One of
most important building blocks of a good marketing plan is your business card. It is far and away most likely item to find its way into hands of your most important business contacts. And it is one thing that is likely to remain when all your other marketing materials are long gone.In other words, your business card is much more than just a piece of paper with your name, address and phone number printed on it. It is a powerful sales and marketing tool. And it should be designed with that purpose in mind.
What can a business card do for your business?
Before asking inevitable questions about design of your business card, you should ask what its function in your overall marketing plan should be. A properly designed business card has at least four important marketing functions. Here they are:
1. It helps you to introduce your company. 2. It provides critical contact information about you or your company. 3. It conveys your most important sales message. 4. It communicates your corporate image.
An introduction to your company
This may seem obvious, but think about it for a minute. Think of your business card as a tool for opening doors. Think of yourself at a meeting, or even at a social event. What better way to introduce yourself to a person than to hand them your card?
I'm not talking about shoving your card on people who don't want it. I'm talking about using your card as a tool to make useful connections with people who are likely to appreciate introduction.
This suggests you should think of appropriate introductory "openers" to accompany your card. For instance, say you're at a business connections meeting. Since purpose of meeting is to meet people and do "networking", you might try a simple card swap strategy: "Hi, I'm Harriet Phillips. I'm swapping business cards with as many people as I can. Here's my card. May I have one of yours for my contact file?"
Every situation will be a bit different, but function of card remains same: it provides you with an excuse to introduce your business to people who might be able to use your services.
Provide critical contact information on your card
Before you put your business card into hands of prospects, you want to make sure it communicates most important things about you and your company.
Deciding what information is "critical" will vary from business to business. The basics are pretty obvious: your name, your company name, your business address, and most effective way for people to get hold of you — probably your telephone number and email address.
Rather than putting your cell or pager number on all your business cards, you might make a point of writing it on card when you think it is appropriate: "Here, I'll give you my cell number, just in case you can't reach me at my office number." That gives impression you're giving this person special treatment.
Include Your Most Important Sales Message
Even more important than giving prospects your basic contact information is conveying your Most
Important Sales Message. According to Cesar Crespo of Free Card Business Card Displays, "Business people often miss a golden opportunity to make their business card a powerful sales tool. Our clients are often surprised at how much more effective we can make their cards."
