Business cards

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Author Message David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 902 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 04:05 pm:    What do you guys do with business cards? I have a whole boat load of them that I have collected throughout the years. The cards would take up several Rolodexes if I filed them all away. Ideas please. Russ Hinkle, AIA, CCS Senior Member Username: rhinkle Post Number: 30 Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 04:11 pm:    Pile them on my desk with rubber bands. I need ideas too! Richard A. Rosen, CSI, CCS, AIA Senior Member Username: rarosen Post Number: 17 Registered: 08-2006 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 04:20 pm:    If they are blank on one side I use them for annotated book marks. I also cut them down and use the blank side for index and file tab inserts. You can also try selling them to collectors and telemarketers on ebay. Ronald L. Geren, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 525 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 04:22 pm:    I think I solved my problem. I went out and purchased CardScan. I feed the card into the scanner and it uses an OCR to read the information and place it into a database that can be synchronized with MS Outlook. The software saves an image of the card (including the back if necessary). After I scan the cards I toss them. Margaret G. Chewning FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: presbspec Post Number: 140 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 04:23 pm:    mine are also in a box, semi-organized. The latest ones are just sitting in a basket on my desk. When I really need something to do, (hasn't been lately) I had some boxes where I kept them by the 16 div and a few other identifiers I found handy. Occasionally I'd have a weeding party when the box got too tight, but it did come in handy on more than one occasion when I needed that REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Good luck Ruppert Rangel, AIA CCS Senior Member Username: rangel Post Number: 12 Registered: 08-2006 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 04:23 pm:    A few years ago we purchase a sheet feeder scanner "Scan Snap"by Toshiba to convert hardcopies to pdf files. It came with software called "Cardminder". You feed the card in and it is copied and information is converted to Outlook. Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED™ AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 646 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 04:28 pm:    Using Colin's tabs, I have about half of mine in a binder; the other half are in stacks on my desk, hiding under the monitor. There's got to be a better way...I like the scanning idea. Wonder if I can get the company to purchase something? What's the price range of CardScan and Scan Snap? Doug Frank FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: doug_frank_ccs Post Number: 200 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 04:33 pm:    What ever you do,, do Not start “Collecting” them! When I started writing specs I saw that I was going to be inundated with business cards. “What a neat thing to collect” I thought. After several years I had a thousand or so, and yes,, organized alphabetically (not completely, just A’s together, B’s together, etc.). Now after a whole bunch of years, I haven’t been able to throw a single business card away. Of course they’re no longer organized in any manner whatsoever. I’ve got stacks in rubber bands, stacks in drawers, boxes full of ‘em. I’ve got thousands. What a collection of out-dated, un-useable, useless information!! Enter the pertinent data from your cards into Outlook or some other information management software, or scan them like Ron suggests, and Throw The Cards Away before they take over your life !!! Ronald L. Geren, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 526 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 04:43 pm:    CardScan provides two models: CardScan "Personal" and "Executive." I have the "Personal." The image saved is black and white. The "Executive" saves it in color and can synchronize with several other contact management software programs. The "Personal" is about $160 and the "Executive" is about $260. You can check them out at the company's website: http://www.cardscan.com/index.asp?code=GG Randy Cox Senior Member Username: randy_cox Post Number: 47 Registered: 04-2004 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 04:44 pm:    I have two three ring binders with business card sleeves. One for architects, engineers, code officials, developers, etc. The other is arranged in the old fashioned 16 divisions. I toss cards when I know they are invalid. They stack up in a dish beside my desk for about two years between updates. The really useful cards are from helpful subcontractors who will tell me how they would build, or bid things. Margaret G. Chewning FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: presbspec Post Number: 141 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 04:54 pm:    Doug, I think you need a weeding party on those stacks! Bill DuBois Junior Member Username: billd Post Number: 2 Registered: 08-2003 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 05:12 pm:    Having been a specifier for over 20 years, I've recieved a lot of business cards. I've managed pretty well to keep Outlook Contacts updated and then toss the card. I carry my Contacts (synchronized with my laptop) in my PDA. My dream is that more folks that also have PDA's (and most product reps do) would be ready to infra-red beam their info to me and save me a lot of time. It just takes a second and the new entry appears in Outlook Contacts. My closly related dream is that Product Representatives would also include the MasterFormat 2004 number and title that is relevant to their product(s). This would also help data entry time and get them consistently located. Richard Baxter, AIA, CSI Senior Member Username: rbaxter Post Number: 53 Registered: 12-2004 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 06:45 pm:    I figured out a few years ago that I only use information on business cards when I am at my desk; so I started entering all the information onto a database in Excel and then tossing the cards. The card information is organized by CSI number and is on the office network so that anybody can access it. I created hyperlinks to listed websites and e-mail addresses and listed all the major products and manufacturers they represent. Now, when I need to find a