Quick…Grab your business card
No, I’m serious. Grab your business card and take a look at it. Does it present the image that you’d like? Does it communicate a unique value proposition with regard to doing business with you and your team?
I’m writing this because I came back from speaking at the recent ASCII Success Summit in Austin, TX. During the course of the day, dozens of people handed me their business cards. One of my old-school habits is to review the business cards I collect at events like this. There are several concerns that this stack of business cards presented.
First, none of them, and I repeat, none of them communicated a value proposition. Remember, your value proposition must be based on the results that you deliver to your clients.
Another concern I had was the number of business cards that proclaim multiple degrees, certifications, awards, et cetera. While these are great and well-deserved I’m sure, they take up space that should be used to help a stranger understand what he/she will get when they engage you. Remember, everyone asks this question when considering a new service provider, “What’s in it for me?“
A third concern, and this is absolutely remarkable, is the number of business cards that I reviewed that were difficult, if not impossible, to read. (Some required a magnifying glass and, although I’m old, my eyes aren’t that bad. LOL) Make your business cards legible for your prospects.
A fourth concern that I have, and this is totally unbelievable, is the number of business cards that had either a phone number missing and/or an email missing. Candidly, missing emails were more dominant than missing phone numbers. What’s the point in handing out a business card, if you don’t make it easy for a prospect to get in touch with you?
The last, and this is truly unique, I received a business card that had no name or email on it, only a web link. While that may be useful in the IT world; remember, we sell to people who do not possess your level of expertise and technical knowledge. Therefore, it’s vital for us to communicate our value propositions in a language “civilian” (nontechnical people) can understand.
What does your business card look like?
