Are you familiar with business interaction acts that can unlock potential connections and open doors to success? In networking, only a small tool can help elevate you to new heights.
There are many ways to act professionally, establish a lasting connection or network your business. Only a simple act can pave the way.
If you wonder what act you can use to unlock potential connections, worry less.
In this article, we shall dive into the secrets behind networking that can help us navigate the business card landscape with fitness.
Is the Art of Holding a Business Card the Way to Success?
Yes, how you present and hold your business card matters. Besides, it’s worth presenting a business card than push notifications or emails when applying for a job.
Holding a business card in marketing concerts or networking events will create more impactful insight than passively talking out your address.
How you hold and give the card shows some sense of good business etiquette. Imagine forcing someone to have your card without properly showing the card information; discouraging, right?
Here are a few things to consider when giving out your business card:
- Check if the contact details are correct and up-to-date
- Face the person receiving the card when handing it over
- Do not hide content when holding; consider touching the edges of the card
- Never write on another person’s card without their consent
- Only exchange business cards either at the beginning or end of the meeting
- Privately ask for business cards but never do so in a group of individuals.
To create a maximum impact in networking, here are a few things to remember.
1. Create a Catchy Business Card
You understand that first impressions should have a positive impact. Therefore, create an attractive business card that is hard to forget. But the success of your catchy business card goes hand in hand with your looks.
Check for multiple business card designs and find which is best for you. Sometimes handing multiple business cards to one person seems like a waste, but not.
The person can even share your card with other successful candidates and, in the end, grow your network of connections.
2. Make Your Receiver Think
Giving out your business card is one thing, but making the receiver stay attached to your card is another added advantage.
How will you make them think and stay attached?
Include a riddle, fun question, or a lesser fact that will make the recipient think. When the recipient spends time thinking about the riddle, it makes them easily remember your brand information.
Also the same applies to designing your business card in relation to your brand information. If your business involves things to do with green energy, consider using a design that will relate to what you provide.
3. Make a Trackable Business Card
Can you track down the business card in case you misplace it? Thanks to the digital world of QR codes and SKUs.
The knowledge of QR codes and SKU makes it possible to track down business cards, and you can offer this as an incentive to the people you give your business card.
Creating trackable business cards is an effective marketing method because you can understand how well the business card performs. The incentive used and scanning QR codes helps you understand how well it brings more customers to your network.
4. Bring Your Potential Customers to Your Business Social Media Handle
Bringing more individuals to your social media handle, like LinkedIn or Instagram, can be daunting. But with the help of a business card, the task can be easy for you.
So, apart from SKU and QR code design, consider adding a scannable code that will directly take prospective customers to your social media profile.
Apart from being confident when handing in your business card, another thing you should always remember is creating a standing social media profile. A standing social media profile will help build a trusting network. And you can also give contact details directly in the same social media profile.
5. Know the Right Time to Give Out and Promote Your Business Card
Knowing when to promote and distribute your business card is what matters. In short, avoid giving your business card anywhere, like at kids’ and pool parties.
We understand starting a new business is challenging, but you should have the right strategy to bring new customers to your business.
Know when to promote and know when to sit back. Understand where to pitch your business.
6. Understand the Art of Business Card Marketing and Networking
Whether you have a super stylish business card or are confident in distributing the card, you should always understand the idea of marketing and networking.
If you do not know where to start, consider checking some online business card marketing and networking courses.
The necessary knowledge will help increase your marketing skills, know where to pitch, and increase your confidence in networking. Besides, you’ll also benefit from having the right knowledge of knowing how to design the card.
What Next After Handing Your Business Card
Handing your business card is your first achievement, but it is not yet done. Consider a few steps to take after handing in your business card.
- Engage in Conversation – Right after handing your business, use the opportunity to initiate a conversation with the recipients. Use this chance to tell them about your business and discuss potential collaborations, mutual interests, and projects.
- Show Interest – You should show interest in the other person’s work, business, or idea. Unlike machines, humans have feelings and can be offended. To win interest, show a positive impression and tell them you love their achievement.
- Follow-Up – Sometimes people forget; it could be due to heavy work duty or something else that happened within the event to make them forget. But it doesn’t mean they have no interest in your business. The best way to make them stay in touch is to consider sending them a message thanking them for meeting and reiterating your interest in staying in touch.
- Networking – Try to connect the recipient to your network platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn.
- Give Assistance – If the recipients undergo challenges in understanding the area of interest or business, offer help and make them understand.
