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· Your business card
must communicate more than just your contact information. Make sure that
your card includes a tag line that explains what you or your company do.
· Order them in
large numbers. By ordering 1000 your cost per card will be significantly
lower than if you ordered 500.
· Even if you can
produce your business cards at home using an inkjet printer, have your
business cards professionally made by a printing company. Your business
card will be the first impression your prospects receive of your
business, so let them convey the best possible one.
· Avoid using
standard clip art as your business logo. A logo brings credibility and
brand awareness, so before you invest in business cards have a logo
professionally made for your business. Nowadays, there are online
companies that can produce a professional logo for as little as $25, so
there is no excuse for not having one made.
· Put up a
website and use the URL in your business cards. If you don't have a
website, people will notice the absence of a web address in your
business card and, depending on the business you are in, it may make you
lose credibility.
· Keep all the
information in your business card current. If you changed address or
phone number, don't scratch the old number and write down the new one by
hand; get new business cards.
· Keep your
business card simple. Don't use too many fonts or try to cram too much
information in it. Try to use a pleasant layout and make sure that your
main message (your tagline or your unique selling proposition) doesn't
get lost.
· If you live in
the US, limit your business card size to 3.5" x 2". Anything bigger will
not fit in standard card holders and your card may end up in the trash.
Business cards in Europe tend to be larger, but so are the wallets and
card holders.
· Make sure that
your business card reflects your image. If you are an artist or a
graphic designer, it is OK to use trendy colors and fonts. If you are an
investment banker, a sober layout and colors such as blue or gray work
better.
· Your business
card is an integral part of your brand or corporate identity strategy.
It should follow the same graphics standards as the rest of your
communications material (stationary, brochures, letterheads, etc.).
· Find a way to
make your business cards stand out. I've seen business cards with one of
its corners cut in an angle, or with an interesting texture, all of
which makes your business card stand out of the crowd. The best one I've
seen is from an interior designer, who used a hologram to show a room
before and after a redesign.
· Make your
business card easy to read: use high contrast between the background and
the type. Light background with dark type works better.
· After your
logo, your name should be the largest piece of information on your card.
· Make sure that
all the information on your card is printed in a large enough typeface
to be easily readable.
· Run your
business card copy through a spell checker and double-check your contact
information.
· Keep your
business cards with you at all times. Keep a stack in your car, in your
house, in your office, and in your wallet.
· Leave your
business cards in billboards at supermarkets, schools, stores,
libraries, etc.
· When giving
away your card, give two or three at a time, so that your contacts can
in turn distribute them to other people. This will not only help you
distribute them faster, but will generate a beneficial "endorsing
effect".
· Include a
business card with all your correspondence. People may throw away the
letter, but will usually keep the business card.
· Make your
business card go the extra mile: use the back of the card to print more
information: special offers, checklists, schedules, etc.
· Throw in a
business card in every product you ship.
· Send a business
card with any gift you send, instead of just a card with your name.
· Scan your card
and use it as an attachment to emails.
· Use your
business cards as name tags. Get a transparent plastic cover with a pin,
and attach it to your lapel. Wearing it on your right side tends to make
it more noticeable.
· Use your
business card as a name tag on your briefcase. Make sure that your
company logo and tagline are visible. This way, your business card will
turn into a "conversation piece" during plane rides, which may help you
meet interesting people and good business contacts.
· Use your
business card as an ad: many publications offer "business card size"
classified ads. If you design your business card properly, it can double
up as an ad in those publications.
· Don't give your
business card too quickly. It may be perceived as pushy. Try to
establish a conversation with your prospect first. For example, ask them
what do they do. That will usually prompt them to give you their card.
That is the perfect moment to give them yours.
· Don't try to
give your card in situations where many people are giving them to your
prospect. Wait for a moment when you can capture your prospect's
attention span.
· Another tactic
you can try when your prospect is overwhelmed and can't pay you enough
attention is to send your card by mail. Pretend you ran out of business
cards and ask for theirs. Then, mail them your card and take the
opportunity to drop a follow up note.
