Eit
« Home | How to Encourage Children to Read » | What Not to Do to Get a Celebrity Photo » | Furreal Friends Biscuit, My Lovin' Pup - Is it a G... » | Educational Toys Help Children's' Learning » | Popular Christmas Toys Versus Less Expensive Toys ... » | RC Planes Trains and Automobiles » | Top 5 STD Stories » | Why Discount Cards Are the Easiest Form of Fundrai... » | Specializing in Collectibles - Affairs of the Heart » | Vintage Dolls - Things to Consider When Starting Y... »
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Market Yourself With Business Cards
One of the most effective Isis economical (read really cheap) self-marketing techniques is the use of business cards. You can go online and pick up 500 attractively designed cards for less than twenty-five bucks. Five hundred cards will get American Girls collection started with Bagelboy personal networking and will probably last six months to a year. Don't buy more than 500 to start because you may decide you'd like to change the design a bit once you begin using them.
TIP: Pass up the offers for free business cards. Free cards usually have the name and logo of the printer on the back of the card. They're free because every card that you hand out advertises the printer. The idea is to promote you, not somebody else.
TIP: Avoid using blank forms that allow you to design and print your own business cards using your computer and printer. The edges of micro-perforated forms will feel rough and homemade when you separate the individual cards. It's less expensive to use a professional printing company, and you get a clean edge.
If you haven't yet established your own business or decided what you want to call yourself, get some cards anyway. Have them printed with just your name, address, telephone number, and email address. If you have a Web site, include the URL. The idea is to plant your name in people's minds, and a simple card can do that when used properly.
How to use business cards
First, the don'ts
Don't design cards that are oversized, overly cute, or hard to read.
Don't thrust your card at every warm body that passes by.
Don't say, "I'm looking for work. Call me." as you hand over a card.
Instead...
Use your card as a tool for you and a resource for your prospect. Getting your card into the hand of a prospective client or useful contact should be the beginning of a relationship, not the end of a conversation. Successful self-marketers don't sell themselves or their business; they help others.
TIP: During a conversation, it's more important to listen than to talk.
If your new acquaintance says he likes Indian food, tell him you know a great Indian restaurant. Take out your card, write the name and location on the back, and hand it to him. If she says she loves foreign movies, jot down the name of a film you've seen and liked and hand it to her. If he's going to London next month, write down a museum, shop, or pub you think might interest him. The better the value (not necessarily the lowest prices) the restaurant offers, obscure the film, or offbeat the site you describe, the better.
Find common ground. It's all right to guide a conversation toward a topic that favors your area of knowledge and to add nearby others to your Lerynfranco Ask for opinions. Encourage the other person(s) to relate personal experiences. Try to lead the conversation, but don't dominate it. Talk about ideas; don't make a pitch. Remember: You sell (help) best when you're not "selling."
TIP: Never enclose your card with a holiday or birthday card.
TIP: Always enclose your card with any business correspondence.
Brief personally written notes are best when sending greeting cards, and it's okay to include your business's name if, and only if, you think it's necessary for the addressee to identify you. It's crass and opportunistic otherwise and will be viewed that way by the recipient.
That aside, you can not send out too many cards. Include them with business letters, proposals, invoices, brochures and other collaterals, and always with promotional correspondence. Some of your cards will get into the "wrong" hands (there really aren't any wrong hands), and some will be duplicates. It doesn't matter; you're risking only a penny or less.
Never go anywhere without cards, not even to the laundry room, grocery, or doctor's office. You never know when you might run into someone whose acquaintance, no matter how brief, could lead you to someone who, in turn, could lead to someone else whom you might be able to help. Cards very often are passed along to others you may never personally meet. Help people help you so that you can help others.
This article may be reprinted with credit: Jim Kepler owns Adams Press, a family-owned producer of books for small presses and self-publishing authors since 1942. Visit http://www.adamspress.com
He is the presenter of "You Ought to Write a Book" and other writing workshops.
