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However, if you really want to stand out, create your own business card. This way you know you're going to have an original design. It's easy to go online and use someone else's design, but there are hundreds of other people using that same design as well. You want to avoid looking cheap and unoriginal. That will get your business card thrown in the trash by potential clients.
If you're company is new or you're trying to get your company back on top, it might be worth browsing the Internet for companies that will make your business cards for you. Just make sure that everything is right. Don't try too hard. It will show in your business card. Try to personalize your card as much as you can.
Finally, make sure all the information is correct. Typos are a pretty common mistake. However, this common mistake can be an expensive one after you've printed out a few hundred business cards only to have to re-print them because you've spelt something wrong or have the wrong phone number on it. And new companies don't have it in their budget to correct this mistake.
How to Add Value to Your Business Cards
An old marketing adage goes something like this:
"He who has a thing to sell
And goes and whispers in a well
Is not as apt to get the dollars
As he who climbs a tree and hollers."
Most business cards whisper. If they speak to your prospect at all, they do so quietly. Many don't say much at all. And because of that, a potential customer never learns about your award-winning service department, or your extended hours, or your playroom area for the kids. Instead, your card is tossed into the wastebasket and your competitor's card is carefully tucked into a Rolodex.
True, business cards do more than convey the information that's printed on the card. A card that's ugly, dirty, printed on perforated paper or full of corrections screams loud and clear that you're an amateur. No matter how many wonderful services you offer, if your card brands you as unprofessional, you lose business. A clean, creative, professionally printed and visually attractive card, on the other hand, conveys a positive first impression that lingers long after your initial meeting.
Still, a savvy business person knows that adding marketing-oriented text to a business card in addition to contact information pays off
One strategy is to add text that gives specific customer benefits.
For example, your card can tell people how easy you are to do business with by adding a slogan or tagline such as:
Easy to PAY "Credit cards and competitor's coupons accepted"
Easy to FIND "Located next to ___ in the heart of ___"
Easy to VISIT "Walk-ins welcome. No appointment required."
Easy to BUY "Express check-in and check-out."
Easy to get EXPERT ADVICE "Pharmacist on duty around the clock."
Better yet, turn your business card into a marketing tool that actually asks for your prospect's business. Asking people via your business card to visit your store or log onto your website is a great idea. But in order for this strategy to be effective, you need to be specific, and you need to give people a reason to do what you request
Consider the following often overused phrases found on business cards:
Visit today
Stop by and see us!
Customer service is our priority
In business for 25 years
The first two immediately raise the question, "Why?" Why should I visit your store? Your prospect is busy and knows you want her to come into your showroom, fall in love with the latest model, and walk out thousands of dollars poorer. You need to give her a REAL reason to come in.
These calls to action are much more powerful:
"Present this card for a free watch battery" or
"Ask for Fred to receive your first oil change free!" or
"Log onto YourCompany.com for current discount coupons!"
The key here is to evaluate what you are saying. Are you providing enough information for your client to make an informed decision? Make a list of the services you provide and the "perks" that come with it. You may be surprised at how many perks you offer your customers without thinking twice about it.
Consider the following often overlooked perks:
Returning phone calls in a short amount of time.
Providing a late-model loaner car while a client's car is being serviced.
Jewelry repair that is done on-site by a certified technician.
Offering a complimentary two-year extension to a manufacturer's warranty.
Including a special upgrade not typically included with your competitor's product.
Your business cards can be the most portable, affordable and versatile marketing method you use - but not if it's quiet about your services or shy about your accomplishments.
The Basics of Business Card Marketing
One of the most frequent requests I have heard throughout my career is "May I have your card?" Whether it's a sales call or business-to-business (B2B) networking, the practice of swapping business cards is the most common way to make an introduction. So why do so many merchant level salespeople (MLSs) arrive at meetings and trade shows without them?
I'm always surprised when, during the "get to know you" part of a committee meeting, someone in the room announces they have "forgotten their cards". Or when someone visits our booth at a trade show and is unable to leave a card because they don't have any with them. In sales, forgetting your business cards is like forgetting your pants.
Remembering key information about people you've met
The most effective way I've found to remember people I've met is to retain their business cards. During our conversations, I often take quick notes on the back of the cards that I can refer to later, such as jotting down a reminder about something from our meeting, an action item I have agreed to or something they have committed to me.
Once back at my desk, I review the stack of cards. I write thank you notes, delegate action items, pass along leads and the myriad of follow up details that occur after a business trip. Without the cards, I'm left only with an attendee roster and pads of paper.
Information that should be included on a business card
Your cards should include your name, phone number, fax number, e-mail and street addresses and company logo. This information should be produced in a color and font that are easy to read. In addition, you could include discounts, coupons, punchers or any call to action that will add value to your business card.
Proofreading avoids costly mistakes!
Make sure you proofread your business cards before they are printed. Once you print, you can't turn back (without paying extra for reprints). Here's an easy trick to use when proofreading to ensure what is to be printed is correct: Read each line backwards, from left to right and from bottom to top. This will force you to look at each word and number, instead of only skimming the information that you are so familiar with.
Extending the usefulness of your business cards
Also, have your cards printed on a paper stock that someone can actually write on. If your cards are plastic or a dark color they will be less useful to those who receive them, especially if they, like you, take notes on cards. While business cards that look and feel like credit or gift cards may be a novelty, they will most likely be tossed rather than kept as useful reminders for further action.
Utilizing logos, graphics and alternative languages
Check your sales agreement for instructions regarding logo placement on your business cards. Card associations, many banks and vendors have specific rules regarding the use of their logos. Additionally, be sure to include any logos (that you are entitled to use) that might lend further credibility to your business, such as from a trade association, chamber of commerce or Better Business Bureau.
If you conduct business in languages in addition to English, you might consider having your contact information printed on the back of your business card in these other languages. Or, you might add a line to your business card such as, "Se Habla Espanol."
Have your cards nearby no matter where you are
Keep a supply of business cards in your wallet, briefcase, car, computer bag and desk, and invest in a simple business card holder to protect the cards and keep them looking crisp and clean.
Give your business cards away
Many sales managers monitor their sales staffs' activities based on the number of business cards each rep collects during the day. You can easily rate the effectiveness of your daily routine by counting the cards your collect. You'll have a better idea of how many leads you're generating if you give a card each time you receive one.
Your business cards are one of the most productive pieces of collateral you will generate. Consider them the seeds of your business, and scatter them widely.
Why People Retain Business Cards... How to Get Them to Keep Yours
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.
The psychology of business cards
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) 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 marketing 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.
Develop and memorize a catchy tagline to say as you hand out your card, especially if your card isn't particularly unusual or useful.
Now that you know why they are retained, use this knowledge to create business cards that will be noticed, kept, and used for years to come.
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