How many of you have business cards? If you do, how do you use them? Do you give them out only when you want to leave your contact information or do you give them our as much as possible (in a flyer fashion)? What techniques have you found that proved to be most effective in achieving your objectives?

Business cards are great if they are not too cluttered IMHO, i do not have any currently but did get a box back when I was in the print business. I would leave them on the cork boards at places like Panera, and Crispers (god I wish there was a Crispers here in Charlotte).

In tampa I did pick up a few clients this way.

I do have business cards. But with the direction the business has taken I rarely use them anymore.

I'm frequently are around other business users, having a set of business cards handy has always helped, makes great indirect referrals to your company.

There are some new interesting business cards coming out these days like metal business cards. I think there a good tool however it depends where you live.

Metal business cards? What do they do that regular business cards can't?

PS: Must be entertaining to pass through the metal detector doors at the airport and later try to explain it is just a business card...

Not much different except that it shows you have a good finance capability. I've ordered some samples from this UK Company, there Metal Business Cards are neat: http://www.plasmadesign.co.uk/metalbusinesscards.htm

I saw the same web site. The metal cards are indeed neat, but imagine when you are at a conference networking event and everyone is exchanging cards... What do you do if you have 20-30 metal cards in your hand/pocket? Or how do you imagine bringing 40-50 cards with you? There is also a plastic card that I thought provided more flexibility and design elements you could do. Metal cards are great for some unique promotion for bigger brands, like the example of a Bentley metal card on the site you mentioned, or some fancy salon.

Wow, I checked out those metal business cards, they are way too cool. But I bet they are extremely expensive. I do not think it would be necessary specially if you attend one of those conferences or business trades where your business cards are treated like flyers. One moment you are giving your business cards like they are precious gems, then the next,you would see your card lying on the floor.

I used to work with this marketing guy who won't go out and get clients for us unless he holds a printed business card with his name on it and he would not settle for calling cards that are printed from our office computer printer. Lol. Well, I agree with him, quality business cards can signify professionalism.

Business cards are good marketing tools but only if you hand them to the right people.

I currently don't have any but thought about getting some.

We have them and pass them out whenever it seems appropriate. On a side note, I think those metal and plastic cards do seem pretty cool, however, I wonder how much they would actually impress businesses?

Yes I use business cards, as a member of a local business networking club we use them frequently and they work. We have weekly meetings in which we talk about various items and at the end we exchange cards (10-20 each) then through out the week when we are talking with clients if the issue arises in which they may need the services of one of the other members we pass on one of the cards. It works very nicely and has gotten our members alot of additional business.

Hehe, i use them. I found a great way to do it. You can buy some preserated sheets of card, i just set up publisher and now i have pro. business cards at £5 for 200 And they look great lol.