manufacturer’s rep, I just do a search for whatever name, product or manufacturer I can remember and I pop right to the contact information I need. I can then click right to their e-mail or website or call the number or cell phone by their name. I can also scroll down to their adjacent competitors fairly easily. The only drawback is that I get too busy and always have a few dozen cards waiting to be added to the database. Tomas Mejia, CCS, CCCA, LEED Senior Member Username: tmejia Post Number: 35 Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 08:44 pm:    Ronald and Bill, Once they are scanned and in Outlook, how do you identify and file them? Do you use Outlook Categories? Ronald L. Geren, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 527 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 08:52 pm:    Yes. I have categories for each division; and, if they're design professionals, I categorize them by discipline (i.e. civil, structural, architect, etc.). Ron Beard CCS Senior Member Username: rm_beard_ccs Post Number: 228 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Friday, September 21, 2007 - 02:13 am:    Colin: Why does every specifier across the country have to spend hours keeping an updated card filing system when 4Specs is available to all? Can the manufacturer's listed on 4Specs be enticed into posting and regularly updating the equivalent of business card directly on their websites. Just a thought. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 788 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, September 21, 2007 - 09:29 am:    I have two 500-card desktop files, with all cards in alphabetical order by last name, if I know the person well, or by company name or industry type if not (eg. "hardware", "testing agency", etc.) For the last 20 years, I've been writing on the back of the card the month & year and the context I met the person (CSI mtg, a project, the office, etc.) This is really helpful a few years later when I'm trying to remember why I have a particular card. I keep the file up to date. When filing new cards, if I come across a contact that clearly is useless due to age--or if I have no clue who they are or why I have the card--I toss it. This system has worked really well for me. I also try to make sure every manufacturer's catalog has the rep's card in it. David J. Wyatt Senior Member Username: david_j_wyatt_csi_ccs_ccca Post Number: 76 Registered: 07-2005 Posted on Friday, September 21, 2007 - 01:44 pm:    Business cards suit my work method well, as antiquated as they may seem to those who live by their portable electronic devices. I tell product representatives that a business card can be more important than product catalogues, because they are more portable and encourage collaboration. I have about fifty cards that represent my most important human resources in the design/product/construction world. People may agonize over the design of their cards. To me, as long as they contain complete contact information and perhaps a brief list of their lines or services, they are as good as gold. I urge all to search "Business Card Etiquette" on their web browsers. There are some interesting essays and ideas flying around out there that may alter your perspective on them. For example, read the bit on this website: http://hodu.com/card.shtml Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 73 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Friday, September 21, 2007 - 03:01 pm:    I have boxes of my own outdated business cards going back decades. I use them to jot things down when I am reading to Google later. Steven T. Lawrey, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: lawrey Post Number: 77 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 01:50 pm:    With my firm's upcoming relocation has come a change in business card policy. Specifically, only one credential is permitted! They say that credentials add clutter and take away from the company logo. Now, I'm left wondering which one, if any, I should use. As a specifier it would make sense to use CCS, however I'm also a registered architect. I'm considering not using any, and simply hand writing my credentials - what a pain. As anyone ever encountered such a policy? I'm open to suggestions. William C. Pegues, FCSI, CCS Senior Member Username: wpegues Post Number: 689 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 02:02 pm:    I have heard of such, but never personally encountered it. Kind of a 1 dimensional policy. I can see it when there are a bunch of association membership type credentials. But when they represent a specific registration, license, or accredited skill specifically relevant to your role in the firm, then its short sighed for certain. Who is running the firm, the marketing department? William Richard Howard, AIA CSI CCS LEED-AP Senior Member Username: rick_howard Post Number: 155 Registered: 07-2003 Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 02:21 pm:    We have the same issue here. Although I am a full-time specifier with lots of more pertinent credentials, I was "guided" into using AIA by marketing folks who are more familiar with those letters and what that designation implies. Most registered architects have AIA and engineers go with PE. Our cards also have a title line below the name on our cards that designate job function. Mine says simply "Specifications". Out of the tens of thousands of employees in our organization, I am unique with that designation. Anonymous   Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 02:22 pm:    I have encountered this. Our external marketing consultant designed a card layout that did not allow much room for professional accreditations. I challenged this, and asked my principles why they devalued our professionalism? I asked if they felt that our clients would appreciate knowing that our staff was professionaly competent? And then I asked if there was any benefit to firm having a public presence with our professionals participating in professional societies such as AIA, ASTM, CSI, USGBC, etc... We changed our business cards...and fired the outside PR firm. Doug Frank FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: doug_frank_ccs Post Number: 205 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 02:56 pm:    We had a similar situation, except with titles instead of credentials. We were instructed to use only our corporate title on our cards. I argued the it means more to people who get my card to see that I’m the Specifications Manager than that I’m a Sr. Vice President. It took a little persuasion but now I have both. