It's a never-ending debate as to whether or not to include a photo on a real estate agent's business card. Some say yes; some say no (duh, that's the definition of a debate!).
Although it's interesting, when you ask the question in a public forum, I've noticed that most answer in the negative, explaining that "no one cares about your face" or that "doctors and lawyers don't have their pictures on their cards," or simply that "it's unprofessional."
And I get that. I do. Somehow it seems like unnecessary vanity to have your smiling face on a business card as if "anyone really cares about your face anyway," right?
Well... here's the thing.
Most people are really "bad with names." Just ask ‘em, they'll tell you straight out. Whenever I speak publicly, I always collect business cards from my audience and put them in a fish bowl because I like to keep my audience awake during the show by randomly giving away books and CD's. After the show, I'll go through the business cards one by one and spend several hours sending personal notes to the audience members I remember interacting with. Let me say that again - that "I remember interacting with."
99.9% of the time I only write to agents with photos on their cards. Because they're the only ones I liked? Of course not. They're the only ones I remember.
From a fishbowl full of hundreds of business cards, I can almost always remember every conversation I had with the people whose cards have a photo. The conversations I had with people without photos are completely forgotten. Sorry.
People remember faces. Ugly faces, pretty faces; doesn't matter. They may not remember the name that belongs to the face, but they know if they've seen a face before.
And the fact is, real estate agents are a dime a dozen. You may be doing an awesome job handing out your business card, but rest assured that your competition is, too. And if the "other" card sitting on someone's desk has a photo and yours doesn't, which agent is more likely to be remembered by that person?
So, go get a kick-a$$ photo of yourself and don't take the chance of being forgotten!
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