#166

The salesfuture is in the cards — your business cards.

Tear upyour business card. That may offend you, but less than one in 500 is worth theink and paper it’s printed on. This probably includes you.

“Sowhat,” you say. “It’s just my business card.” Yeah, you’reright. It’s just your image. Just your identity. Just a reflection of you andyour company, your product, your service. No big deal!?

BaronHanson, Head Buckaroo (best title I ever saw on a card) of FlexCorp, designsand manufactures business cards. Extra, extra ordinary business cards. FlexCorpmanufactures clear plastic, paper, metal, and wood business cards. Cards thatare designed to reflect the image and identity of the giver — and impact thereceiver. His cards have also impacted his wallet.

Hansonstarted a one shoestring operation four years ago, and this year sales will topsix hundred thousand buckaroos.

Hansonand I collaborated on a list of advantages, opportunities, and situationscreated with a great business card. Here’s the top ten (10.5) list for yourperusal.

1. It’s a reflection of you.


It shows you’ve taken the time to market andposition yourself. It suggests your company has a leadership position. Itsuggests you’re a leader.

2a. It speaks for you.


It says “we’re someone special,”before you ever say a word.

2b. It speaks about you.


It’s a sample of the kind of work your companyproduces. Great card, great work. Ordinary card, ordinary work. Crappy card,crappy work.

3. It sets the right tone.


If you give your card at a networking event oron an appointment and get a “nice card” comment, it sets the tone fora positive discussion or meeting.

4. It’s the most potent form of lastingadvertising you’ve got.
Agood card is kept. Shown to others, and is a reinforcement to the claims ofyour other advertising.

5. You get multiple impressions for cheap.


If you have 10 employees who use 1,000 cards ayear (4 a day), that’s 10,000 business impressions a year. If your card is goodenough to be re-shown to others, the number of impressions could multiply timesfive. WOW!

6. Your card will be saved.


Not every card you give results in a immediatesale. If your card is great, people can’t bring themselves to throw it away. Itwill stay around a desk or drawer until the day it’s finally USED.

7. It’s victory at “hand to hand”combat.
Theright card captures attention, disrupts competition, and wins the battle forattention and respect.

8. It’s like getting married.


A spouse will bring you 90% of life’s joy or90% of life’s misery — depending on selection — same with business cards.

9. It’s a competitive advantage.


Especially when two cards (yours and yourcompetitors) are being fondled to make one decision.

10. It’s identity
and image.
Your corporate identity is how you want to be reflected in the real world. It’syour image. What’s that worth?

10.5 It’s your corporate and personal signature.


It makes a statement. It sends a message. Areyou proud to offer it?

Here area few examples of real world types of business cards that make a creativedifference.

A card card. Richard Herd, president ofContinental Advertising, has his on the front side of a deck of cards. He’sused them for the past 5 years. His business has grown 2,000% — coincidence?

A bland card with a twist. Take yourugly card and create better – by adding to it. Phil Raymond, agency manager ofThe Financial Group in Charlotte has an insurance and investment salesbusiness, Raymond has