What Are You Using Your Business Card For?

How to Turn Your Business Card Into Powerful Marketing
By Allison Babb

Take a quick a look a couple of the business cards scattered or piled somewhere in your office.   Have you ever wondered what those little cards are supposed to do?  Few business owners give much thought to what business cards are (and what they’re not.)


Your business card is not just a “contact card” to showcase your name, your business name, your lovely title, and your catchy one-liner.  In reality, your prospects care very little about any of those things.  Well, ok, maybe they do want to know your name but all the other stuff is largely irrelevant, or at best, secondary to what really matters most.

A business card is a marketing tool and I would invite you to give your business card a little makeover so that it accomplishes the job that great marketing ultimately accomplishes – attracting clients.  If it’s an effective marketing tool, then it should contain the components of effective marketing.  So here are 6 things you can do immediately to turn your business card into a powerful marketing tool:

1.  Use all the real-estate you’ve got

First, get ready to use all the real estate you’ve got.  Most business cards are  full of contact information on the front side, and completely blank on the back side and.  Yes, I know you’re supposed to leave the blank side so people can write stuff about you.  But, know what, few people do that, so why not use all the space you’ve got.  Hey, you paid for it, right?  Some of the suggestions included in this article will require you to use both sides of your  business card.

2.  Highlight the #1 problem you solve

It may seem strange to think about putting the problem you solve on your business card, but like any other type of effective marketing, the top 3-5 problems you solve for people is what pulls people toward you.  I’ll confess I break all the rules for business cards so those little biz card scanners tend to get all confused if you try to scan my card in.

On my current business card, highlighted boldly is a title – not my own title, and not  my business name.  Rather, it’s the title of the #1 problem I solve for people.  That’s the most prominent part of my business card.  If the person holding it has that problem, they’re inspired to read more.  My own name and business name is secondary to that “problem title.”

So if you do tax preparation services, your #1 problem may be “How to Save Thousands on Your Next Tax Return.”  Yes, I know, it’s odd to see that instead of your business name prominently displayed on your business card, but like I said, I break all the rules.   When it comes to marketing, I don’t conform to “pretty looking.”  I tend to go with what actually works instead.

3.  Name Your Target Market

Many business owners remain stuck in the mindset of “everyone can use my services.”  Truth be told, that thinking dilutes your marketing power.  In my experience, the  more you niche, the faster you see revenue.  So just below the boldly highlighted #1 problem I solve is the answer to “Who are the people that I help?”  I specifically say who they are and include a few examples.

One of my former clients is a very talented photographer for newborns.  So on her business card, she can say something like “Exclusively for New and Expectant Moms.”  There would be no doubt as to who her business is set up to serve, and when you’re that clear on your target market, they begin to show up in larger numbers.

4.  Share the top 3-5 problems or burning desires

This where all that empty space on the back of your card can be used (or even the front for that matter).  On my business card, I say “If you are frustrated with…” and I proceed to include 3-5 bullets in the language of my target market (not my view of the world). Using their language makes it far more powerful than some polished version of the problem.

And by the way, let me underscore that the 3-5 bullets are PROBLEMS and not catchy sentences/phrases.  It’s the top 3-5 things my prospects repeatedly tell me that they’re grappling with, and I say it in their words.  You know you have some client-magnetic sentences when those words ARE what your prospects say they want help with when they show up to do business with you.  Immediately following that list, I say something like “Please know you can instantly access…” and I include my “Call to Action.”

5.  Include a “Call To Action”

If you’re unfamiliar with the marketing term “call to action,” it simply means inviting the person to take action after they read your card and this is a must-have ingredient in any type of successful marketing.  The best type of “call to action” on a business card is inviting them to get your “free offer.”

That free offer has to be quite enticing, and in alignment with the key problem you solve for people.  For example, on my business card, I invite the reader to get  my free training (audio and videos) on how to attract a steady stream of clients.  The key here is to make sure that your free offer clearly addresses the #1 problem or burning desire you help with;  that is what piques interest and authentically inspires desire for your free offer.

