Can I be too polished?

Question

I have to admit that some of the business cards I've gotten from other REI do not look incredible professional.  My question is does that matter in this business? I'm asking because I don't want to pour money into making very professional business cards if simply using a free vistaprint.com template or my own printer and a business card sheet from Office Max will do.

Also, what things are effective in a REI's business card (besides the contact information)?  What phrases work?  Is printing on both sides worth it? Should I use an obnoxious color to stand out in a pile of cards?

RE-Driven.

Matt H · Answer

Hey how's it going....

One thing you should think about is that every activity you do in REI falls into the 80/20 law. You should try to spend as much time as you can focusing on activities in the 20% area. Those are the important tasks that you'll actually see huge results from. Figuring out what your BC should look like isn't one of them.

Anything will do. Doing them yourself is fun, and you can print off one page at a time that way if theirs a mistake or if their's a change in your address or phone number or email, you can print out another page of cards with the updates you want. However, just get it out of the way. But you should really think about it like this...If you think you'll need a lot of cards then by all means do something good with it. But if you think you might give out one "on occasion" then dont' even both with that. You might not even need a business card.

You're time is much better spend researching properties and actually making no money down offers than it ever will be on anything else. That being said....I'm gonna go work on updating my business card!

Richard Warren · Answer

Focus on deals not cards.  Just your vitals and an indication of what you do.  My cards have my contact info, company name and show that I rehab houses that’s it.

8)

Frank Adams · Answer

Your card should give your VITAL STATISTICS/CONTACT INFORMATION, only!

A business card CAN'T SELL.
Anyone who's impressed by a business card is NOT worth impressing.
A business card should reflect YOU.

I spent my entire working life in commission only sales. It seems like at every sales meeting I attended some newbie was there trying to impress the President and Sales Manager with some new design business card; US Flag, American Eagle, Metallized, picture of kids, you name it-someone's already done it.

Once at one of these meetings a District Manager got tired of all the wasted time and effort and told everyone to get out their card and pass it forward. He then wrote everyone's name on the board with two columns showing the design of card, and LAST YEAR'S EARNINGS.

No one in the top 10-AVERAGE income $120K (this was in about '91 or '92) had anything other than the plain-black print, corporate logo in blue-card. He then made everyone repeat the three points I made above.

BVTW, when I left that company and went on my own I used to go through a lot of card, always bought the plainest, cheapest ones from Office Depot!

all cash

N/A N/A · Answer

I can't give you advice on what info to include on RE business cards being new to the business myself, but being a business owner (not RE related), I consider my image very important. To my customers, it shows we care and stand out from the crowd. I don't think a DIY business card would throw a sale because of the quality of my product and services are what brings the customers to me in the first place.

So I guess basically I'm saying being polished and professional is good, but it doesn't matter if you can't deliver where it really matters. As long as your honest and professional, you probably can go with the least expensive business card option.