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Business Card Basics
by Erin Ferree
More Business Skills Articles
Published on this site: September 29th, 2007 - See
more articles from this month
Making a great first impression often begins with your
business card. Your business card is typically the first of
your marketing materials that a new client will see. It
should clearly tell your client who you are and what you do
at first glance.
A business card is a convenient way to introduce yourself
at networking events, and it's key to passing your contact
information along when you meet someone.
Important elements to include when designing your business
card include:
- Your contact information, including your business mailing
address. Including a mailing address greatly increases your
credibility and makes you look much more established! If
you're concerned about privacy, a Post Office box or
mailbox is a great way to go.
- Your logo, as discussed in many of the other articles in
our library.
- Strong secondary graphics and design elements, which we
refer to as your visual vocabulary.
- A list of your services, which is especially important if
you offer multiple services or if your business name
doesn't specifically make clear what you do. Be concise.
when creating this list, so that all of the relevant
information will fit on the business card. Combining these
elements will result in a business card that does more than
just pass along your contact information-it will also build
your brand.
The best practices for using your business card include:
- First of all, be sure that you carry your cards with you
at all times-keep a stack in your desk, your car, your
briefcase or purse, and your wallet. This will ensure that
you always have a card available when you meet someone who
should have one!
- Take your business cards with you to business meetings,
networking events, conferences, trade shows-everywhere you
go that's business related. And be sure to take some with
you to the gym, the grocery store-you never know where
you'll meet a potential client.
- Don't pass business cards out at random-wait until you've
made a connection with someone or until you've been asked
for it. Making a connection with a prospect will lead to a
sale far more often than just dealing cards to everyone
you meet.
- Include a copy of your card with correspondence or
packages-it automatically puts a "business spin" on all of
the mail you send out. It also provides a backup return
address, in case the envelope has been damaged or thrown
away.
- Give stacks of your cards to business partners and other
possible sources of referral and business partners, so that
they can hand them out when they're telling people about
your services-it makes the referral more likely to produce
results.
Erin Ferree: Is a brand identity and marketing design
strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses.
Through her customized marketing and brand identity
packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand
differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and
other marketing materials and websites to reflect that
differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and
memorability. http://www.elf-design.com
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