Make Your Own Business Cards into Mini Sales Reps

Go ahead and take your business card out. Does it compel you to buy a product or service, or at least to take the next step in the purchasing process? If not, it's probably time for you to get a new business card. When you make your own business cards, consider their purpose and how they will play into your sales scheme. Imagine you're your own customer, and from that perspective ask yourself what it would take for you to take a business card, to read it, to hold on to it, and finally to call the person the card represents. The goal, of course, is to make your own business cards into mini sales reps. The following article details just how to do that.

Call to attention

If business cards could talk, most of them would sound like Ben Stein's character on "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." It might go something like: "My name is so-and-so, and I'm an account representative at this company. My phone number is 555-555-5555." Not very exciting. Instead, your business card should work to grab immediate attention. Some ways to do this include bright colors, a die-cut shape such as rounded corners or an angled parallelogram, and an action photo that takes up most of your card (versus a squared mugshot).

Highlight benefits

As we've examined, simply stating who you are and what your job title is isn't going to make customers drool over your business card. You have to answer the golden customer question: "What's in it for me?" You can do this by highlighting the benefits of doing business with you. Let's say you're a mortgage broker. Your business card might read: "I will find you the lowest possible interest rate, guaranteed." That's a definite benefit and a good reason for clients to call you, based on your business card alone.

Add value

Another way to make your own business card more exciting is to add value to it. You can do this by including a coupon or coupon code, an exclusive offer that is only available through you, or by simply including a useful chart, calendar, sports schedule or other information that your customers might want to keep on hand for reference. If your business cards have value, you can elicit direct sales and brand yourself into potential customers' memories. Even if they don't need your service now, they'll be sure to call you when they do.

Call to action

Last but not least, your business card should include a call to action. What do you want your prospects to do? In most cases you want them to call you and buy something, though that is not always immediately realistic. There are other calls to action you can employ along with your sales pitch. For example, you might offer a free giveaway for a referral. Or, you might offer valuable advice on a regular basis in exchange for an online newsletter signup, which you can use as a frequent marketing tool as well. Whatever it is, don't leave your customers hanging with nothing to do other than file your card or toss it away-give your customers a reason to call you and to call you today. That's how you can make your own business cards into mini sales reps!