QUINN MINUTE: Why I carry a business card

When I’m at an event with people I’ve never seen before, I depend on my business card for salvation.

Even if you don’t have a job, a card lets you display credentials to get one. You never get a second chance to make a first, engraved impression.

If Bob spends his life daydreaming, he can’t brag about that on a resume. But if his business card claims he’s a “futurist,” you’ll consider him a dude with potential.

Educational titles on cards impress me. If you’ve got more degrees than a meat thermometer, a calling card is the place to display them.

I’ve got a business card with both name and photo on it. It’s not a good picture, because I look either surprised or confused. But I think that’s a good way to get attention.

Pictures help people remember you better. Folks tell me I look very much like their ex-husband. That can be either good or bad.

How else do you make your card stand out? How about a card that folds in half?

Or one that’s magnetic? If the card sticks on a customer’s refrigerator, maybe your name will stick in their memories, too.

What’s the most impressive job name? One of my friends started a business. He wanted a title both impressive and vague. His business card reads “Consulting Operations Strategist.”

In 30-plus years as an editor, I’ve found that a story’s setting can be critical to better readership. So, here’s a place to see a preview of “Setting Secrets: How to improve (nearly) every story.” Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GPP1P8QF

Rix Quinn

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Rix Quinn is a former magazine publisher who works as an independent biographer and broadcaster.

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