This photo by Pablo Abuliak and the rest by me, which is why they are not as good.
Branding experts tell us that is is engraved in marble that every real estate agent and broker MUST HAVE HIS OR HER PHOTOGRAPH on every single business card and all printed materials or suffer bad consequences. We understand the motive here: Prospective client interviews a bunch of firms and agents, takes all their cards home and ponders whom to choose. A photo helps client remember who was who. But is that the ONLY way a business card can actually distinguish its owner? Well, of course, you are here, at the letterpress capital of the world, so you have an inkling of what my opinion of this is going to be. But I won’t let that stop me from going ahead and opining away on this breathless topic.
To pursue our scenario further: If, in the handful of cards the client takes home to peruse, there is a certain thick, gorgeous, unusually-shaped card with a beautiful logo, well printed with deep impression, and the logo is interesting, compelling, and the client has never seen anything like it in his life, whose card, may I ask, is standing out? Whose card is speaking loudest and most eloquently about its owner? Well, yes. The big question is always, what is your business card saying about you and how hard is it working for your business?
So I have done digital cards with photos on them, and they are beautiful, too, because they are well designed and have interesting color and typography, so they work. But I have also done letterpress cards like Mark Strub‘s above, that have no photo, and just look at it. Mark loves the way people respond to it every time, and we love it too, just because.
I made these cards for Iain Reilly recently, a real estate broker in the Napa Valley: Black/white duplex paper, apple green foil stamping on the black side, with this sort of “internal monogram”logo I made for him, no photo. He tells me he never hands a card to anyone who doesn’t say something about how amazing they are. BTW, he also got a complete stationery wardrobe. Letterhead and #10 envelopes, a 9 x 12 envelope for sending things flat, folding black/white duplex paper note cards and envelopes for them because he writes an inordinate number of thank you notes. That is an incredibly rare thing these days. Whenever I get a hand addressed envelope in the mail, you can be sure that is the first one I want to open. Here are Iain’s note cards and envelopes:
The front of his envelope makes you want to know what’s inside
I’m sure there are arguments on both sides of this issue that will hold up in court, I just wanted to put out my two bits. Photo or no photo, what is YOUR opinion?
Nice designs.
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Zida,
Your work, as always, has turned out wonderfully. The cards and TYs always receive compliments from those that receive them – I’ve yet to give one out and not get some kind of interested response from the person I’ve just given it to. They usually always take the card, glance at it, glance away, and then look back at it and take a good hard close look, and then the comments, all positive, begin! I agree very much with some of Mark’s comments but would add that, when the rubber hits the road in real estate, it IS about the agent; and depending on the agent and their level of expertise the client can have very different experiences, from good to bad… Your work does not showcase me so much as providing an elegant and exacting background that screams DETAIL – this providing a frame around which the process begins; that framework being so important because it underscores the serious nature of what we do, again, when the rubber hits the road; when we’re negotiating terms, when we’re evaluating reports, when we’re advising our clients in the middle of escrows… I can’t thank you enough for the creativity and excellence you’ve created for our latest work together. This will be the foundation and launching pad for my next successful career move in Sonoma Valley Real Estate – couldn’t do it with you!
Best regards,
Iain
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I just went to Mark Strub’s new blog and loved it so much that i wanted to make sure everyone knows about it: uberSTRUB.blogspot.com
I was very moved by Mark’s tribute to his brother, who started the web site digihitch.com, for hitchhikers. Oh amazing times. I will never forget hitchhiking up to Canada with my boyfriend in my hippie golden youth with no internet, just thumbs, patched jeans, and the kindness of strangers.
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Zida,
I want to reiterate that I LOVE my cards, and so does anyone and everyone that I would care to make an impression on.
I bashfully admit that when I embarked into this profession, my business cards had a HUGE photo of yours truly on them. It was just the way things were done.
As soon as I got bold and took my photo off (when I started my own company) the feedback was really interesting. My card become memorable because it did NOT have my mug on it. People would say, “Oh thank GOD you don’t have a glamor shot on here. Why do REALTORS do that?!” It was a great opportunity to jump into a discussion about how my company is different in other ways as well.
For example, it’s not about ME, it’s about YOU the client. I try to take the ego out of the work I am doing, including negotiating. If I do a SUPERB job for the client, they will sell me to their friends and family better than any glamor shot could. And that is the business I am seeking.
I worked on my “perfect card” for 2+ years with multiple designers. You brought it home for me, and I am really grateful! My card sets the tone, and my service seals the deal. It’s a great combo. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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