Funny? Yes. Exaggerated? Sure. Impossible? Not really. If you think the pivotal scene in American Psycho where Patrick Bateman and his peers compare business cards down to the last detail (or “watermark”) could never happen, I’m here to tell you, never say never.
Although the film is itself satirical – thus intended with the purpose to ridicule – people do judge you on the presentation of your products. A business card is not just merely a 2” x 3.5” piece of paper that you jot down your contact information on; it’s a weapon used in the workforce and the marketing world. Even if you don’t agree with this philosophy, or let’s say you’re too carefree to fuss over different types of fonts and whether to use off-white colored paper or plain white, or perhaps you’re part of the camp that believes these things to be trivial, you have to agree to some extent that there are people who will fuss over such things, and there are people who will judge you on your business cards.
So why not take a little more time to create a powerful marketing tool that will not only help people remember you, but take notice in the fact that you pay attention to detail and presentation? First impressions always count, so whether it’s a particular choice of design that might set you apart, or a nice touch such as rounded corners, putting a little more effort goes a long way. After all, you don’t want to be caught in that dreaded conference room in the midst of a business card challenge, cursing at yourself under your breath for losing to the guy with the slightly cooler color choice.
View the infamous business card scene.
