Business Cards – Are For Getting New Business
© David Newton February 12, 2009
(How your little business card can attract to you millions of dollars each year if you want it)
www.EntrepreneursSydney.com
Recently I went to a seminar, met some really great people, chatted, laughed and made some great new connections. Like a lot of people, when I got home I placed down my business cards from the meeting in a safe place. I was simply being organized.
You know, I’m a busy business owner too, right? So when I finally got around to looking at the cards again – which were nicely placed on my desk, I looked through each of them only to strain at remembering them and barely 2 out of 10 cards were able to jog my memory on both the person and their company, or what ever they sold at that time.
“What a waste of potential?” – I asked my self, these people looked really switched on, had what I reckoned was their act together. But after the haze of time, I would at the very least expected their Business Cards to re-ignite my interest in them and maybe doing business with them, sadly, to no avail. On top of that some still didn’t have any business cards to swap with me.
Is your business card an ‘embarrassment’ to you?
Or even still – are you the silent majority who never even knows they are losing business from their so called business cards? Its like a bad hair style, some people will be nice to you, but never tell you that you look like a vagrant, because your looks like a birds nest will they? Guess what, Business Cards are just as if not MORE IMPORTANT again – they represent you and future dollars in the bank – or they act as a scare crow and scare off business for you, you choose.
Invest In Your Business Cards
Think about this, if you want to acquire $100,000 a year from sharing your new business image with other or maybe even $1,000,000 a year to GET new business, why are you spending 25 bucks on your business cards? Did you want to impress your new clients on your ability to haggle your way down on giving them a great impression about you?
Why is it SO Important?
Let me share with you a story – I met a lady recently who hands out something like 7,000 business cards a year. Her business is huge, she makes a point of never cold calling anyone, but rather they find out about her via networking at business meetings and referrals. Her income is likewise very big too. And she flies all over the world consulting with businesses both big and small. The question is, if she can do it, I’d bet you can too.
What Your Business Card needs – to be a Customer Magnet!
1. A clear message about who you are and what you do
There should be no hesitation after a prospect sees your card and they would be very clear about what you do and what it is. Otherwise your message is lost right then and there. If they can’t tell what you do after at least 5 seconds, then do you think they will bother asking when they get back to their home office?
2. A quality professionally produced face picture
Doing business is all about people, and the best way to make that work is to let prospects know what you look like and for that matter you and your staff. Business cards are all about people; let them meet you via your card so they remember your first meeting.
3. At least a phone, email and website clearly found on the card
Clear contact info is vital. You don’t have to state all the contact mediums, but you do need to make them read at least where they can get a hold of you quickly.
4. Colours that read well
Often I see business cards with confusing or dull colours – and it’s a let down if I was excited by my chatting with them, that their business card looked dreary.
5. The back of the business card also has a sales message for your prospect to read
If your card is blank on the obverse, you’ve just wasted some premium sales space. On the back of my business cards I ask the prospect to join my free e-course(s). This helps me to attract potential clients to my newsletter databases. Overall, it’s where the payload of my sales messages can be found.
6. A different card for a different niche
Some people have more than one business they run. Well that’s okay, me too. Just make sure you have a completely different business card and even that matter a different website for each niche area you work in.
7. Look Up To Date and Professional
If your business card looks tired and old age weary, you should replace it. I know that sounds obvious, but it still needs telling. Think of your business card as a mini-advertisement, or a mini salesman in print. Its also worth having your cards finished with a clear plastic gloss so they shine in the light and don’t get smudged from dirty hands. Its an extra cost, but more like an extra investment in your business success.
You want to feel proud to offer your business cards whatever the situation you’re in. and a good test for how your business card is doing is when you get asked more about you and your business straight after handing them out.
How do I know my cards sell for me?
I track everything – and my business cards have several maneuvers embedded in them. I use a special email address on my business cards. Plus I can tell if my cards are being useful due to the sign-ups from people after an event and by their postcodes or other Meta Data on my newsletter signups.