Beyond Business Cards: Why a Book Leaves a Lasting Impression
When I launched my real estate career, one of the first things I invested in was business cards.
I remember how excited I was to design them, carefully choosing the font, layout, and cardstock weight. Our brokerage had a clever tagline, and it would help me stand out. I proudly passed them out at Women's Council of Realtors® meetings, National Association of Realtors® conferences, and countless local events through the Chicago Association of Realtors®.
I envisioned my business card working to build my business.
When I handed out a card at a new buyer training session or after a client closing, I imagined it traveling from hand to hand, opening doors to new referrals and growing my network.
At closings, I gave each client ten extra cards to pass along to friends and family, confident they would keep me at the top of their minds. Over time, however, I collected more business cards than I gave. A shoebox in my office filled up with the hopes and handshakes of past meetings.
I was not always diligent about entering the information into a CRM. Once I connected with people on LinkedIn or Facebook, the business card often became redundant — or worse, forgotten.
I even sat through webinars and workshops on " optimizing" business cards—making them glossy, using rounded edges, featuring a current photo, and printing them at an unusual size to make them more memorable.
And while those tips had some merit, they didn't solve the deeper challenge:
No matter how beautifully designed, a business card is still just an introduction.
It tells someone what you do without showing who you are or why you matter.
As I grew in my career, I realized that while a business card could open a door, it couldn't hold attention, build trust, or tell a story.
And in the real estate world — or any trust-based business — stories stay with people. Stories persuade.
Today, writing a book is a much stronger way to build lasting connections.
A thoughtfully written book does what a business card, a flyer on the door, or even a billboard cannot do. It invites people into your world — your knowledge, values, and approach.
Instead of asking for a few seconds of attention, a book earns hours.
It doesn't get tossed into a shoebox or buried at the bottom of a handbag. It resides on coffee tables, enters office lobbies, and friends share it, saying, "You should work with them."
Here's why a book quietly — but powerfully — outperforms traditional marketing:
Credibility: A book shows depth of expertise, not just a polished image. It instantly positions you as an authority in your field.
Connection: A book offers context, stories, and personal insights that help clients and referral partners feel they know and want to work with you.
Permanence: A book lingers. People keep it. They refer to it later. They show it to others. Unlike a business card, it doesn't fade from memory after a glance.
Differentiation: In a world filled with postcards, flyers, shopping cart ads, and glossy mailers, a book signals a higher level of professionalism. It's an investment of time and thought that sets you apart.
Scalability: One book can reach dozens, even hundreds, of people. You can gift it at closing, use it in listing presentations, share it with your sphere, and offer it at events. It continues working long after it leaves your hands.
When you hand someone your book, you offer more than your contact information. You provide your perspective, giving potential clients and collaborators a reason to remember, trust, and choose you.
Looking back, I still smile at the excitement of handing out those first business cards. They represented possibility and ambition — a symbol of my new career.
But today, I know that lasting relationships are built not through clever taglines or glossy paper but through substance, sincerity, and the stories we share.
A business card may introduce you.
A book establishes you.
And that's a difference worth making.