 Business
Cards - Your Ticket to the World of Doing Business
By Donna Dahl of Coffee For The Health of It
Ever think of your business card as a ticket? If you have ever deposited
your business card into a draw box, you have used it as a ticket. Your
business card could be your ticket to win a free lunch or launch a new
success. It could be your ticket to enter into a delightful discussion
post-handshake and introductions. It could be your ticket to referrals,
which can help grow your business.
The Biggest Littlest Marketing Tool - Business cards have a
multitude of purposes. They are a way to stand out in the crowd, a means to
exchange contact information without grappling for a pen, and a tool for
building a data base. They are your mini advertisement, a call to action, an
invitation, a mini letter of introduction...as support for a referral. They
can be a coupon, a fridge magnet, a map or an appointment record. And
whatever unique purpose they serve, they are always your “calling card”
first and the most widely used tool of identification among people who are
serious about doing business. They say, “I have arrived, here is my card.
Keep my business in mind.”
People notice a lot when you hand them your card. The strength and clarity
of your business image is measured through every detail from the font size,
colour and type to the organization of the content and the quality of the
paper.
A business card can convey huge volumes of information in a small 2” x 3.5”
space. The standard size of the card allows it be stored conveniently. There
are those who even collect business cards the same way some collect postage
stamps or baseball cards. Would your card blend into the mix or would it
capture attention? Which way serves you better: blending or captivating?
Individuality - What strategies are you using to convey your
uniqueness? Some opt for a business card with an aluminum-like mirror
finish. Others opt for a distinct logo woven into the fabric of the text.
Some incorporate a landscape photograph or a special transparent cardstock.
Raised lettering may enhance a card that communicates conventionality to
stand out.
When artistic interpretation and function are combined in just the right mix
for you, your business card becomes one of your most valuable business
assets. It is then capable of simultaneously being your smallest messenger
service and your largest search engine for recruiting new business.
So what does your “ticket to business” say? Is it an invitation? Does it
communicate boldly or timidly? Can it be read without reading glasses? Have
you included a tag line that helps the customer associate your business name
with what it is you do?
Some design their own business cards while others hire professional
services. A professionally designed and printed business card speaks volumes
about the quality of your business. A graphic artist is trained in
incorporating your message into a visual impression. If your business card
is your signature for conducting business, your investment in the
development of your “corporate” brand may be just the boost to take your
business to another level.
Is your “ticket” also your ad? - How many calls are made each
and every day asking an advertiser to simply purchase a display ad using
their business card as the content? This is an easy way to fill up a page
dedicated to advertising; no need to get the on-staff designer to create an
ad when the business card will do. But is a general business card effective
enough as an ad? If this is your preferred method of advertising, perhaps
there is a need for at least two designs of your card. Would your
advertising dollar work better for you to reprint your usual business card
or to create a new card that contains more details about your
product/service and includes your call to action?
I learn so much from the people with whom I share my card. Whenever I ask
for feedback, I discover new things about what I am saying with my about my
business. This information will help me to revise it to a better marketing
tool when I order my next set.
Did you know that people who do business in more than one language will
often have two cards or will print the card on both sides with each side
being in a different language? Apparently, it used to be common practice to
employ the service of two cards: one for business and one for social
reasons. How many different ways do you use a business card? Does one
business card say it all? Are there some additional ways you might utilize a
business card if you used two or more separate card designs? Examine your
own card. What changes will you make the next time you have cards printed?
Your Turn - Your business card, depending on the graphics,
cardstock and wording, has a distinct message. The message you want to be
sending may not be the message that is being received. The following
experiment may be helpful to you to revise your card to a clear, concise
representation of you and your business:
Ask ten people today what they notice when they see your business card. What
words pop out? What is lost? What is it about your business card that stands
out for them; is it the logo, the call to action, etc? What message are they
receiving?
Risky to ask? You bet. It takes courage to change, to grow and to improve.
Yet this is a very easy way to learn what it is you are really marketing.
Every time you extend your hand with your card you are taking the
opportunity to deliver your artistic identification combined with your
business message. This is, after all, your ticket to the world of business.
Here’s to your success!
Donna Dahl has been an independent distributor of products for twenty
years. She has participated in tradeshows for over a decade. Reach her at
mrsddahl@telus.net |
