How important do you think a title is on a business card or profile?
Of course, I've reinvented my title and business card more than I can remember. I do have this odd belief that there is a PERFECT title that will express exactly what I do, but logically know that there is no such thing...it's all in the eye of the beholder. Someone asked me just the other day about their business card and I replied, "It's not the business card that establishes the trust, it's YOU." So why don't I just live this advice and let this perfect title thing go?? Maybe it's because I don't want to be boxed in...
Is there anyone else out there having the same issue?
As you can see, I have TWO titles on my own profile...it's so perplexing!
Answers (16)
Kevin G
Interactive Producer / Strategist
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A business card is a reminder for someone to call you. That is, if you said something that made an impact. If you feel that you won't have the chance to make an impact, but can get close to a targeted person, the business card is the medium through which you make your impact statement.
Title may be part of the impact, but realistically, do you think a "My name is: X My title is: X" business card can do that?
If you want your business card to work for you, treat it like a 2x3" billboard, and RAWK IT!
Sheilah E
Owner, ★SME Management:.......... Business Management and Accounting Consultant
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Hi Jessie,
Title's have never meant a great deal to me. Whether it is my own or someone else's. Most often titles serve two purposes, one it is a boost to the ego and teo, it validates the salary a person gets. In no way does it build trust or express any "true" level of knowledge and expertise. Yet many people see a title and automatically trust or are impressed.
Titles are what we do not who we are. There is no implied promise that we can live up to all the letters in front of or behind our name. People use those as a crutch - both those holding the titles and letters and those wanting to believe it actually means something.
In the end all that matters is what we can live up to and what we produce as an end result.
My business card has the name of my company a brief summary of some of the services I offer and contact information. My business is about what "I" offer, not what a title or degrees imply.
Call yourself what you want, in the end does it matter? Ask yourself that. Who is writing the book that makes you an author? Who is coaching those people? It isn't a title, is it?
Sheilah
I don't have a business card, but I do have a title on my profile... I suppose its importance lies mainly in its purpose to identify what you do. Other than that, it really doesn't have much of an importance. Of course sometimes some of these titles tend to be fanciful and ego boosting or perhaps even imaginative, but these titles do nothing more than to boost the person's ego.
I find the "CEO" title a bit cliche these days.
Terry M
Interim Manager / Service & Operations Specialist
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I've dispensed with them, like yourself, i am unable to find anything that truly describes what i do effectively.Perhaps that's a short coming on my part, perhaps as i like to believe, such descriptions are too limiting. Obviously my profile shows 2/3 titles, which is confusing in itself perhaps but the problem is i don't limit myself and i've been fortunate to do quite a lot of different things for which other people have given certain titles (not all of which have been relevant).
At the end of the day, it's you and what you do that counts and not what a business card might imply.
Tom F
Editorial Director at BankInfoSecurity.com
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Jessie:
I agree: the name's the thing, the title is ... well, it's transitory. I've had countless titles over the course of my career, but so far I've stuck to just the one name.
best,
Tom
Joydeep G
President, VertexSpan Integrators ; PMP ; Information Services Consultant
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I have found that President works for me. It has gotten a few oohs from perfect strangers and a conversation starter. It all that matters to get a contact going. Other than that, the name and number should be very prominent on the biz card.
Andrew B
Senior Technology Executive: Enterprise Network Architecture, IT Operations, Information Security & Compliance
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A title is a descriptor that helps people know whether they should be further interested in what services you provide or not. It's doesn't have to fully define you, particularly if you're engaged in work which is more comprehensive that any particular title will suggest.
It's just something to give people a frame of reference when dealing with you. As long as it gets people interested enough to find out more about you, or helps them get perspective on what services you offer, it has done its job.
There is no reason to be confined or boxed in by any title...
Eileen B
IT Professional, Information Security Quality Assurance Operations & Administration / President, CMU SEI LI SPIN
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Hi Jesse,
I think we are all conditioned into believing a title somehow imparts what we do to another person. And in some cases, it very well may. Some cases are as Sheilah has stated, ego related. Personally, I would find it would take a paragraph of titles to define my expertise with the level of experience I have. We all wear so many hats, buzz words change so quickly - how could anyone keep up? For me, I have opted for the generic "IT Professional" with a few clues as to which end this meets. This seems to fit and doesn't box me in or out.
Eileen
Ray M
Energy expert, educator, award winning sculptor
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The title isn't important. Your presence is!
At one point instead of putting Superintendent of Utilities on my UC business card, I made proof copy with, Emperor of Utilities.....sounded a bit too pretentious......
Josephine F
Licensed NYC Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist, EMDR therapist, and Life & Business Coach
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Jessie,
As others have mentioned, a title gives people a frame of reference. In my opinion, while it's important for people to understand what you do, beyond a certain point, there are diminishing returns to spending too much time on this. Since time is limited and precious, I think it's better to focus on other aspects of promoting your business. If you haven't already, develop a clear, concise statement that you can deliver in person, put on your cards and stationary, etc.
Good luck.
Josephine Ferraro, LCSW
Links:
Jill K
Author of "Selling to Big Companies," sales strategist & speaker
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When I first stated my consulting practice, I personally felt pretentious putting "President" or "CEO' on the card since I was only in charge of myself. However, that's flawed thinking. The title I chose isn't for me; it's really for the people I interact with such as my customers, prospects, networking partners. Ultimately I opted to use 2 separate titles on two different cards, chosing terms my customers could relate best to:
- Business Development Consultant for professional services clients.
- Sales Consultant for working with the corporate market.
When I rebranded/renamed my company firm to Leapfrog Strategies, I decided to have some fun and called myself the Top Frog. It was a great conversation starter and lots of fun to have.
On my latest initiative, Sales Shebang (a sales conference & website for women who sell) I decided to keep being irreverent and gave myself the title SheEO.
Whether you it or not, it catches people's attention, creates conversations and gets smiles.
Links:
Hi Jessie,
In my opinion, titles seem to have become meaningless in the past 5 years or so. I am amazed at some of the titles on see on peoples cards and then see how incredibly in-over-their-heads that they are.
Thanks
Scott
Brian M
at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
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Hi Jessie,
I think it depends on the industry and the circumstances. For example, if you are dealing with a bank, you want to feel you are being considered at a high level. As a result, banks have lots of "vice presidents".
On the other hand, if you are the top dog and call the shots, who need a title? If you are on the bottom of the heap, titles seem important to many people.
About the most I'll admit to these days is Principal but my regular card does not have a title.
Regards
Brian MacLeod
I don't know, my current title is "Senior Linux Solutions Specialist" which is fairly accurate and descriptive, but my most successful one was when I just put "Recovering MCSE" as my title when entering the Linux marketplace.
More people remembered that title and referenced it to me than anything I've very done, maybe it was just the time and place, but it made folks laugh, which is key to me.
I liked the old Ximian Corp. guys business cards, they'd say something like "words" for the marketing folks, "people" for the HR folks etc. I definitely remember those above others.
"Chief Penguin Wrangler" was another one I liked, it was the title of a director of engineering I once met. Very memorable.
Unless there is a corporate directive I prefer NO title. I will be whomever the client needs me to be to make a deal happen. The one thing that has become a real truth is that people want to deal with sales people who have (perceived) a degree of authority / clout and can make things happen.
