Like many business owners I meet a huge number of clients and prospects, some end up taking things further but others do not, but every single one of them will be offered my business card. I have attended business breakfasts, workshops, seminars, training events and other networking meetings in my search for keeping up to date with what is happening and meeting new prospects which hopefully will ultimately become new business, each person I meet also gets offered my business card.

Do I have just one business card? No, I have several and I offer the one most likely to meet the needs of the person I am taking to. Sometimes I offer more than one if they have mentioned someone who may be able to benefit from my services.

I not only hand out a huge number of cards, but I also receive a fair few myself. If you are not well organised it is easy to come back to your office and put the card down meaning to get back in touch with the person later and then forgetting who they are or why you were to contact them.

Sometimes it is worth going through some of the older ones to see if I could find some new prospects. My services may not have been right for them at the time we met however life changes and things move on, the person may well benefit from me now.

If you sit and sift through business cards you have received you may well, like I do, began to realise that most peoples cards are actually meaningless in isolation. Unless you work for one of the few companies who’s name actually reflects what you do, you may as well be writing your telephone number on a piece of paper and forgetting to add your name. Here is some information you should include on your business card, I have seen so many that miss out the persons name, business name, or phone number.

Business Name
Your Name
Position in the Business
Landline Telephone number
Mobile number
Fax number – if you have one
Email address
Website

Without going online and looking at every single website I have no idea what the companies do! You would be surprised at the number of websites I have checked out after receiving a card only to find that they do not do what we discussed, actually seem to do ‘everything’ and I’m not that sure after all that they can meet my requirements, or simply am met with a page which states ‘under construction’.

Likewise, all those people I had been diligently handing my business card too had every conceivable method of contacting me, written there in black and white! It’s my job when networking to “put my face about”, make sure I am always contactable and remember as much as I can about all my prospects. My prospects are also everyone else’s prospects, they do not need to remember me, and so they need a little help.

I realised the solution is simple. WRITE ON YOUR BUSINESS CARDS!!!

Here’s the scenario: The prospect gets back to the office one day and is told they need to help one of their staff who is experiencing problems which is impacting on their job now the staff member is a great resourse to the business and would be a great loss if they left or were sacked, it’s his job to find someone who can help. He remembers speaking to a few coaches at the seminar but can’t remember exactly who, so he quickly flips through the cards collected, then, he comes across one, he can’t remember the name or the face to match it, but, in nice clear writing it says “Coaching, getting back on track” Who is he going to call?

I’m one of those people who guard my business cards at meetings. I don’t like meaningless cardboard connections (exchanging business cards without a purpose). I’m put off by someone who says, “Hello, my name is…. Here is my business card, can I have yours?” My suspicion is that I’m going to be put on someone’s junk mail list. I hate it when people think that just because I have given them my business card they can add me to their mailing list NO I DONT WANT TO BE ON IT, I would have asked if you had a list I could be added to if I was interested. Even worse is mailing lists with no ‘Unsubscribe Here’ option.

However, by first striking up communication with another networker / delegate, you’ve accomplished something very important in your networking mission — you’ve found a reason to extend the relationship beyond the event at which you met.

Not all prospects you meet are going to fit your ideal client (or center of influence) profile. Focus your attention on those who meet your criteria. Jot down notes on the back of the card (the reason for the solid connection), and then you’ll have a conversation point in which to build your relationship at the next meeting or in your correspondence. Follow up quickly after the meeting by sending information you promised.

You could add other information to your business card before you hand it over relevant to what you discussed. When you receive a business card dont just stick it in your pocket with many others write something on the back of it yourself that will trigger a reminder for you for when you get back to the office, this is especially relevant if you have agreed to call or email the person with some particular information.

The Basics Of Marketing With Business Cards Part 1

That small piece of paper youâ ™re holding right now may be small but it sure packs a lot of punch when it comes to having a successful business. What am I talking about? Iâ ™m talking about your business cards â “ the business card …

25 Most Creative Business Cards | TutorialFreakz_All kind of free …

Every business, small or big, needs a business card to impress his clients. I have created a collection of 25 Creative Business Cards that will definitely impress your clients. There are no plain square business cards in this list, …

Business Cards and Promotional products. Check out Vistaprint.

Contact me if you would like help develop your marketing strategies and networking skills.

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