Posted by jodzrijt | 6:27 AM | E-mail this post 
Add a comment
Jun 17, 2008 Jun 18, 2008 Jun 19, 2008 Jun 20, 2008 Jun 21, 2008 Jun 22, 2008 Jun 23, 2008 Jun 24, 2008 Jun 25, 2008 Jun 26, 2008 Jun 27, 2008 Jun 28, 2008 Jun 29, 2008 Jun 30, 2008 Jul 1, 2008 Jul 2, 2008 Jul 3, 2008 Jul 4, 2008 Jul 5, 2008 Jul 6, 2008 Jul 7, 2008 Jul 8, 2008 Jul 9, 2008 Jul 10, 2008 Jul 11, 2008 Jul 12, 2008 Jul 13, 2008 Jul 14, 2008 Jul 15, 2008 Jul 17, 2008 Jul 18, 2008 Jul 19, 2008 Jul 20, 2008 Jul 21, 2008 Jul 22, 2008 Jul 23, 2008 Jul 24, 2008 Jul 25, 2008 Jul 26, 2008 Aug 4, 2008 Aug 7, 2008 Aug 8, 2008 Aug 10, 2008 Aug 11, 2008 Aug 12, 2008 Aug 13, 2008 Aug 14, 2008 Aug 16, 2008 Aug 17, 2008 Aug 18, 2008 Aug 19, 2008 Aug 20, 2008 Aug 21, 2008 Aug 22, 2008 Aug 23, 2008 Aug 24, 2008 Aug 25, 2008 Aug 26, 2008 Aug 27, 2008 Aug 28, 2008 Aug 29, 2008 Aug 30, 2008 Aug 31, 2008 Sep 1, 2008 Sep 2, 2008 Sep 3, 2008 Sep 4, 2008 Sep 5, 2008 Sep 6, 2008 Sep 7, 2008 Sep 8, 2008 Sep 9, 2008 Sep 10, 2008 Sep 11, 2008 Sep 12, 2008 Sep 14, 2008 Sep 16, 2008 Sep 18, 2008 Sep 19, 2008 Sep 20, 2008 Sep 30, 2008 Oct 1, 2008 Oct 2, 2008 Oct 3, 2008 Oct 4, 2008 Oct 5, 2008 Oct 6, 2008 Oct 7, 2008 Oct 8, 2008 Oct 10, 2008 Oct 11, 2008 Oct 12, 2008 Oct 13, 2008 Oct 14, 2008 Oct 15, 2008 Oct 16, 2008 Oct 17, 2008 Oct 18, 2008 Oct 19, 2008 Oct 20, 2008 Oct 21, 2008 Oct 22, 2008 Oct 23, 2008 Oct 24, 2008 Oct 25, 2008 Oct 26, 2008 Oct 27, 2008 Oct 28, 2008 Oct 29, 2008 Oct 30, 2008 Oct 31, 2008 Nov 1, 2008 Nov 2, 2008 Nov 3, 2008 Nov 4, 2008 Nov 5, 2008 Nov 7, 2008 Nov 8, 2008 Nov 9, 2008 Nov 10, 2008 Nov 11, 2008 Nov 12, 2008 Nov 13, 2008 Nov 14, 2008 Nov 15, 2008 Nov 16, 2008 Nov 17, 2008 Nov 18, 2008 Nov 19, 2008 Nov 24, 2008 Nov 25, 2008 Nov 26, 2008 Nov 28, 2008 Nov 29, 2008 Dec 1, 2008 Dec 2, 2008 Dec 4, 2008 Dec 5, 2008 Dec 6, 2008 Dec 7, 2008 Dec 8, 2008 Dec 9, 2008 Dec 10, 2008 Dec 11, 2008 Dec 12, 2008 Dec 13, 2008 Dec 14, 2008 Dec 15, 2008 Dec 16, 2008 Dec 17, 2008 Dec 18, 2008 Dec 19, 2008 Dec 20, 2008 Dec 21, 2008 Dec 22, 2008 Dec 23, 2008 Dec 26, 2008 Dec 27, 2008 Dec 28, 2008 Dec 30, 2008 Dec 31, 2008 Jan 1, 2009 Jan 2, 2009 Jan 3, 2009 Jan 4, 2009 Jan 5, 2009 Jan 6, 2009 Jan 7, 2009 Jan 8, 2009 Jan 9, 2009 Jan 12, 2009 Jan 13, 2009 Jan 14, 2009 Jan 15, 2009 Jan 16, 2009 Jan 17, 2009 Jan 18, 2009 Jan 19, 2009 Jan 20, 2009 Jan 21, 2009 Jan 22, 2009 Jan 23, 2009 Jan 24, 2009 Jan 25, 2009 Jan 26, 2009 Jan 27, 2009 Jan 28, 2009 Jan 29, 2009 Jan 30, 2009 Feb 22, 2009 Feb 23, 2009 Feb 24, 2009 Feb 25, 2009 Feb 26, 2009 Feb 27, 2009 Feb 28, 2009 Mar 1, 2009 Mar 2, 2009 Mar 3, 2009 Mar 4, 2009 Mar 5, 2009 Mar 6, 2009 Mar 7, 2009 Mar 9, 2009 Mar 10, 2009 Mar 11, 2009 Mar 12, 2009 Mar 13, 2009 Mar 14, 2009 Mar 15, 2009 Mar 16, 2009 Mar 17, 2009 Mar 18, 2009 Mar 19, 2009 Mar 20, 2009 Mar 21, 2009 Mar 22, 2009 Mar 23, 2009 Mar 30, 2009 Mar 31, 2009 Apr 1, 2009 Apr 2, 2009 Apr 3, 2009 Apr 4, 2009 Apr 6, 2009 Apr 7, 2009 Apr 8, 2009 Apr 10, 2009 Apr 11, 2009 Apr 12, 2009 Apr 13, 2009 Apr 14, 2009 Apr 15, 2009 Apr 16, 2009 Apr 17, 2009 Apr 18, 2009 Apr 20, 2009 Apr 23, 2009 Apr 24, 2009 Apr 25, 2009 Apr 26, 2009 Apr 27, 2009 Apr 28, 2009 Apr 29, 2009 Apr 30, 2009 May 1, 2009 May 2, 2009 May 3, 2009 May 4, 2009