1. Smart Ways to Use Your Business Card
Your business card is one of the most valuable networking tools you have in your quest for increased
referrals. Can you envision a reality where 20 to 30 people in your word-of-mouth marketing circle carry
your cards and have they ready to hand to prospects they're actually qualifying for you? I certainly can, and
am excited every time I hear someone say, "Let me give you my friend's business card; oh, and by the way,
may I have him (or her) give you a call?"
The business card is the most powerful single business tool--dollar for dollar--you can invest in. It's
compact, energy-efficient, low-cost, low-tech, and keeps working for you hours, weeks and even years after
it leaves your hands!
Some of the things your business card does is:
* Tell people your name and the name of your business
* Provide prospects with a way to contact you
* Give others a taste of your work, style and personality
* It can be so unusual or attractive or strange or charming or funny that it sticks in the memory like a
great radio or television ad
* It can be reused, as it passes from person to person, giving the same message to each person who comes
in contact with it
The two main functions of your card are to gain business from the person you give it to and to get your
name out to other people with whom the first person comes in contact with via referrals. With that in mind,
let's take a look at the most effective ways to use your business cards. (For a complete look at how to make
an effective business card, read It's in the Cards).
Make Your Cards Accessible in Every Situation
In short, don't leave home without them! It's a great idea to keep a small box of your cards in your glove
box, just in case you find yourself in a situation where you need more than you've carried in your pocket or
purse. In addition to my jacket pocket, I tuck them away in my briefcase, wallet and computer bag, just to
make sure I never run out.
Keep an eye on your supply. The time to reorder is before you're in danger of running out.
In addition to being sure you have your cards on hand, be sure that your networking partners always have
your cards. Check with them regularly to see if they need more, and be ready to provide them with whatever
quantity they say they need in order to promote you.
Seek Situations to Exchange Business Cards
There are many opportunities in which you can pass on your card to prospective clients and customers as
well as referral sources you wish to develop. Some are obvious; others are not. Whenever you have a one-
on-one meeting with someone new or someone you haven't seen for a while, give her your business card. At
mixers and social events, be sure you have plenty of cards when you go in. These are good places to extend
the reach of your network.
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2. Conventions and trade shows are another great venue for exchanging business cards. The vendors at the
trade shows are anxious for you to take their card--don't make that a one-way street. Be sure you give them
your card as well.
When you visit a non-competing business that might attract the same people you would like to have as
customers, ask if you may leave a supply of cards to be handed out or made available. In most cases, a
business that's complementary to your own is always looking for a networking partner. An example would
be a sports nutritionist leaving a stack of cards at a martial arts studio. Be creative and consider even
bringing your own cardholder to leave out.
International meetings and events can provide an opportunity to give out your business cards. Consider
having your card printed double-sided, with English on one side and the language of the host country of the
event on the other side.
Contacts at a Distance
Whenever you communicate with someone in writing, send a card if it's appropriate to the occasion. Enclose
several cards in every packet of sales material you mail out. Along with your thank-you note to the
businessperson whose referral brought you a major contract, include a business card to replace the one she
gave away, plus several more.
After any telephone call in which business was discussed, follow up with a letter outlining the main points
of your discussion and include one or more of your cards. E-mail is a great way to follow up, but a letter
will actually allow you to include your business cards.
Special Tricks of the Trade
When giving out your card, hand-write something on one copy, such as your cell-phone number, a
secondary e-mail address, etc. This will give that particular card a greater chance of being held onto. Be sure
you give a couple of "clean" cards to that person, as well, and ask your new friend to pass one on to a
potential customer.
After you get someone's card and have ended your time with her, make notes on the back of the card to jog
your memory about something special that'll help you remember her. Don't do that in front of her, or you
run the risk of making the impression that you are "forgetful." If you need to record information
immediately during your discussion, such as telephone numbers or other data not on the card, use one of
your own cards. You don't want her to think you view her card as scrap paper upon which to take notes.
At a restaurant, leave your card with the tip and write a personal thank-you note on the back or pay the
highway toll for the Mercedes behind you, and leave your card for the driver!
The main thing when handing out your card is to keep in mind what an effective tool it can be. Take
maximum advantage of its full potential. And never, ever, be caught out without it. And if you need a
referral to a great graphic designer and printer, contact me--I have just the card for you!
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3. BNI Card Holder Suggestion
Our Business Alliance Chapter in Eagan had a great idea for the BNI card holder. Several of
their members have the larger holder which does not have an inside flap in the front. That
have purchased plastic diskette holders, used double sided tape to hold two of them in place
on the inside front cover, one marked referrals in and the other referrals out. They have also
put tabs on the edges of their card slots representing the contact sphere categories: real
estate, financial, health/wellness, marketing/events and business solutions and put the cards
of their members in order. Then they have also put 2 other tabs toward the back: other BNI
members (visitors from other chapters) and non-BNI members (guests undecided). It
represents more referrals for their members to have them categorized by sphere in the card
files. Great idea.
