BUSINESS CARDS: You are the Message
Do you have your own brand? Can you describe the three main components of your personal brand in twenty seconds? Is your business card representing your brand each time you hand it out? If you were doing really well right up until the business card question than you might want to go over this checklist to bring your business cards up to the professional speed you aspire to.
- You Go First: Set a good example. Always have business cards available and, when you make a good connection, be the first to ask for a card.
- Get Found: Make sure that your contact information is presented so that you can be reached easily. Use the method of communication that works best for you. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to follow up on what seems like a possibility and find that you've reached a dead end.
- Make a Memory: There is nothing more common place than the business card. Make sure yours is memorable. You probably have a stack of cards from colleagues and competitors. When you spread them out on your desk beside yours, does your card hold its own? If not, what is missing?
- Details make the Difference: Have your cards professionally typeset and printed. Don't be so creative that your information is difficult or even impossible to decipher. Quality appearance and quality "feel" can make your card special.
- Be Seen: If your business card is delivering your message twenty-four hours a day, it's a good idea to make sure your prospect knows where it's coming from. A professional picture can be a great way to stand out from the crowd.
- Tell Your Story: This could be the most important line on your card. Whether you think of it as a tag line, a mission statement or a call to action, make sure that this communicates your brand. You have carefully crafted your brand on your website, in your email, on your invoices and when you're giving presentations. The same attention to detail with your business card will earn dividends too.
- Show Your Brand: Make sure your business cards are consistent with your personal brand message. At every point of contact with you, your product or your expertise, people should receive a consistent, quality message. That's your brand! From your online presence to face to face meetings every point of contact, including your business cards, should talk your talk. Remember you aren't just saying "This is my card!" you're saying, "This is me!"
- Give Them Something of Value: Many business cards get thrown away with-in 24 hours. Make yours have staying power by giving them something of value in your card. Be it a promotion or a discount. Your business card needs to have staying power.
A great product that I have found, and use, that does all of this is the Inspire Card. Check them out; they really have mastered all of these facets, it is a business card and a referral network tool all in one.