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Your 3 ½ Inch Solder in the Field
The most overlooked weapon in your marketing arsenal may be your business card. If designed properly, this little 3 1/2 x 2 inch piece of paper will not only let people know how to contact you, it will persuade them to contact you. In order to be effective and get you more business, your card must stand out and get noticed.
Can a business card actually produce big sales? Err...no, that process is entirely up to you and your sales force. However, I can guarantee you that a professionally designed, distinctive card will get you noticed above the competition. This may sound too good to be true. How can one of the minor marketing investments in business make such a difference? Well, there is some fine print involved, but I'll give you a few pointers.
Business Cards Designed to Get Noticed Tips
Tip #1 - Limit your Use of Full Color Printing. I've been known to be a little eccentric, but I do have a saying "black and white is the new full color.” I use this thought process in most everything I design. White space is your friend - not your enemy. A tastefully and thoughtfully designed business card will have plenty of room for each piece of information to breathe. I know the new thing is full color business cards... get a million cards for $39.95!! This may seem like a cost-effective way of printing, but next time you are out to get your full-color business cards, ask them how much it will cost to get matching full-color letterhead and envelopes...then watch the print salesperson squirm. Two colors, when properly selected and designed, are far more effective than most full-color business cards.
Tip # 2 - Use the Backside of Your Card
Think of it...it's just dead space. Not really doing anything. The dirty secret to commercial printing is that it doesn't cost you much more to print on the backside. Keep the front clean and informative. On the backside, put your message or company tag line. Flood it with graphic elements, flood it with color or just the logo, hand them out upside down. When people are forced to flip them around to figure them out, they'll get a second glance - which is exactly what you want.
Tip # 3 - Plan Ahead
When ordering business cards, think about your company's future growth, which employees need cards, potential name changes and job title changes. If you have a larger company, think about ordering preprints; basically this entails printing certain portions of a business card, and printing lots of them (20,000 to 30,000). This way you can take advantage of big price breaks with printing costs. Then, when you add a new person to the staff, the printer can grab 250 or the preprinted business cards and customize them for your new employee.
Tip # 4 - Don't Use Business Card “Templates”
There are websites you can go to where you can choose from cookie-cutter business card designs. The problem with these templates is that the more people who use them, the more your card starts to look like everybody else’s (this is bad). You want to have a business card that stands out from everybody else’s, not one that gets lost in the crowd.
Unless you are a professional graphic designer, designing your own card is like performing a root canal on yourself. It's going to take a lot of time and you may not be happy with the results. Leave the designing to the professionals and use your time doing what you do best … selling your product or service!
Mark Huesman is the creative director for Absolute Marketing Group. He can be reached at mark@absolutemg.com for more information.
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