way for the person you give it to or leave it for to get back to you – it’s that simple.

Of course, you want an eye catching design that reflects you and the kind of real estate business you run. That design needs to be simple enough to allow the print to be very readable.

And yes, using both sides makes a whole lot of sense and gives you more room to get your message across.

Remember that you’re creating your card to make it easy for a potential client to know who you are, what you do, and how to get in touch with you.

The business card is NOT for you – it’s for your clients and potential clients. (Although having a good one will make you feel, well, good.)

What should your business card say?

At a minimum, your business card needs:

• Your name
• Your job title
• Your website
• Your phone
• Your email address

Let’s take a look at each item on the list:

Your name

It seems obvious that your name should be on your card. If you regularly use a nickname either use that name or include it, maybe in parenthesis. You want the people who know you to instantly recognize it’s you. Remember, this is not a legal document, so there’s no reason not to use your nickname.

Your job title

Ideally your job title will also tell strangers what you do. It might be enough to add Real estate agent under your name. If you’re a Realtor® by all means use that description, and remember to use the Register mark.

You might want to include any and all designations you’ve earned – or maybe not. Although you’ve worked hard for each one and are rightly proud of them, remember that most people have no idea what they mean. It probably makes better sense to skip them on your card, and make your type size a bit larger. You can, and should, add them, with definitions, to your website.

Your website

You need your website address – your www…… on your card. It needs to stand out so anyone can look at it and copy it easily into their browser – that way your site pops right up for them.

Use at least a 12 point type and stay away from any fancy style of letters. Business cards are just too small, which makes it easy for fancy type to get lost or be misunderstood.

Your email address

Adding your email address only makes sense, particularly if you’ve set up your email address to go to your website address. Like this: your name@(your domain.com).

The great thing about email is you get to choose when you look at it – you retain control over how and when you spend your time.

Your phone number

The phone number on your probably should be your office number. Adding your cell phone has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is it makes you more available, which is, of course, the disadvantage as well.

One way around this is to only give your cell number to real clients – taking the card right out of their hand, saying ‘let me give you my cell’ and hand writing it on the back can be a powerful, selling move.

Obviously there are all sorts of other things you might want to add like your photo, your firm’s logo, the area you specialize in, etc.

When it comes to business cards, however, less is often more because they are so small. Don’t crowd them so much the essential information is difficult to see and use.

Your turn: What’s on your business card? What would you like to change the next time you get some printed? Let’s talk about it in comments.

Image:  Some rights reserved by Orin Zebest