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Do you remember how proud you
were the first time you saw your name in print?
Most entrepreneurs feel
that same flush of pride when they gaze on their new
business cards. That small piece of paper represents years
of planning and effort and hard work and dreams. The
thrill of seeing "your name in print" on a
business card is hard to beat.
Unfortunately, other people
couldn't care less. Your business card, the one you're so
proud of, is just another advertisement ? another piece of
clutter to file. It's no more or less important than any
of the many business cards that cross a prospect's desk at
any given point in time.
So how do you make sure
that your card is one of the few that attracts attention,
gets kept, filed, and actually used when your prospect
needs your product or service?
It pays to think about the
reasons people keep cards to begin with. Often, it's not
for the reason you expect. Understanding this critical
concept can dramatically affect the design and ultimate
effectiveness of your card.
Let's say that you install
and maintain swimming pools. You meet Nancy Newcomer and
have a great conversation about landscaping around
in-ground pools. You're eager to conclude the conversation
by giving her your business card because she certainly
displays a lot of interest in your service. She's a
"hot prospect" for sure!
Not necessarily.
Nancy could just as easily
be asking because her neighbor has a pool, or because her
mom had a bad experience when they installed their pool,
or because she's always liked to swim and loves plants
too, or because she collects business cards and doesn't
have one with a pool on it, or because she's new in town
and you're the only friendly person she met today.
In fact, according to Dr.
Lynella Grant, author of "The Business Card
Book", there are eight reasons that someone may
decide to keep your business card.
1. As a link to a potential
customer or client
Let's say you're in network
marketing, and John Johnson mentions that his wife used to
be in MLM, too. She liked the business model but just
wasn't happy with the company. Odds are you'll keep John's
card because it's a means of contacting John's wife about
your own business opportunity.
2. As a link to a resource
or a supplier
If you're in the
construction business and meet someone who sells
hard-to-find lighting and fixtures, you'll probably keep
their business card.
3. As a link to a colleague
Many business people keep
business cards of colleagues and competitors. Perhaps you
refer business to each other during busy periods, or work
together as members of an industry association.
4. For social, non-business
reasons
Maybe you couldn't care
less that Kelly sells car insurance. She's awfully cute,
though...
5. For referring business -
it may be passed on to someone else
If your neighbor has had a
hard time finding someone who washes windows, and you meet
someone who's just started a residential window washing
service, you'll probably accept their business card and
pass it on to your neighbor.
6. To update information
they already have
Maybe they have an old card
of yours with your old phone number on it, or without your
website address.
7. "Just in case"
Some people have a hard
time parting with anything because they might need it
someday.
8. Finally, a business card
may be kept because of something likable, unusual or
useful about the person or their card
I kept the business card of
a police officer named "Sarah Justice" just
because I think she's got a great name for her line of
work (it's called an "aptronym"). Other people
keep business cards that contain useful information such
as amortization schedules or lists of emergency phone
numbers.
Keep these reasons in mind
when designing your card. Make it clear what you do and
who you do it for. Your card may be passed on to someone
else, or the recipient may be trying to remember you later
after a long day of meeting people at a convention.
More strategies:
- Add useful information
to the back of your card.
- Get in the habit of
jotting notes on the back of business cards
("Likes football. Send catalog.") Encourage
card recipients to do the same.
- Ask people who receive
your cards to pass them on and reward them for
referring business to you.
- Develop and memorize a
catchy tagline to say as you hand out your card,
especially if your card isn't particularly unusual or
useful.
Stuck with boring or
generic company-designed cards? Create your own online and
choose from thousands of business card templates for a
truly unique design.
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