Tips on Using Your Business Cards

Now that you have spent a large amount of time and/or money on your business cards, what is the next step? Give them out! Your cards will accomplish nothing by sitting on your desk at the office; you should always carry a few with you. Using business cards properly will improve your success rate with potential clients you come into contact with.

Some basic tips on using business cards:

Treat your cards right: Use a nice-looking leather holder for your business cards so they are stored without bending corners and edges. If this is not possible, devote a small section of your wallet or purse to your business cards that will keep them intact.

Treat someone else’s cards right: When accepting a card from someone, spend a few seconds examining it closely. Then place it properly in your business card holder. As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, mishandling someone else’s card may give off the wrong psychological cues.

Organization is key: You must be able to find the business cards of others in order to maintain contact with them. You cannot strictly rely on others to get in touch with you. After receiving someone’s card and taking notes on the back of it describing how you met and other details, you must store that card somewhere back at the office. If an alphabetical system works for you, then great – just use whatever system works for you. Most of the time, however, it will be hard to find that knowledgeable woman you met once that works for Callaway golf clubs – so why not use a categorical system? Experiment and see if a certain organizational method works better than another. Maybe you could even invest in a business card scanner. One thing is for certain: stay organized!

Be careful when handing out: While you can’t afford to be passive, you must also resist the temptation to give your card out to people you have barely spoken to. Give someone else a reason to take down some notes about your conversation on the back of your business card before you hand one to them. You also do not want to seem pushy.

Preparing in advance for situations is what marketing your company and yourself with business cards is all about. Using the above basic tips as guidelines, you will be well on your way to increased revenue generated by your business cards. If you need a business card designed and/or printed, check out www.business-cards.com for full color business cards and www.professionaltaste.com for professional-looking black and white business cards.