Networking Effectively Using Business Cards
Have you ever been at an event…someone asks for your business card…and you have to say…”I don’t have one?”…How did that make you feel? Unprofessional? Un-prepared? Frustrated?
For me I would personally feel a combination of all of those feelings because that is just the way I am.
When you think about it…your personal business card is the “Cherry On Top” to your personal brand. Why not take full advantage of the opportunity to leave your mark on the new person you just spoke with?
You now may be thinking three things…
1) Where can I get personal business cards for myself, and what should I put on them?
2) How can I effectively use these business cards to build my brand in the marketplace?
3) How do you effectively give out your business cards?
The Answers…
1) You can either get business cards professionally designed…OR…you can get them FOR FREE by going to http://www.VistaPrint.com
If you get your business cards professionally done be sure that it sticks out by being on nice cardstock paper with a flashy background. On the front of the business card be sure to have the usual information on the card…Name, Number, Blog Address, Website, E-mail…and then on the back of the card make the text “raised” so when you hand the card to someone they will feel the raised text and naturally turn it over. When they turn it over have the back split up with the things you do by saying…”Specializing in…______ _______ _______” This will be a great branding tool not only helping yourself build your brand, but your business as well.
If you want to get the FREE business cards by Vista Print…just pick the background that works best for you, and then do the best you can to put all of the information that you feel is important to go on the card…remember less is more.
2) You can use your business cards a myriad of ways!
-At networking events
-Career Fairs
-Parties
-Organizational Meetings in your local area
-Trade Shows
-As marketing tools if you create a “sizzle card” directing traffic to a phone number or website
-Professional seminars on real estate, stocks, network marketing, entrepreneurship
3) Now you may be thinking…Ok I have the card set up, I have the places to hand them out…but what is the most effective way to hand them out?
Most would think that at networking events you just go up to people and give them your card and walk away…
If you think about it…how effective is that? Why would you just go up to someone and give them a card without building some sort of rapport with them?…I don’t know about you but if I was on the receiving end of that…I would feel like I am being treated like a number…and people don’t like being treated as a number.
To effectively use your business card to help you and not hurt you here is what I would recommend.
1) Introduce yourself to the person you want to speak with. “Hello my name is Scott…What brought you to the event today?”
2) Ask them the questions that I have spoken about in other posts on “Networking Effectively”
3) Make some other conversation around the answers that you receive and share a little bit about yourself….BUT…don’t “barf” over your new friend with an overload of information.
4) Before ending the conversation politely ask. “Do you by chance have a card?” If they do say, “Great, here is mine! It has been nice talking with you.”
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