Business Cards - Give 2, They're Small!
Sometimes we see people, both BNI members and non-members being miserly with their
business cards. We have a saying in BNI that says: Your business card is worthless until it is the
hand of either a potential client, or someone who is in the position to refer business to you. You
have produced your business cards for a reason. They are to let people know your name, your
business and most importantly, how to get in contact with you. So be plentiful with your business
card. Is there anything more ridiculous than someone saying or thinking I won't hand out my
business card to these people, because then I'll have none left?
That is the point of having them in the first place, to get them out in circulation! When they are
sitting in your wallet, they’re just pieces of cardboard, when they’re out in circulation, they are
marketing tools.
As an exercise this morning, take a look at how many of your business cards are in the chapter
card box. If you have none in there, you are really doing yourself a disservice. People can't refer
you anywhere near as effectively without your card as they can by giving it to a potential client. If
you have less than ten in the box, chances are there will be next to none left in there next week,
so re-stock today. If there are between 15 and 20 copies of your card in the box, well done! You've
been watching your stocks.
Finally, look at your BNI card file. Have you got at least two copies of everyone's else's card in
there? If you haven't, re -stock it. Business cards are there so that you can carry every member’s
card with you pretty well everywhere you go.
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4. Good networkers are ready to generate referrals anywhere, anytime. Having business cards ensures that you
can make a great referral, not just mention someone's name.
The importance of business cards
After my post about the second business card a few weeks ago I got some reactions from people saying they work for
a large organisation, but don’t have business cards. So I thought it might be good to share a part out of my networking
book "Let’s Connect!" (for a free light version of the book, visit www.letsconnect.be)
I still can’t believe that many organisations only have business cards for their “external profiles” like sales
people, managing directors, project leaders or marketing managers.
What managers who cut costs by saving on business cards apparently don’t understand is that the power of
networking works for every co-worker in their department or organisation. Even more important is the fact that if
you don’t have a business card, you have an extra obstacle to overcome.
For many people this does not only entail a practical disadvantage, but also a psychological one. The thought
“I’m not important enough to have a business card” can prohibit people from establishing contact with others. Most
often the people who don’t get business cards are back-office employees. And they tend to be more introvert than
others, which gives them the feeling of having a disadvantage to more extravert people (which is in fact not the case).
The result is that when they meet other people in a meeting, on a reception or another networking event, inside or
outside the organisation, they don’t even tend to network.
What beautiful opportunities are missed in this way! And besides, how vain or disrespectful to label people as
“less important”. You never know who they know! Maybe their neighbour is the customer your sales representatives
have been after for months. Or they might have a brother that would be the perfect software programmer for your next
big project. Or their son plays in the same soccer team as the president of a potential business partner.
Also within the organisation this could be important: they might be very well connected with people from other
departments or local offices. Many Social (or Organisational) Network Analyses have disclosed that the organisational
chart is almost NEVER the way people work together, exchange information or influence each other. A very good
book in this field is “The hidden power of social organisations” by Rob Cross and Andrew Parker. It is very practical,
with many case studies and examples from real business life.
Giving your co-workers business cards encourages them to represent your organisation to the outside world.
Once I got the answer: “That’s exactly the reason why we don’t give business cards to our cleaning staff. We don’t
want people to identify them with our company. They are not loyal and sometimes speak ill of our organisation.”
When I heard this, I seriously wondered about how important people were in this organisation. Business is still done
between people, not between machines. Many large contracts are signed, not because the offer was the best, but
because of the human aspect of the relationship between customer and supplier. When I hear someone say they
don’t believe in their own people, then I seriously doubt ever becoming a customer of this company. How will they
treat me? A good beginning for this man could just be to give business cards to his cleaning staff. They might feel
more respected and start behaving differently, more positively.
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5. Cool business card designs
Submitted by Ivan on Tue, 2007-05-08 11:09. Inspiration
You want a new business card, don't you? Of course. This is the most important element of your visual identity. It's the first
thing people see when they meet you.
Here is a collection of cool business cards to inspire you. Most of them are from the Business Cards flickr pool, some of them
from Ads of the World.
Update: I added 6 new great card ideas. Check the very end of the post.
Here's another really cool business card concept. The cards come in pads and tear out without perforation marks
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6. Cool business card designs
Submitted by Ivan on Tue, 2007-05-08 11:09. Inspiration
You want a new business card, don't you? Of course. This is the most important element of your visual identity. It's the first
thing people see when they meet you.
Here is a collection of cool business cards to inspire you. Most of them are from the Business Cards flickr pool, some of them
from Ads of the World.
Update: I added 6 new great card ideas. Check the very end of the post.
Here's another really cool business card concept. The cards come in pads and tear out without perforation marks
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