The importance of a business card

Good Day,

In this post I want to impress on you the importance of a business card in your business. You might ask yourself, "just how important can a little business card be?". After all, they are only a
2" x 3 1/2" piece of paper. What effect can they have on business?

A Lot! You see, a business card is usually the first thing anybody sees concerning your business. They pick it up at the counter, you give it to them as they leave or as you come in. Whether you believe it or not perception is often viewed as reality. And as the old adage goes, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Many times your business card is the first impression your potential customers get of your business. It is imperative that you make this first impression a good one. If you don't, you could lose very important business. Let me give you an example.

In the early 80's when the energy crisis was so bad I started my first real business. I called it Energy Miser and I sold window film, shower heads and other energy saving items directly to the consumer. The window film had very specific benefits and it was especially good at removing glare, heat build up and fading due to Ultra Violet rays from the sun.

Now, I was having some success at this and a friend asked if he could sell for me. I said sure and got him set up. I was a savvy business person and thought I'd save some money if I got business cards printed with both of our contact info on them so I could buy 1,000 and split them up.

After just a few weeks my friend decided direct sales wasn't for him and returned all his stuff, including most of the business cards I gave him. Now I had paid good money for those cards and all that was wrong was my friend's name and phone number were on them. Now remember, I am a savvy businessman so I just take my magic marker and cross out his name and number.

Now in the town just across the state line is an Elks Club. They had a golf course and looking out over the course is the 19th hole. It has a huge window facing south and the glare and heat transfer made using this window uncomfortable at best. I decided that the Elk's Club would be a great referral and was prepared to install the film of their choice at a very reasonable price as a loss leader to use as leverage for more business in the town.

I went into the office and asked for the person who handled capital improvements and lo' and behold he came right out. I handed him my business card and he got a very strange look on his face. He pointed to the black line on the card and asked me what that was. I told him about my friend and saving money and he handed my card back to me and said something I will never forget. He said, "Mr. Massey, if you cannot afford to have new cards printed I don't think we can afford to do business with your company, good day." I was stunned! I got no opportunity to make the sale because I wanted to save $25.00! Needless to say, I have never given out a marked up business card since.

Another short story about business cards. I know a printer in Indianapolis who told me this story one day. He had just started his shop and had been going around like crazy setting up the equipment and getting his first jobs. He had a school friend who was the purchasing manager at a large Indianapolis company. He was just sure he would get an account from his friend and towards that end called and got an appointment to see his friend. When he entered the office he was asked for a business card and he replied, "I have been so busy setting up the shop I haven't had time to print cards for myself." His friend bid him good day and told him that then he got cards to come back and they could talk. Fortunately for him he got a second chance and landed the account. But had the man not been his friend he would probably have lost that account just as I lost the Elk's Club.

The moral of the stories, everything you handout with your business name on it must look good and be the proper item for the job. Don't hand out computer generated business cards. They are cheap, they look cheap and they make your business and you look cheap. Yet they can cost you a lot more than real printed cards. (That ink jet ink is expensive!) In fact, at atdmarketing you can get 1,000 Full Color Business Cards for just $72.00! Check it out.

Thanks so much for clicking in and reading my missive. Feel free to comment about what I have written and visit us at atdmarketing.com.

Until next time, this is Joe Massey wishing you success in all you do.