So I'm thinking of getting a new business card, and this is what I have right now. Notice that I am NOT including an email address, instead the address to my blog (which tells outsiders how to contact me). I hope that this makes Luis Suarez proud.
Is this too radical? Should I include both my email and the address to my blog ? Are there any guidelines about this ?
or I can be traditional and radical too:
Or I can be totally traditional...
Thoughts ?? What are you all doing with your business cards?
How would a customer communicate company confidential information with you? I think the idea of reducing email is a good one, but I don't think it can be eliminated completely yet. My suggestion is to keep your email address on there somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI like the 2nd one 'traditional and radical'. Mainly because the titles are cleaner. "IBM Certified" and "Consulting I/T Specialist" are pretty generic.
ReplyDeleteI think business cards still need email, at least until Luis Suarez finishes educating the rest of the world.
I just ordered my new cards too, including email, blog, and Twitter (hope it stays up!).
In my opinion you can get rid of physical address and keep only email address. Certify you can use a "non official IBM" web address on your card. You know, it's IBM.
ReplyDeleteI like the second one, but if you do that, you might want to put Techworks above your blog address - makes more sense that way.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought would be to go fully traditional, but put your blog address at the bottom, after your email address. If you are short on lines, you could combine your Tel/Fax onto one line - that's what I do.
On another note - since your blog is personal, and not reflective of IBM, I'm not sure how IBM would feel about you putting your blog site on your BUSINESS cards. But..that's some political red-tape that maybe you can ignore! ;-)
I love the idea but your blog is not running on IBM technology or servers and just because of that I don't think that is a good idea and you should definitely look into it legally. WTF - Why are we not running an external and open version of connections out there ? Lets revolutionize !!!!! I am pissed off that I want to get my email with an RSS reader instead of a client.
ReplyDeleteI am leaving my business card as is, but I recently ordered some moo mini cards (http://moo.com) with my blog, twitter, and linked in links.
ReplyDeleteWow.. a lot of strong opinions on the subject.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the winner is #2. For you IBMers out there, it looks like the place to put additional contact info is on the back. Here's what the policy (from 1996!!!) says about the back side:
"Additional address or contact information may be printed on the back of the card. No other information is allowed".
I believe my blog and Twitter account fall under "additional contact info", right ?
@Was, interesting suggestion!!! You know what?? I don't think I've ever received mail at my work location!!!!! Anyway, I tried doing that but it turns out that physical address is a required field. Go figure!
@Christian - I thought about using the Greenhouse, but I wanted a framework that I could control and maintain. I guess there's also bleedyellow, but I wanted something personal for me.
How many facsimiles did you recieve last year as compared to emails? I would take that off and then think about getting radical.
ReplyDeleteDitto on what Mac Guidera said. What's a fax machine? :)
ReplyDeletefor non-iIBMers...is Americas TechWorks that important? it says noting to me.
ReplyDeleteleave fax out PLEASE!!
keep email, blog...
and twitter...not sure...these are cards u will give to your customers, what is your vision here? u want them too see your twitter history? u want them to contact u via twitter? think about this. i dont see them communicating with u via twitter (they probably want some private communication)...and your blog already provides the twitter history in case they want to see it.
A few ideas from an ex-ibmer and current jack of no trades:
ReplyDelete1) If you want customers or conference attendees to contact you, follow you(stalkers!) or just stay in touch you should use yoru business email. And if your sametime ID is different include that, so people on ibmextst can connect with you.
2) FAX? skip it
3) blog, yes, if permitted by IBM
4) IM name if you use a different outside IM for contacts, I mean business ones of course.
Hey Luis,
ReplyDeleteI would go for option 1, without the mailing address - if you can.
All you need is Cellphone, Office, email and blog that's what I have).
If you know someone from the print house, also add Lotus Software logo (that's what I did... ;-)
@Mac, @daniel, @la chica, @lotus evan LOL - fax # gone!
ReplyDelete@Dvir I tried to remove my address but that's a required field... Thanks for all your feedback.
It's so true though.. I have never received a fax for work or mail at my work address. Perhaps it's because I'm not important enough?
Someone called me? Oh la la what a lively discussion! I just thought I would drop by and share a couple of comments... For the last three to four years I have actually given up on business cards. Pretty much along the lines of what Susan Scrupski (a.k.s. ITSinsider) has been blogging about a little while ago: http://susanscrupski.com/scrupskiblog/2008/05/22/do-you-have-a-card/
ReplyDeleteMy business card is just something like this:
Hi! My name is Luis Suarez. Google me (#1 under that name).
And off we go! That was, of course, before my hosting service provider for elsua.net decided to do something funny and now I have been taken off the Google Search Index, where I am trying to get back! Not an easy task, I can tell you, but once I managed to get it all sorted out, we are back in business.
My then business card will continue to be: "Luis Suarez, Google me" :-)
@Luis ah thanks for Susan's link.. hadn't seen it. The idea of moo cards came up in Twitter too today. I have to check out.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for me, Luis Benitez is too common: There's a surfer, a mountain hiker, a soccer player and others. Perhaps I should change my name Luis Suarez-Benitez and steal some of your traffic ? :)
Hi Luis. Interestingly enough, I coach our clients now on creating an online identity. I do recommend that they create a "brand" that is easily recognizable across many social networks. In other words, regardless of where you see the id "ITSinsider," you'll always know it's me. (At conferences, on blog comments, social networks, etc.) It solves the google search problem too with common names (although I'm pretty safe with Scrupski). As so many of our clients are new to the 2.0 social web, it's great to start out by uniquely id-ing or trademarking yourself. Same for Luis, if I saw "elsua" anywhere, I would know it was him.
ReplyDeleteHi Luis! I do have some Moo cards myself as well, have been having them for a while, but I only give them out to folks whenever they would want to get a glimpse of knowing a bit more of the place where I live, which is on the back of each of them from the pictures I have been sharing in Flickr all along. For the rest, it would be Google "Luis Suarez".
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, there are probably as many Luis Benitez's as Luis Suarez's, so I don't think it would be a wasted effort. Remember that you just came up on to the Internet blogosphere, so give it time, continue the things you are doing and you will see how you would end up right where you would want to be: up there!
And with regards to stealing traffic from Luis Suarez, people are already doing that, I am afraid, and it is not helping them much, because there is only one "elsua", like there is only one Luis Benitez, tocayo!!
@Susan, Hiya! Exactly! That's the whole point! If I bump into ITSinsider I know Susan is around in some sort of shape or form and contributing to the overall effort, which is what matters. That's why I keep telling people that if they would want to work further on their personal brand they should first start it all with a blog and expand from there. The blog, regardless what some people may say, is still essential for that task. For sure.
Glad to see you are encouraging your clients to have such Web presence! Quite refreshing nowadays!
I would only apply the required fields and leave the rest off, outside of coporate email. Then add what you wish. I would suggest moving to a Domino or IBM based blog somewhere (see me if you need one hosted with the other IBM'ers I have).
ReplyDeleteFrom there, dont order new cards. I have not ordered cards in 2 years now. Find the brand IdoNotes on the web and you can find me..
@Ido,
ReplyDeleteYeah seems like the next step is to build up the lbenitez brand :).
re: blogging on IBM.com.. how flexible is that? Is that moderated or can I theme my blog in particular ways (e.g. add twitter widget, dopplr, etc ?)