How to Make Your Business Card a Effective Selling Tool

Author: Jonathan Taylor

Author: Jonathan Taylor

What if I told you that most business cards are a complete waste of paper and ink? You might disagree with me by saying that they're a great way for giving prospects your contact information. The problem with this reasoning is most of these people don't hang onto them long enough to contact you. They're usually thrown into the waste basket; maybe not right away, but eventually. They may hold onto it for months in their wallets, purses, or day planners until it's time to clean them out. Then, they get tossed out with ticket stubs, old receipts and any other scraps of paper they've accumulated over several months. The reason why most people pay no attention to the average business card is because most are extremely boring and predictable. When you think of a business card, what comes to mind? A card with a person's name, their title, the company name, phone number and email address. What is compelling in this? Nothing in this information makes me take notice; or makes me want to pick up the phone or visit a web site. What most business cards are missing is an Offer! An offer that tells the prospect "what's in it for them." Here's what every business card should have: 1. An Offer 2. A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) 3. Testimonials 4. Contact Information You'll notice that I listed contact information last. There's a reason for this. Just like any effective sales letter, your business card should hook your reader from the start; then lead them into taking action. Make them an offer for a Free Special Report if they go to your website and sign up for your e-newsletter. Putting an advertisement for a special report on your business card will definitely attract interest. You could advertise a free report. For example, if you're a Realtor, you could offer a free report on the "7 Mistakes Most People Make When Buying a House". Don't forget to add testimonials from current customers. Nothing sells more than social proof from current customers. I use the back side of my own business cards for printing testimonials. That space on the back is wasted by probably 98% of all business cards. Put it to use! I once helped a friend develop a card for his business. He didn't have many testimonials at the time to add to the back, so I recommended he have the entire football season for the University of Tennessee printed on the back. This way he knew prospects would a least hold onto it throughout football season. Don't be boring; add value to your cards.About the Author:

Jonathan Taylor is the author of the new book The Official Small Business Guide to Marketing 2.0. Not only does this author specialize in marketing and business success, you can check out his latest website on car sales training and marketing; it's a great resource for auto dealers and sales people interested in gaining more auto sales training experience.

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