Use Business Cards to Help Create Individual 'Brand'

Business cards at their most basic level are exchanged between people on a rather routine basis in and out of business settings. If that is all you are doing with yours, you are missing out on a great and inexpensive marketing device that is worth its weight in gold!

Further, if you are using your card merely to furnish basic information about yourself and your company, you might tend to cut corners with it and use the office printer to run off cards that offer a less-than-perfect image of you and your company. In short, it ain’t good for your brand.

Here are numerous ways we like to use your card to market yourself and your company...starting now!

• Add information to your card that you might not have on it right now. Always add information to the card when you give one away, like your direct phone line or cell phone so that the card has greater value than the typical card.
• Always carry your card--ALWAYS. This is true whether you are starting a business or looking for a job. Give the card to all those who will take it. We were in a book store recently and were delighted at how far some people will take this. In thumbing through a general business book, we came on the author’s business card, which fell out of it. On it he had written that he would like the buyer’s feedback on his book. He wanted to know how we liked the book and if we would recommend it to others. We did buy the book and sent him an email. He thanked us and asked for a recommendation on his website. We complied. The other reason to always carry a card is because you never know who you will meet or where you will meet them. A pharmaceutical consultant took a college tour with her daughter. She struck up a conversation with what turned out to be a senior vp at a large pharma company she was trying to crack. He was there with his son to look at the college. She did not have her card with her to give to the pharma executive. Now she always carries them.
• Business cards at presentations.If you give presentations, think about including some of your presentation on the back of your card. Perhaps include a key graphic or key numbers. This is a sure winner if you can add something that your audience will find of value. If your presentation changes from time to time, consider adding labels to the back of your business card with specific information having to do with that presentation.
• Card courtesy. When you are offered a person’s card, do not stuff it into your pocket without looking at it. Take a second and look at it and find something in that card to compliment the person on, perhaps the logo. Be respectful when receiving a card; perhaps place it in a holder, not in your pocket. It is a way of showing that it is valuable to you, even if it is not.
• Cards collecting dust. The worst use for your card is to store it in a desk draw or closet. Like red blood cells in the body, business cards were born to circulate. In fact, stop giving out just one card to a new prospect, give out two and ask them to give a card to someone else.

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