By the way, people tend to be less responsive to “free consultations” because they think you’re going to try and pressure them to buy something.  In my experience, giving them a free educational download or something they can get on their own tends to be more effective.  However, if free consultations have been working fabulously for you then by all means, go ahead and use it.  But I’d make it say something like “Free Consultation on How to……” so the reader knows it’s focused on solving their key problem.

6.  An advanced maneuver – online tracking

One of the most powerful things you can do in your marketing is to track your results.  How would we ever know what’s working and what’s not if we don’t track.  Now I’ll admit this particular way of tracking may be an advanced maneuver for some and isn’t absolutely necessary.  But for those of you who are savvy with internet marketing, this would be pretty easy.

Remember the free offer?  Well, how about sending the reader to a special trackable URL to get that free offer?  That would be a website link that is used only on your business card.  That way, you know exactly how many people were pulled in by the offer on your business card.

So there you have it folks – a mini-makeover for your business card to turn it into a powerful marketing tool.  And it works!  Here’s an example for ya.  Now bear in mind I made up all the data on the example card here.  I’m not a tax preparer so I’m not sure what would indeed be the top 3-5 problems you solve if you’re in that industry, but I wanted you see what the front (with the red) and the back of a client-magnetic business card may look like.

Copyright © 2011 Allison Babb International LLC

Allison Babb Phillips is an internationally recognized author, speaker and Business Success Coach.  Allison publishes the “Small Business Success” weekly Ezine on how to create a steady stream of clients for your small business at: www.GreatSmallBusinessAdvice.com

I think that this is a marvelous idea. Going to work on a new business card using Allison's idea.

Two Ways to Improve Your Business

I think we all get down about our business and feel like giving up. When you find yourself getting to this point remember this video from Todd Falcone.



Remember: Keep Going. You might have to do something totally different for a while but if you really want to reach your dreams and goals never, ever just quit on yourself. Understand this: if you throw up your hands and quit, you ARE Quitting On Yourself not the company.

If you have to change companies, then change; but don't quit trying. Find a company that you have some passion about. That you believe you can really dig into and stay with. No network marketing company is a quick fix to your finances - some are better in this area than most. So, get that out of your brain right now.

When you find that company that sets you on fire, here is some advice from Dale Calvert about conviction. Without conviction you are forever digging a ditch to nowhere.



The two ways to improve your business is never quit and have conviction about what you are trying to accomplish.

Are You A Failure?

"Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day. It is the accumulative weight of our disciplines and our judgments that leads us to either fortune or failure." —Jim Rohn

I have a personal story to tell you about my encounter with the word  'failure'.

Years ago I decided that I wanted to be a physician's assistant. Just in case you don't know what that is: a physician's assistant (PA) is a trained individual in the medical field that assists doctors. They can do what a physician does.

I made it into the top 100 candidates and it was time for the interviews. I was not looking forward to this day but I went. I did fine until I got to my last interviewer. To make this story short, one of the questions that he threw at me was this: Have you ever failed?

Oh! my gracious. I sat there like a dummy. I was frozen in place and time. My brain kept going through my life trying to find something that I had failed at. Minutes seem to rush by like race cars at the speedway. Surely I had failed at something but for the life of me I couldn't think of anything. So, I just sat there, looking at him like he was crazy.

So, he asked me this, in a very sarcastic, smug voice, "If you failed at something how would you handle it?" That certainly didn't make sense to me. How would I know?  And his attitude was becoming just a little bit nasty. After all, I hadn't answered his other question. In my thinking if I hadn't answered the first question, how in the world could I answer the second one. So I left. I determined that I didn't want this man teaching me anything.

I don't think that we really know how we will handle any kind of failure until that failure is with us.

Finally, years later, it dawned on me that the word "failure" was not in my vocabulary. Yes, I have not always accomplished something that I set out to do, but is that failure? I don't necessarily think so.





Failure to me can only be decided by the individual. It is in the mind and thinking of that person. Understand this: no one else can tell me that I have failed at something. I have to come to that conclusion by myself. Likewise the same is true of you - you are the only person on this earth that can decide if you have failed or not.

