We’ve all been there. Standing around at a voice over convention or get together, holding that little plate of half eaten pigs in a blanket or that weird tiny quiche that you have no intention of finishing. You spy an opportunity to throw that food in the nearest bin when a big casting director or agent walks by. You ditch the plate and make your approach. You chat and make a good connection and before they leave they ask, can I get your card so I can be in touch later? You reach for your pocket and disaster; no business cards. The night is ruined. The agent laughs and points at you. The entire room erupts in jeers and taunts like “no card Mike, no card Mike” and you flee out the front door with tears streaming down your face and you end up sleeping in a van down by the river.
Ok, maybe that was a bit dramatic, but if you don’t follow some simple do’s and don’ts of business cards in voiceover, it might feel like the above situation in your head.
Business cards may seem like a thing of the past, but they’re actually quite active in today’s tech-orientated society. In this post, we’re going to go over the types of cards, what information they should contain, and the etiquette to be used when presenting your card to the all important contact.
I’m sure we all have piles of business cards around the office that we’ve collected over the years. I would go to VO Atlanta and come home with dozens of them. I’ve seen all kinds of cards made of all kinds of materials of all kinds of shapes and sizes. There’s the normal 3.5 x 2″ card which is the standard, but they can be any size. For my money, I would stick to the standard size as much as possible. Wallets and pocketbooks are designed with that size in mind. The ones I’ve received that were an odd shape like square or a larger rectangle were just awkward to handle. Unless they’re super unique like the one I got at VO Atlanta that resembled a Nintendo 64 cartridge, then the weird shaped ones go in the bin. I’ve got a pile of card here next to my computer and when I stack them all together, there’s one that about 1/16th of an inch shorter and about 1/8 inch taller than the others. Feels strange in my hand. You want to stand out, but not in a bad way. Unless you’re super connected to your brand like a smiley face or a sun shaped card, I’d stick to the classics. You want a good quality paper too. You want to feel sturdy in your hand.
There’s been a debate over the last few years about e-cards or tap cards or whatever they’re called. These are cards that you don’t actually give to someone, you tap their phone with the card and it adds your information to the person’s contacts. It’s a neat idea, but I would recommend the good old fashioned card over the fancy electronic ones. It seems a bit intrusive to be like “I’m in your phone now”. Also, I imagine that once you’re in someone’s contact list, you can be forgotten. How many times do you peruse your contact list and say, oh THAT guy I met at VO Atlanta, glad I got his information. You have a better chance of be recalled if your card is out and seen as opposed to being hidden in a phone. That agent goes back to his hotel room and empties their pockets and boom, there you are. It’s up to them to add you at that point. Could they thrown them all in the trash? Well yeah, but that’s the chance you take. I mean, there’s no reason you can’t do both types of cards, but that seems like a hassle.
What do you need to put on your card? This one’s fairly obvious but your name, contact information, website are all standard options. You also need to put what you do, what’s your job. “Mike Christensen: Voice Talent”. Make sure all your information is correct and up to date. Nothing makes you look worse than having to say, “Well, that’s actually my old phone number” It’s important that people can find out all about you easily enough. Don’t write a novel on your card. You don’t want someone to need a jeweler’s loop to read it all. Remember KISS? Not the band, but the acronym. Keep It Simple Stupid. Got a logo? Put it on there. As voice talent, some sort of link to your recordings is essential. I use a QR code on my cards that takes them directly to my website. I met a guy who had these fancy plastic cards with a tab that flipped out that could be plugged in that played his demos. I bet those were expensive! If you’ve got the money, sure. Maybe if they made a card that played your demos like one of those annoying birthday cards. You squeeze it and instead of Happy Birthday, it plays your demo. Pretty cool.
Now it seems that etiquette is pretty lacking in most of society these days, but you can rise above the riff raff and show just how much of a gentleman or lady that you are by following a few simple steps in presenting your business card to someone. First, you’ve got to pick the right time. Don’t bum rush someone with your card outstretched in clutched in your sweaty fist. Have a conversation with the person, get to know them, and when you’re wrapping up, then you can offer your card. People want to feel like you appreciate them as a person, not a business card depository. If they ask for a card, by all means, present it. When you give it, make sure you hold it face towards them so they can read it right away and easily. Also important, make sure your cards are easily and quickly accessible. Ever see those movies where the dude shakes hands with the valet or whoever and the $10 bill just seems to be there for the tip? Be like that with your business cards. What you don’t want is you fumbling around in your pockets or wallet for a card. You pull that card out and a bunch of receipts from Subway spill out onto the floor. You look extremely unprofessional crawling around on your hands and knees picking up the contents of your wallet. Good luck getting a job then. In that same vein, make sure when you’re heading to an event that you’re fully stocked with cards. Always have more than you think you’ll need. You don’t want to run out.
Where do I get my business cards? There are hundreds of places online that you can order cards from. You can design them, craft them, and they arrive at your door within days or weeks. There’s limitless possibilities. For me, I use Moo.com (https://www.moo.com/us/) for my cards. I use the normal size with the rounded corners. They feel better in the hand and look just different enough to stand out. Would I one day go to a banana shaped card for the Voice Monkey? While I wouldn’t rule it out, I’m not sure I’d be ready to take that leap.