Sometimes our effort in networking does not lead us to immediate results. We are therefore encouraged to be patient. Continue exploring potential opportunities and connections for the future.
Holding Business Cards: What They Say About You
Your first impression is essential, especially when engaging in a new environment. Your goal is to look appealing, approachable, and professional while your character is reflected simultaneously.
Sometimes it becomes challenging to stick all of the above possible characters simultaneously. Besides, no matter how you look and present yourself, you cannot control how people will receive you or the message.
A personal presentation is a challenging task in marketing, and that is when a business card enters the play.
What Should the Business Card Say About You?
Do you know what entails a business card? The common things to see on a business card are contact information, name, employer, and position.
But consider providing more details like the company’s address, logo, and website. Your main goal is to increase the network and make the receiver understand where they can find you and the information to contact.
Your business success is what matters, and the visual branding information influences that. A good business card will increase trust in existing clients and attract new ones.
So it is important to make your business card more appealing and detailed to bring more customers. Try your best to control what the business card says about you.
The Value of Holding Business Cards
Business cards carry contact details, but for some reason, they act as among the best and most effective marketing tools of all time. In reality, you have very few seconds to impress a person and convert them into a potential client; business cards can help you achieve that.
Let’s look at some of the values of holding a business card.
1. They Make It Easy to Give Contact Details
The main reason why people give out business cards is to share their business contact details. Business contact details are essential for clients.
Things like social media profiles, business emails, and business contact information are all you should include on your business card.
And the card size makes it convenient to carry around in wallets or keep in a drawer. One can also take a photo and share it with another client. The contact information makes it easier to expand the network.
2. Creates a Quick First Impression
Any business gathering is full of destruction, and seeking attention can be challenging. Creating an instant first impression on prospective customers is essential to get the attention you want.
But how will you get a quick impression? Smartly designed business cards can be helpful. A good business card design catches the eyes and impression of many.
Things like a good brand color, attractive logo, and well-displayed contact details surely create a professional look on your card. It also helps in making your business brand memorable.
3. You Can Turn the Card Into a Marketing Tool
While many ways, like search engine optimization and various marketing tools, help attract potential customers and create leads, business cards still stand among the most effective tools.
Sharing cards involves coming into contact with the person. And this makes the business card a successful marketing tool because as you come into contact with the person, you engage in conversation.
As you converse, you learn the recipient’s interest and even have the chance to convert them into potential customers.
Whenever you get the chance to share your card, just do so. Be patient; in the end, you’ll reap the fruits of your labor.
4. It’s a Ritual in Some Cultures
If you do not use a business card in some countries, you’ll lose potential clients. To secure business, you must provide a business card in these countries.
For example, in the Middle East, in countries like Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong, giving your business card to someone who offers you their business services is a culture. Without giving your business card, you’ll surely lose potential clients.
The general rule of creating a business card is to put a logo on one side of the card, and the other side keeps contact details. A well-designed logo and smartly arranged contact information will also help in creating a quick impression.
5. Helps Make a One-On-One Talk
Think of situations where you send business cards but never come in touch with the person. Are there chances of becoming successful in marketing your business?
So, giving out business cards helps in many ways, and among them is giving a personal touch and one-on-one talk with the client.
Here you’ll have the chance to learn, understand and convince the person into a potential client. But never forget to make your card smart and presentable. Its quality matters in creating a quick impression.
Some well-known entrepreneurs like Beth Ramsay encourage people to use metal-made business cards. They help show how committed you are to your business and the quality of services they can expect.
6. Builds Trust
With the high market competition, one should have trust in the service you’ll provide. If you fail to make your customer have faith in what you are offering, they may never come back to buy.
With the help of the business card, you can build trust with the customer to some extent. And because there is a lot of chatting and warmth during the card exchange, business card sharing makes it easy to act as a trust-bridging tool.
In addition, a card design also matters in creating trust. The color incorporated and the display of other contact information complete it all. The contact details assure that you are available to provide services.
7. Helps Increase Business Network
The contact details in your business card help increase your customers when shared. You should also entail in the card skills and services you offer.
Including your skills in the card makes it easy to get referrals. For example, if there is someone needing services and you have your skills mentioned on the card, someone can decide to share your card information with the person.
Hire a graphics designer if you have no skills to create an impressive business card; how skill information is displayed matters. The letters should be moderate in size, well-designed, and with an attractive color.
Some individuals have poor eyesight. If the letters are not properly designed, it becomes challenging to read.
