There’s an Apple Computer iPhone app that can read business cards! If the card has a QR Code, Quick Response Code, it can match that data to find if that person is a LinkedIn connection with you. Is there a QR code on your business card? When it comes to business cards, you likely want to eventually have that card be your QRC, Quite Reliable Contact. Many people use business cards, and you might be like me and just use them without too much thought. Well then snap out of it! With some questions and ideas, acted on or thought about, let’s help those little pieces of paper work better for us.
Where do you keep business cards? I have cards – in a certain section of my shoulder bag, in the glove compartment and trunk of my car. Over the years of my networking there were times when I was caught without cards at an unexpected event. Then I got the idea from somewhere, just carry more with you! Find multiple places.
Where do you place your business cards? We likely all are generous in handing them out. I’m not as generous as in the past. I find too many people just use them these days to call you up and start selling or continue selling from their lame elevator pitch they thought you listened to the night before. Certainly, hand them out to people you meet who you want to connect further with.
Have you ever put some business cards on – a community bulletin board? I did this for the first time about a year ago. Personally I don’t think my business of courage coaching is a good candidate for this. Anecdotal evidence – not one call from the board in a year – tells me it’s not a choice for me. I did notice though that I took one I thought I might have a need for.
Give extra cards to selected people at leads networking groups. Referral and leads networking members, if they pass muster, learn to be your extra set of eyes and ears for prospects. Or at least they might have a system where they happily share business cards with their contacts. This mutual exchange with helpers like this might put you further in the chain of six degrees of separation. Or is it four degrees these days?
Have your spouse or partner carry a few. I mainly do this for my husband. I hardly think to ask him to help me with the same. There have been numerous times he didn’t have his cards with him and I came to his rescue! Win, win, and win.
Use the back – for a special offer or coupon. Generally I like business cards that are pretty blank on the back. That leaves me room for any notes I want to make. But, I like, and do myself, those cards that have a little free something on the back. It gives the recipient another chance to connect with and get to know about your product or service.
Handwrite something on purpose! Something I’ve seen other people do, and I think they have a little strategy going on, is to handwrite something on it that we may have just spoke about. For example, at a restaurant bar the other evening, I saw someone I hadn’t seen in a while. When they handed me their card they started writing and said, “here’s my business card with my personal email for you.” Wow. I think I’ll try something like that myself! It made quite the warm impression.
What are you doing with those collected business cards? That’s a topic for another post for me so stay-tuned. Whether you leave them on a table or hand them out, business cards can work for you when you work them. They can make you a Quite Reliable Contact. It’s really about just a little thing here or a little thing there but you can pack power in that 2 by 3 ½ inch when you get a little creative with your use.
What tip do you have that will make the little card be a powerful marketing tool?
Do you have a QR Code on your card and how does that serve you?
This is a good post and one that makes me think. What am I doing with my business cards? Not much, unfortunately.:-)
I do carry some with me, but rarely hand them out. I have put them up on our post office’s bulletin board (along with a flyer.) Can’t say I got much business out of it.
I do need to carry my husbands’s with me also, so thanks for the reminder. He does web design, and there’s a lot of people who are interested in having a websites these days.
On the bulletin board use: it may be your business is like mine and not a good candidate for people ACTING on our cards there.
Glad you got a reminder to help your husband!