by Linda Elizabeth Alexander
On the Back 1. Print a team's sports schedule on the back. Fans will keep 2. Print a special discount offer or coupon on the back. People 3. If you do seminars, print key principals on the back. Your 4. Hand write on the back your "unlisted" 800 number. This adds Ad Specialties 5. Make the business card the ad specialty: Print your company 6. Attach a business card to an ad specialty: For example, give 7. If you routinely give out seasonal gifts or specialties, Unique Places to Put Them 8. Tuck them into the product before delivery: If you are a 9. Send a business card in every piece of correspondence - 10. If you are crafty, incorporate them into your designs: 11.When mailing out information: Take a number 10 envelope, 12. Scan your card in and use it as a graphic for when you 13. Place them in library books as if you used them as Keeping Them Handy: 14. Use them as bookmarks so you'll always have some readily 15. Have your spouse, family, and friends carry some of your 16. Wear them! Use them as nametags at meetings and conferences 17. Keep a stack of cards everywhere you might need them - in When to Use Them: 18. Give them out during your personal meetings when you meet 19. If you do seminars, have your participants exchange cards 20. Ask neighborhood businesses if you may display your cards 21. Tack them to bulletin boards at supermarkets, restaurants, 22. Give out two cards at a time - one for your prospect or 23. Place some on the table when you leave a restaurant. 24. Agree to mail the cards of other businesspeople in the How Not to Use Business Cards: 25. Don't give them to a member of the opposite sex in the hopes
them handy and keep your name in front of them
will keep it because they intend to use the coupon.
attendees will refer to them later and think of you.
value to your card, making people keep it longer because they
don't want to lose the special number.
information on letter openers, CD openers, magnets, pens,
highlighters, keychains, mousepads, mugs, luggage tags, and
other items that people will keep because they are useful.
business card holders as a thank you gift and place your
business card in as the first one. Or, have your card designed
as a Rolodex card
attach your business card. Examples: candy canes at Christmas,
heart shaped containers filled with candy for Valentine's Day,
or even a sandwich bag of candy with a card stapled to it.
florist, cut a hole in it and tie a ribbon around the flowers
and through the business card. If you sell gift baskets, Tuck
one inside the basket before delivering it to your customer. The
same goes for Mary Kay or Avon Cosmetics - place your card in
the bag. You've seen how some restaurants staple a menu to their
bags for takeout; if you use bags, staple your card to the
outside of the bag.
letters, invoices, even your electric bill. Sooner or later,
those cards will be used.
embellish them with rubber stamps, or blend them with other art
projects. You can also mount them to greeting cards you create
and send to customers and prospects.
facing you and upside down. Fold the envelope in thirds. When
you turn it around, there is a little pocket to tuck your card
in. Include it in the mailing. Using a colored envelope makes
the presentation even more dramatic.
exchange links with other websites. The other site can use your
graphic as the link.
bookmarks. Visit bookstores place them in books related to your
business.
available if you meet someone at school, in the library, on the
bus, or at the park where you like to read.
cards with them in case they meet someone who might be
interested in your product or service.
instead of the "Hello, my name is ..." type of tags.
your car, your jacket pocket, your briefcase, your purse or
wallet, in your planner, at home, anywhere you can think of.
Then you'll always have some on hand when you meet a prospect.
someone new: at your church, your children's soccer games, at
lunch with your friends when someone brings a guest. To be more
polite, you could have a personal "calling card" printed up with
your information to use in these situations.
with each other. Have them write a compliment about the person
on the back before they hand them out. Everyone will have a
wealth of contacts; they will remember each other and it will
also give participants a boost of confidence.
near their registers.
retail stores and the library - anyplace that has a bulletin
board.
client, and one for her/him to give away.
mailings you do, if they will do the same for you. Your
networking circle will grow as your cards are passed around.
that s/he will call you. I have a friend who was told this
wouldn't work. He did an experiment for six months to prove it,
and his friend was right! Sadly, not one woman called him.
Although he does have a girlfriend now!
26. Some people don't give out business cards when they meet a Other Types of Business Cards to Have 27. Business card CD-ROM. If you haven't seen these yet, they 28. Email Signature. Put your contact information into a 29. Vcard. These are electronic business cards that recipients 30. One consulting company, which works with designers of About the Author
Linda Elizabeth Alexander is a business writer and marketing
prospective client. Instead, they send a follow- up note later
with their card enclosed.
are a mini-sized CD that plays in any CD player and has your
contact information on it, as well as an introduction to your
business.
signature file for email, along with a link to your website (be
sure to include the "http" in order to make it "clickable.")
can click on and automatically add to their address books. Do a
web search for "vcard" to find software that supports this
technology. Then use it in all your emails!
products for people with disabilities, prints their cards in
Braille. It reminds their clients how they can help them comply
with disability laws. It also gets people asking for information.
consultant based in Longmont, Colorado, USA. Improve your
writing skills at work! Subscribe to her FREE ezine. Write to
the Point at lalexander@write2thepointcom.com or visit
http://www.write2thepointcom.com/articles.html.