Types of Business Cards: Understand the Differences
Businesses vary, and so do business cards. If you want to initiate a specific action, your business card should be able to do so.
For example, a hotel business card can have a QR code that leads to an online hotel service like bookings and other features. In contrast, a beef business card can only entail the prices per kilogram of the meat offered, leading to further visits.
Therefore, creating a business card fit for the work service you offer is wise. Here are some examples of the best types of business cards to check:
1. Promotional Business Cards
Promotional business cards are best for retail business, online, or in-person purchases to increase sales and reward potential customers.
Promotional business cards drive more sales by providing promo codes that clients can use for easy access. You can offer incentives or discounts for anyone who uses the promo code to buy your services.
Places where you can share promotional business include events, busy roads, or parks.
2. Eco-Friendly Business Cards
As the name suggests, eco-friendly business cards do not pollute the environment. The best way of making these types of business cards is to use materials you can recycle.
Use things like paper, hardwood, or hemp blend. Plastic-made business cards contribute to polluting the environment as they do not decompose.
A business showing concern for preserving and protecting the environment is more likely to get leads. As a business partner, you can decide to collect environmentally friendly waste to make your eco-friendly business cards.
3. QR Code Designed Business Cards
The advent of technology has brought a twist to traditional business cards. QR codes can be used to complete various options. The scannable code can help lead one to the company’s websites, where various business services are highlighted.
QR code makes it simple to deeper engage the customer toward your business and help lead them to a desired solution.
These QR code-designed cards are best for those who use digital channels to drive more sales. Such cards take the client into detailed services offered by the company.
4. NFC Business Cards
Near-field communication business cards offer an easy way of transferring information, just like WI-FI. These cards have an embedded chip that you can use on your smartphone to scan.
When you scan the chip, you are directed to a website landing page with links to social media handles, professional portfolios, or videos displaying how to use the products.
NFC business cards are best for people preferring contactless sharing of information. It does not necessarily need one to give out the card, but the receiver can scan the chip instead.
5. Appointments Business Cards
Appointment cards are used to book someone for a meeting. These business cards are simple to design.
The front side of the business card can have detailed information about what the company offers, goals, and achievements, if any, while the back can show the time and day of the meeting scheduled.
Appointment business cards help plan individual meetings and reduce unnecessary office congestion.
For the customer, it helps to make them plan well so that they can be available at the time of appointment and help secure the next visit if possible.
6. Die-Cut Business Cards
Die-cut business cards go beyond the normal rectangular shape of business cards. You can design-cut a business card reflecting the type of service you offer.
Sometimes these cards reflect the company’s nature or emphasize what you offer. Very few people use these types of cards.
7. Standard Business cards
Standard business cards are popular and come in the normal dimension of 3.5 by 2 inches. They do not require sophisticated graphic designs.
You can decide to make it single or double-sided; their cost-effectiveness makes them best for creating promotional business cards for networking purposes.
8. Loyalty Business Cards
Loyalty business cards are ideal for giving to loyal customers. It’s an important strategy for retaining prospective clients.
Such business cards should offer incentives and discounts to the card bearer. If you want to succeed successfully as a business, consider looking for ways to retain potential customers and convert new clients into loyal ones.
Loyal business cards are best for any business that relies on regular client traffic. Such businesses are health and beauty businesses, recreational centers, restaurants, and retail shops.
9. Magnetic Business Cards
A magnetic business card is a material design that helps the card attach to any magnetic material, like a fridge. The details and design are the same as the others.
If you want your contact information in display to many people, using a magnetic business card could help.
Stylish and Creative Ways to Hold Business Cards
- Create Magnetic Frames – You can use magnetic frames to make a magnetic business card. It helps attach the business card in places where anyone can see like on office wale and magnetic frames.
- Use clear Acrylic Stands – Another stylish way of holding a business car is using clear acrylic stands. The transparency of the stand not only allows easy reading of the card but offers protection against mechanical damage.
- Use Card Booklet – Card booklets are a good way of holding business cards. You can decide to include the company’s information on the cover while inside is the business card.
- Business Card Tree – This form of card holding is good only for personal display and easy access to the card. However, it can be appealing to some individuals who love stylish displays.
Conclusion
Giving out your business card is essential, but you may never reach your business goals without the proper knowledge of holding. Avoid hiding card content, writing on the card without the owner’s consent, or giving the card while facing away; your way of holding and giving a business card matters.
Business cards play a crucial role, from creating a positive first impression to directing and converting clients into prospective customers and even building trust. With the right designer, you can make a business card directly related to your services.
