Three free ways to add value to your business card by Diana Ratliff.
Are you saddled with "ho-hum" business cards, cards that
are
about as exciting as watching paint dry? Never fear. You can
give ordinary cards a little "pizzazz" without spending a cent.
Given the fact that people expect someone who's serious about
their business to have a card, you can't afford to let this
versatile and portable marketing tool languish in the depths of
your desk drawers. Here are three free ways to make ordinary
cards seem extraordinary.
1. Use both hands to give someone your card. Next time you want
to give someone your business card, make it a presentation. Turn
the card face up with the text facing the receiver, and then
slowly, carefully, give them the card. You want to convey the
impression that your card contains such valuable information
that you wouldn't give it to just anyone. Treat it as if it was
a precious commodity, and the person receiving it will
definitely notice.
2. Punch a hole in your card. Use a standard hole punch and
"snap!" put a hole somewhere on your card. Odds are you'll be
asked about it! That gives you a great opening to give more
information about your product or service. A window washer might
say: "That hole lets you see through the card very easily,
doesn't it? You'll see just as well through your sparking clean
windows, too!"
Cheap Business Cards - Business Card Breakthroughs
If you run a dating service, the hole could represent the
emptiness people feel without someone to love. If you sell
insurance, the hole could illustrate the gap in coverage your
company can certainly fill. If you sell weight loss products,
the hole might represent the "empty stomach" feeling you get on
traditional diets.
Get the idea? You can even spend $5 or so and buy a themed
punch, say in the shape of a house or a heart.
3. Write on your cards. Anything you do to personalize your cards
increases their value and makes them more likely to be kept. You can
merely sign your name, or go further and write down the name of
the product you recommend. You can write "10% discount" on
your
cards, initial it, and tell the receiver to bring it into your
store. You can even write private information on your cards, such
as your home phone number, which really makes the receiver feel
special.
Another way to add value to your cards (and to other people's
cards, too) isn't free but offers great returns on a one-time
investment. And that's the purchase of a classy or unique
business card holder or case.
Try to find one with two sections so you can separate cards you
give and cards you get. Buy two separate cases if you can afford
it. And make a point of using them! You can really impress a
prospective customer by taking time to study his or her card
before carefully tucking it away into a sturdy case. The care
with which you treat those cards subconsciously equates to the
care with which you'll treat their business.
Remember, creating cards that people keep is only partly about
the card - it's about you, too. If you're creative and helpful
when presenting your card, you'll be perceived as someone who's
creative and helpful in business dealings too. And who would
toss the card of a valuable contact like that?
Copyright 2006. Diana Ratliff. All rights reserved
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