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 04:26 pm:    My last corporate gig said no titles nor job function. The before that said no "credential" designations other than state-registration or license; engineers could only use P.E., S.E., etc. but for some unknown reason (probably notoriety mentioned above) AIA was permitted, along with R.A. but no CSI, CCS, ASCE, etc. Steven T. Lawrey, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: lawrey Post Number: 78 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 04:51 pm:    William, you are correct about your closing statement. They are also using corporate titles instead of position titles as Doug mentioned. Anonymous puts forth a strong arguement. I suppose I could use them to fill fish bowls and rely on my e-mail signature. Thanks for your insights. Vivian Volz, RA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: vivianvolz Post Number: 99 Registered: 06-2004 Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 08:02 pm:    My business cards are very expensive, compared to our standard ones, because (get this) my credentials don't appear in alphabetical order! I'm a registered architect, an active CSI member, a CCS, and a LEED AP, but not a member of the AIA. The printer has to hand-input my credentials, so there's an extra (gasp) $150 set-up charge for my "RA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP". All my (presumably) alphabetical colleagues can input their credentials on a web-enabled form with no human intervention. So far, the finance folks have always approved the extra fee. I haven't tried Doug Frank's plan, but I'd like to. Which doesn't solve Steven's problem... I do think the email signature and "beamed" business cards are the wave of the future, but the years of experience, study, and dedication that "AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA" represents are worthy of recognition on your engraved, graphically beautiful business card. I've never met you, but I can tell a lot about your skills and experience from your credentials. Your business card should tell me the same. You are a special case. I daresay you're one of very few in your firm. Surely someone in the marketing department can find an attractive way to make your business card do its duty. J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 263 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 12:36 pm:    When I was an academic, I used to have fun with the initials thing.. "Your Name Here, BA, BArch, MBA, AIA, NCARB, CSI, CCS; Assoc. Prof., Interim Assoc. Dean"; my business cards would have had to be printed in 4 pt. type on on 3 by 5 cards. I think that is why I am so amused by SCIP's EIEIO award. Some of us almost unconsciously collect credential of which different sets of those credentials are important to different people in different settings. In order to sign a purchase order, your corporate title might be more important than your functional title. When dealing with a rep, your functional title and (hopefully) CSI membership and certifications are important. In still other settings AIA (or RA) and LEED AP may be the useful in establishing yourself as a contributing member of the team. You might see about getting different sets of business cards for different settings; I doubt it would happen, but you could ask. For the last 25 years in two different cities, I have had enough visibility so that some people would see my name and already know my reputation without ever meeting me. I would be very surprised if a number of people contributing to this forum have not shared this experience. It remains a bit unnerving, but I have always found it somewhat amusing. In this instance, you don't need titles or credentials behind your name. David R. Combs, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: davidcombs Post Number: 257 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 04:58 pm:    Peter: " . . . people would see my name and already know my reputation without ever meeting me." Maybe that's why they never met you? :-) J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 264 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 07:03 pm:    Well, there is that... Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 672 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 12:08 pm:    well, my boss has the best business cards ever. all that's on them, in 14 point Times Roman, letter pressed on a plain white 120 pound stock card: FRANK Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 744 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 01:06 pm:    Neat, Ms. Whitacre, but that does require a little more of what Mr. Combs noted [2 above]! Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 673 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Monday, December 03, 2007 - 05:58 pm:    um yes. for the rest of us, the rules are pretty strict. 120 pound white card stock; sort of a dark grey Times Roman font 10 and 12 point letter pressed; and no initials for organizations at all. the only people who get "architect" on their cards are people who are licensed in the State of California (and I think their license number goes on the card in about 2 pt. type); otherwise, its your title in the office only such as "Senior Associate" or "Partner". I was sort of dissappointed at first to not be able to have the FCSI on my cards, but I do appreciate the simplicity of these. And I agree with Peter - after a while, people just sort of know who you are. David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 942 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, December 03, 2007 - 06:56 pm:    Occasionally someone will look at my business card and ask me what "AXT" stands for! Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 745 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Tuesday, December 04, 2007 - 07:19 am:    Little off the topic, but I had a friend who used his embossing seal [for his architectural registration] to impress about 1/2 of each card, so when he handed them out the receiver would "get the feel" of the card's texture and not just another card. Dave Metzger Senior Member Username: davemetzger Post Number: 234 Registered: 07-2001 Posted on Tuesday, December 04, 2007 - 08:41 am:    David-- Tell that someone that you're a member of an honorary design society, Alpha Chi Tau. Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED™ AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 687 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Tuesday, December 04, 2007 - 08:49 am:    Maybe we should start a chapter. Sounds like a great organization!