(Add to Favorites | View All Articles | Resource Directory)
|
|
|
7 Card Tricks That Improve Your Personal Networking Power
CARD SHARK 7 Card Tricks That Improve Your Personal Networking Power The humble business card has been a mainstay of business and industry for years. But despite it's small size and cost, it's one of the most powerful marketing tools you will ever possess. Because of it's low cost many people take the business card for granted and don't even think of the effect it can have on their networking and sales success. Here are a few tips for making your card do the business for you... Card Tricks Your business card can perform many different promotional jobs and usually all at once. I call these little jobs "Card Tricks" because they work like magic. All you need to do is be aware of what you want the end effect to be and then set your business card up to work the magic for you. Here are 7 Card Trick ideas: Get a Most Wanted Response (MWR) Get Read (Break The Ice) Get Kept (And Referred To) Get Passed On Qualify/Disqualify Prospects Sell Stuff Make You A Celebrity 1. Get A Most Wanted Response This is the action you want your new contact to take next as a result of your communication. In this case it's your business card that provides the communication. You are responsible for the outcome of your communication so it goes without saying that you must have a clear outcome in mind to make the most effective use of your business card. If you don't create a business card with a clear idea of what you're expecting as an outcome then you can't expect to generate a consistent response. Your networking will be hit and miss and you'll miss more opportunities than you deserve to. Although your eventual goal will be to get someone to buy, buy again and then tell all their friends your first MWR when networking will rarely be "buy my service" straight away. You may want your prospect to give you permission to follow up first or to book a meeting or request more information. These types of response all build the relationship and make your final goal much easier to achieve. A good first response is to create curiosity and then follow it up with a specific action? Consider the following ideas: Make Them Visit Your Website And Leave Contact Details By? offering a FREEBIE on the back of your card. You could handwrite the URL (website address) each time you hand one out for that extra personal touch. Get Them To Set Up A Meeting Immediately By? offering a FREE consultation and providing an appointment reminder form on the back of your card which you fill in as you're talking to them. Get Them To Call You As Soon As They Return To Work By? suggesting you have a secret FREE report and repeating your phone number nice and big on the back. You could give them a password or phrase to say when they call to be told more. People love to learn secrets, don't you? All along you should be looking to build your credibility and their level of trust. Your business card isn't 100% responsible for this process but if it's wrong you'll be causing yourself unnecessary problems. 2. Get Read (break the ice) 3. Get Kept (And Referred To) 4. Get Passed On 5. Qualify/Disqualify Prospects Be explicit about what you do, for whom and in what situation. This will help your card to do the difficult job of separating the wheat from the chaff, in terms of people you'd like to do business with. A strong, targeted message on your business card will free your phone line up for enquiries from inspired, interested and applicable prospects. People who don't fit your target will then know not to waste your time or theirs, and if they like you they can pass your details on to people who are right. 6. Sell Stuff 7. Make YOU A Celebrity A key goal when networking is to stand out and be recognised. When people know your face and know what you can do for whom, introductions and positive gossip will become rampant. The problem is, people in general, aren't very good at putting names to faces until they've met you a few times. If you want everyone to know your name and to say, "There's Mr/Mrs X" when you enter a room then here's a really easy trick? Put a photo of yourself on your card. Maybe even use up the whole of one side and include a link to a FREEBIE or a quote with it. Then if you frequent the same networking groups and events often enough, your name will go before you. It's also a great ice-breaker and gets people to take a second look. Some people believe that a picture could put people off who judge by appearances (ie too young, too old, don't like the colour of that sweater etc). My question is? Do you want clients who make such assumptions in the first place? If not then fine. If you do then this might not work for you. Did you want tricks 2, 3, 4 & 6 too? If you want all the top 7 Tricks plus loads of other ideas, including examples of real business cards and a business card makeover, then you can have them for free by going to www.leanmarketing.co.uk/card-shark Speak Soon 'Dangerous' Debbie Jenkins About The Author "Dangerous" Debbie Jenkins is an author and speaker who takes no prisoners with her, explosive and scathing attacks on the greedy and lazy textbook marketers who've never spent a penny of their own money on marketing in their life. See why she's mad and "Detox your Marketing" at... http://www.debbiejenkins.com
