The Business of Cards is a really interesting article from the April edition of the PSA's magazine, Speakeasy.  It's written by Rob Brown (www.rob-brown.com) who is a leading UK authority in business networking techniques and executive coaching services.  In the article Rob gives nine tips on getting the most from your business cards - and believe me they're all really good.  They set me thinking about the parallels between how we present ourselves on card and in person - as we work through Rob's nine points below, I'll add my own thoughts on how these can impact our presentations:

1. Call to action: What do you want people to do with your card?  Good point Rob and it's not one we want to confine to business cards is it?  What do we want people to do as a result of listening to our presentations?  Let's make sure we tell them.
2. Use a photo: Again another good point and one that illustrates how important image is in our business.  How many of us take as much care of our wardrobe as we really should?  How many of us have sought professional assistance?
3. Asking for more than one card: Rob talks about the benefit of this - ensuring you have additional copies of your colleagues cards for other folks you might meet, so you can act as a referrer.  How many times do we have handouts for our audiences?  How many times do those handouts have one our own business cards attached?  How many time do those handouts have more than one of our business card attached?
4. Be different: The article comments on the benefits of uniquely designed cards.  How unique are our presentations?
5. Share useful information: Rob talks about giving some valuable tips on your card and making it more useful.  How much really useful content is in our presentations?  Is it getting a bit stale now, in need of a re-steam and dry clean?
6. Keep it professional: Comments on using good quality card (etc) and how people 'notice the little things'.  True though, isn't it?  How much time have you invested recently in making your presentations even more professional than they already are?
7. Utilise limited space: Here Rob urges use to use the space on our card to say the stuff that's really important, without crowding out the message.  How many times have we heard speakers cram way too much into a presentation, until at the end we're all left wondering, 'what was that all about?'
8. Avoid a blank back: Rob's advice is to spend the extra pennies and make sure we print on both sides of our business cards.  Seems sensible to me, so why would we go to the bother of making a really good presentation (or keynote) and yet leave the audience without anything concrete?  Surely we wouldn't just show them our blank back and walk away would we?
9. Be consistent with design: Are your business cards, website, stationery and overall personal and corporate images in alignment?  Congratulations.  Does that go for your presentations too?