As network marketers we see so called "failures" on a constant basis. But, are these people really failures? I can't answer that but I bet the so-called "top dogs, already made-it-network marketers will. They base this conclusion on their perception of what someone didn't accomplish. And, that is what 'failure' means.

For those of you that feel as if you have failed because of something you read that was written by someone else, forget it.

Failure is within you. It is the way you perceive yourself. It is how you feel about yourself. Maybe you just didn't jive with the company or the person working with you and you decided to move on.

We can fail, make no mistake about that, but it is totally up to you whether you consider yourself a failure or not. It is not my decision. It is not your families decision. Nor is it anyone elses decision. It is YOUR decision and yours alone.

One of the worst failures to me that most people make and continue to make is not believing in them self. Their fear of failure keeps them from trying - from moving on. Another one is not going all out, being consumed with reaching your dreams but never taking that step.

"The only real failure in life is the failure to try."

Success is cramped packed with failures. This is a fact. All of the now famous inventors, visionaries and dreamers failed many times before realizing their success.

"Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals." —Jim Rohn

And, some of those fundamentals is learning to accept your failures, learning from them and letting them go. Never allow failure to fester inside you to the point that it boils over and destroys your love and passion for what you want. Failure will happen. Make the most of it. Grow within from it.

Only you can make your failure your epitaph.

Elaine

PS  You only fail to accomplish your purpose when you allow yourself to believe you are a failure. Failure is a mistake you made. Learn from it. Then your failure will become your success. Soichiro Honda states it best: "Success is 99% failure."

"You Don't Gotta Be Someone Else "!

I received an email from Dale Calvert yesterday talking about all of the ads out there for so-called 'increase your traffic software'. I have seen all of the ones he mentioned. Also in his email he reminded me of a long time internet marketer, Marlon Sanders. Marlon is famous for his Marketing Dashboard software which is just one of his many endeavors. This software has been around for several years.

If you don't know of Marlon Sanders you need to get to know him. He is an expert at copy-writing. If you haven't struggled with learning how to write good copy to improve your sales then you are missing a major portion of what you should know. Good copy makes for more sales.

Anyhow, today, I got an email from Marlon with this video on the page that he had me go to. I thought I would share it with everyone because it speaks mountains to everyone of you trying to make it in this thing called 'home business. It doesn't matter whether you are in network marketing or affiliate marketing this video shows us what a long time marketer has to say about internet marketing. And, no it isn't what you may be thinking.



Just remember this: you are special. You are the only person on the face of the earth like you. You have much to offer to the world and to your little space of it.

Elaine

Nothing Wrong With Some Laughter In Your Business

This may seen like an oxymoron statement: mixing business with laughter. In truth it is a good thing to add to your business and to your life.

It is interesting that before I got this email with this movie in it I got an email from Hilton Johnson. Hilton publishes a newsletter, MLMU Biz Tips. Each day he sends out one little tid-bit of information about how to improve your prospecting/recruiting journey. It just so happened in this one his advice was to add some humor and laughter to your conversations with prospects.

Of course, this idea is right up my alley. I love to have fun and to help others include fun in their life. Laughter can change a rainy day into a rainbow - if you take the time to look for it. By the way, it is pouring down rain here now.

Laughter can turn your life around regardless of how bad you think your life is going.

So, the next time you are fighting your phone and/or mouth think of something funny. You don't have to be perfect to talk to others - you just have to be honest and be yourself.

You don't have to be perfect. (Yes, I did repeat that sentence.) You don't even have to know everything.

So, relax, have a laugh and go for it. You see there really isn't anything wrong with some laughter in your business. You may just find out that you will do much better by using this method. After all, you are calling or taking to someone to get to know them and for them to get to know you. You are not a salesman. You are the information giver and gatherer.

Make your business fun - not drudgery. Your prospects will pick up on this and relax with you - instead of telling you to stick it. You may make a friend and isn't that what this is all about?