MORE RESOURCES: News provided by Yahoo! News and Google News GST burden killing small business Decline of small business hurts recovery, jobs growth Small Business Column: Time for Irish SMEs to take advantage The Credit-Card Survival Kit Your Small Business Needs (Infographic) Small Business Q&A: Peter Cosgrave, CPL Recruitment |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Are You Ready to Own and Operate a Business? How often has someone thought of starting a business based solely on the fact they think it will be easier than working for someone else. Fact is, owning and operating a business can be one of the most grueling experiences you will have. Secrets to Washing Fleets of Trucks from a Nationwide Fleet Washing Service Washing the exterior of a truck. Sounds easy right? Well, it's not really. FTC Adding to the Franchise Rule Last summer the FTC put forth a report and then asked for comments on modifications of the franchise rule. There has been no real significant changes since the 1970's, but lots of opinions and case law along the way. Gold Medal Delegation When the recent Games of the XXVIII Olympiad came to a close in Athens, two events stood out in my mind as perfect examples of the importance of time management:1. Teenage swimmer Michael Phelps, America's most-celebrated Olympic athlete, matched Mark Spitz's record of four individual gold medals with a stirring comeback in the 100m butterfly. ADH Will Make Your Life More Productive & Your Life More Profitable What is a Virtual Assistant?? A Virtual Assistant is that indispensable element of your office staff - a professional that provides high quality administrative services in a highly scalable, value added format.? A Virtual Assistant is not an employee of your company, but rather an independent 1099 contractor who can work either by the hour or by retainer. Start a Resume Writing Service for Profit The resume writing service serves an important role in the economy. Many qualified candidates have a difficult time marketing themselves to employers and turn to a professional writing service for assistance. There has never been a better time to start a small business As a teenager I worked for my father's small business. At 18 I worked for a small video rental business owned by two partners; there were 4 employees. Keeping Business Alive Who is responsible for maintaining the business relationship?Nurturing a business relationship will take effort on your part and effort on the part of the other person. If you feel the business is worth having, then you must take the time to make sure you are in touch on a regular basis. Cleaning Service Stations with a Pressure Washer Fuel prices these days are quite high and they take their toll on a service business. It is time to strike back. Image is Everything - Secrets to Cleaning Car Fleets A recent survey indicated that clean Taxi Cabs Fleets have higher tip rates and repeat customers. How do you wash a taxicab? You do them four at a time and you go up and over and up and over when you are drying them. Banking and Company Credit Card Policies for Small Business Does your small business have a banking and credit card policy? If not, perhaps you might wish to think on it. Developing such policies and procedures is not a difficult task. Focus on what you do best, delegate the rest Do you know what your genius work is? It's the highest and best use of your time. It's the best leverage your business has in the marketplace. You Are Invited Business card size works well for invitations to special events.What do you visualize when you think about invitations? More than likely you are thinking about a wedding or a party. 1-2-3 Steps To A Successful Joint Venture A successful joint venture marketing effort is the goal of many small businesses, and is a great way to increase market visibility and profits.Joint venture marketing is rising in popularity everyday, but it does take some skill, good planning and foresight to execute. How To Write A Business Plan Writing a business plan is a fundamental step to ensuring your business has every chance of succeeding. Common statistics state that 9 out of 10 businesses fail on the first 5 years of operation, and of the remaining 10%, 90% fail in the following 5 years. Fire the CEO If you are the boss and you think your job is to run the business, you are dead wrong. Your job, the most important job in any business, is to market the business. Lawyers Everywhere Telling Regulators What Laws to Make The Federal Trade Commission decided to sit down and revamp the franchise rule of the 1970's. They started to do it in 1995 and postponed it then had some comments collected in 1997 and then in 1999. Is Your Business Legally Prepared? It is imperative to have your business legally prepared. How you ask? You need to have a business license, a home occupation license, if running your business from home, a city or county license, (depending on what State you live) plus you need to register your business as fictious if you are not using your name as a business. Build a solid network of potential customers -- The One Pager Shortcut Series --People do business with people that they know and trust. As a solo entrepreneur, your goals will be to make yourself known to your target market and then elevate the relationship to the trust level. The Most Important Decision of Your Massage Business Career Don't you find that there are so many decisions you need to make each and every day regarding the direction of your massage practice. Especially if you are a solo-preneur or own your own massage business.
|
| Home | Site Map | Privacy Statement | More Articles |
| © 2006 |