Promoting your business is a constant process which means you must grab every opportunity to market, network and communicate with potential clients.
Some may view the business card as redundant with all the advancements in social media, technology and virtual networking, but it can still act as a very powerful and long term marketing strategy for your business.
Here are the 5 little known secrets of how to keep your business card working smarter and harder for you even weeks or months later.
Step 1 – Create Curiosity. It’s not often that a prospect will buy from your business card on first seeing it unless it is offering something they were going to purchase somewhere else anyway. Your card has approximately 5 seconds to make a good impression on the person seeing it before they move on or get distracted. So therefore it must contain something (either words, images or both) that elicits a response and compels them to take it.
Secret Tip : Get your business card printed on raised paper or in a different shape – it’ll soon stand out from all the rest in the pile!
Step 2 – Keep It Simple. There is a tendency to use a business card as a way of saying as much as possible by using lots of words, images, colours and fonts to attract attention in the illusion of getting noticed. Make your business card easy on the eye with no more than 3 colours, 3 blocks of information and 1 main image or logo. Use white space to keep it fresh looking for maximum effect.
Secret Tip: Need more space on your business card for a headline, puzzle, photo or offer? Use the back of the card for optimum use of space!
Step #3 – Call To Action. Business cards are an advert for the products or services you are offering. Adverts, business cards or any other marketing material is only effective if the prospective customer knows how to move to the next stage. In other words, what do you want them to do next? This could be anything from calling you, sending you an email or offering something free so they have a motivating factor over and above just having your card.
Secret Tip #3: Offer a free report to help them with their business – all they have to do is send you an email quoting a personal password. Write a unique and relevant password on the back of the card and you’ll experience increased response!
Step 4 – Double Act. Most of the time a prospective customer will receive your business card from you personally. So you must make sure your business card and you are working coherently together. You will be the focus during the face to face exchange and your business card will be afterwards. Like your business card be different, memorable and interesting. Say enough without saying too much and get the prospect to take action now or later from your card.
Secret Tip : Point out something on your card as you hand it over, this will bring more attention to your card and make it stand out later from the rest of the pile. The prospective client will recognise and recall your conversation over and above others.
Step 5 – The Power of Reciprocation The act of giving and receiving should not be underestimated even with the simple act of exchanging business cards. Use this rule to increase your chances of your business card being passed on to others and widen your ability to reach more prospective customers.
Secret Tip Offer to take 5-10 business cards from the person you are speaking with so you can pass on their details to people you know who’ll be interested in their product /service. Usually the person you’re speaking with will offer the same for you in return!