· If you have a
mobile phone number or a direct phone number that is not listed in your
business card, write it at the back of your card before handing it out,
and tell your prospect that you are giving them your direct number. This
will make your card more important, and less likely to be lost or thrown
out.
· Another way of
increasing the chances that your prospect will keep your card is by
printing valuable information on the back, for example important phone
numbers (local police, hospitals, etc), a calendar, or a football
schedule.
· Offer to hand
out cards of complementary (non-competitive) business people in exchange
for them distributing yours. An example of non-competitive businesses is
real estate brokers and mortgage brokers.
· If somebody
gives you their business card, you should give them yours in return.
· Always give
your business card face up.
· Take a cue from
Far East business people, who hand out business cards with both hands.
It helps give the impression that your business card is something very
important.
· If you conduct
business internationally, use the back of your card to print a
translated version of your business card in your customers' language.
Even if they have no problem reading English, it will be a classy touch
and they will appreciate it.
· If you sell
different product brands and want to put their logos on your business
card, print them in only one color. Using each logo's brand colors could
make your business card look chaotic and busy.
· Create a
business card in magnet form. Magnets are widely used, to hold important
papers on the refrigerator door at home and on file cabinets at work.
They are always visible and always get read.
· When receiving
somebody else's business card, don't put it away immediately. Instead,
keep it in your hand for a while you talk to your prospect, or place it
neatly over the table, and try to develop a conversation based on the
information on the card.
· Use the back of
the cards you receive to write down important facts about the persons
who handed them to you. It will help you enormously when you follow up
with them.
· If you are in a
profession where relationship selling is important, it may be a good
idea to include your picture in your business card (i.e. real estate
brokers).
· Even if your
business is a sole proprietorship, you can still use "account manager"
as your title instead of "owner" or "president". If you do sales (and we
all do) "account manager" is a perfectly appropriate title, and it will
give the impression that you work for a larger company.
· Use logos of
organizations that you or your business belong to in your business
cards. They are an easy way to provide instant credibility to your
business. For example, if you operate a repair shop you can display the
logo of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
or the Triple A (AAA). (Check with them first about the terms of use).
· If you
participate in affiliate programs online, you can still use business
cards to promote your affiliate links. Use the name of the affiliate
company as the company name, use 'partner' or 'associate' as your title,
and the URL of the directory or web page where you have placed your
affiliate links as your web address. Just because affiliate programs are
online doesn't mean that you can't use off-line marketing methods to
promote them.
· If you need to
give cards to different kinds of prospects (for example if you are a
student looking for work), make business cards with just your name and
contact information, and attach custom made self-adhesive labels at the
back with information of interest to each specific prospect.
· Include an
information email address (for example: info@yourdomain.com) that is set
in autoresponder mode, that automatically triggers an email message with
full information about your product, service or company. This will
increase the effectiveness of your business card since you will give
your prospect much more information that you can fit in a card.
· Take good care
of your business cards. Keep them clean and crisp in a cardholder. Don't
give away cards that are bent or damaged.
· Try to get a
cardholder with two pockets. That way, you can use one for your business
cards and the other one for the business cards you receive.
· Keep all the
business cards you receive neatly organized in a rolodex. It will save
you time and will provide you with a database of contacts with whom to
build positive business relationships.
· Collect all the
business cards you can find, even if you don't need them. Together, they
will act as an "idea file" that will provide you with valuable tips that
you can use to design your business cards.
For more business
card tips, visit Free Business Cards:
http://www.accordmarketing.com/businesscards/
------------
Mario Sanchez
publishes The Internet Digest (http://www.theinternetdigest.net ) an
online collection of tips and resources on Internet Marketing and Web
Design. You can also visit his Business Card Tips page at: http://www.accordmarketing.com/businesscards/
.
About the Author
Mario Sanchez, Miami, FL, USA
TheInternetDigest@hotmail.com
http://www.TheInternetDigest.net
Mario Sanchez publishes The Internet Digest ( http://www.theinternetdigest.net
), a website and newsletter that gives you free advice on Internet
Marketing, Web Design and Small Business. To subscribe go to: http://www.theinternetdigest.net/newsletter.html
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