In marketing, nothing is negligible. Every small thing counts. So do business cards.

The business card cannot speak volumes. But it is the first impression you make on your customer. It reflects the personality of the organization. It can be young and happening. Or it can be mature and graceful. It can highlight your character. That is what grabs the first level of attention from the prospective customer.

The customer should be able to relate to your organization. You don’t always get the chance to talk to him for half an hour to create that impression. All you get is the two minutes and an opportunity to give the business card. That tiny card has to do tough job of dragging the customer back to you. He will come back to you if you interest him. To generate that interest, your card should act smart. The card should tell in a nutshell what your organization stands for.

A plain basic format can possibly contain the same level of information as a designer card. But there are atleast a dozen others who are in the same business. Why should the customer pull out your card?

There is a limit to the printed information that a business card can contain. It will have the person’s name, designation, and contact details. That is what everybody gives. How can you differentiate?

A professional graphic designer can come up with a design that can subtly indicate the line of work the organization is into. This has added importance if you are start up or a small firm. Choose a different paper type. Handmade paper is a good option. The font and color should go with the character of the business. If your organization is trying to capitalize on its hundred year old legacy, a loud colored card might not be the right choice. But remember, there is no such universal law. If you are super smart, you can turn it around and still create a great card. The only limit is the one imposed by your own imagination.

Innovative artistic ideas can add to the impact of the card. The space on the small card offers myriads of possibilities. If you have decided on the front side, work on the back of the card. No need to waste that space; it can be fruitfully utilized. A quote, poem or small cartoon printed at the back can make your card stand apart.

Do not forget the logo; and may be a small caption under it.

The sole purpose of the business card is to make the prospective client take a note of your card among others. Bet on a “different” card.

A business card is an essential part of your branding. The impact it can bring in often under estimated. It leaves an impression in the customers mind on what you can do. It creates a genuine personality image. Tell what is different in your firm. Tell them that you are vibrant, or reliable.

A designer card can cost you a little extra. It is still worth it.

Need some easy tips to get your marketing copy on point? Follow along…

Add a Call to Action

Strive for active verbs and avoid passive clichés.   Drop overused phrases like “synergistic,” “paradigm,” and “value-added.”  Readers will skip over them without being compelled to act.  Avoid passive language and tell your readers what to do.

Consider these examples:

• “Build the buzz”
• “Master salesmanship secrets”
• “Transform your business”
• “Crush your competition”

What’s In it For Me?

Your potential clients do not care if you make your sales quota for the quarter or even if you make your mortgage payment this month.  The only reasons he will buy is if he sees something “in it for him.”  In other words, he won’t care about what you are offering this month only.  But he will care about getting the “Top 54  proven sales tactics to increase cash flow in a week.” He wants clients lining up around the block, cash in hand, eager to buy what he’s got to sell. Promote the benefits your client will receive.

Shine Through

Do you skydive?  Go deep sea fishing?  A sci-fi addict?  Let your personality shine through so clients can feel as though they know you.  Customers want to buy from other people, not anonymous companies.  Tell your story in a compelling way.  Consider your hook, or what makes you different from the 34,000 other people selling the same thing you’ve got.

Contact Me

For years, one of the public relations pitfalls Amazon.com had was that there was no way to contact them via phone.  You were forced to communicate only through e-mail.  Customers didn’t like it and Amazon eventually changed.  Amazon was big enough to survive the discontent, but you might not be.  If a potential client does not easily find two or three different ways to contact you, don’t expect a sale.-

Offer a Guarantee

It can be a big leap of faith to trust someone you don’t know with a portion of your business.  One way to generate more sales is to offer some sort of guarantee or risk-free offer.

For an excellent example, consider this writer’s offer:  “My guarantee to you is this: If, within 30 days, you are not satisfied I will completely rewrite the copy for you. In other words, we will get it to work. You will make more money.”  It doesn’t get m ore clear than that!

Exploit Your Competition’s Weaknesses

You’d better know your competitors as well as you know your own company.  How is their product similar to yours?  How is it better or worse?  Why do they get some of your potential clients?  Don’t pretend you are the only horse in this race.  Do your homework, shred your opponent, but make sure you can back up your claims.

With the economy in crisis, just sitting back and waiting for it to improve can be the death of your business. Now, more than ever, innovative sales strategies have to be implemented to drive your business forward. Some tips to get going:

Take note of how much time you spend on things. Are you spending too much time on office related tasks? Give yourself more time to work on new marketing ideas, and sales promotions. Find different ways to give your customers what they need.

Do things differently, and rise above the crowd. Do things that no one else is doing. No matter how weird, odd is what people remember. Make your business something that people will not forget. Get out of the mainstream, and get noticed.

Keep in touch with your customers. A simple phone call every once in a while, can make your customers feel special, and remind them why they are doing business with you. Send them birthday cards, and brochures. Remind them how important they are.

Be sure that when you are hiring, you employ people that are friendly and customer oriented. Nothing drives away customers faster than negative employees. By using behavior based interviewing techniques, you can ensure that you hire people that will enhance your business, not make your customers frustrated.

Make sure that you always get an Email address from every customer. You can send out important product and service announcements, and special sales and discounts. If possible, offer a drawing for a vacation or gift card.

Any product or service that you can sell online should be. Customers love the convenience of online shopping, and your sales can greatly increase by offering this service to your customers.

Make your customers feel like they are special. Go the extra mile whenever you can, and customers will be sure to remember you.

Implement pay per click advertising. This is a cost effective way to increase visitors to your site. Pay per click advertisements are popular on Google, Yahoo, and Overture.

When the economy is slow, new techniques need to be implemented to keep your business at the top of the pile. With a little creativity and exciting marketing strategies, your business can thrive in an uncertain economy.

You have a business, and you just put up your website.  This makes you ready to sell to the public right?  Not yet.  While you may be able to take orders, and interact with questions over the Internet, you still are missing the possibility of future sales.  Anyone in business for any length of time will tell you that repeat sales and referrals are the backbone to survival.  While email responders and newsletters do work to generate sales, nothing works as well after the sale as printed material sent to the customer either with their order or after their order.

The use of printed material in coordination with sales has been in effect since the birth of direct marketing, or mail order sales.  The theory behind this combination is that when a customer orders a product, you are given the chance to sell another product to them.  This is done by the print material sent along with the completed order.  When the customer opens their package, they see their item, along with a gracious thank you letter, and an offer to buy from you again.  Giants such as Sears, Roebuck & Co and L.L. Bean perfected this method of sales.  Internet sales are simply the modern method of direct sales.

How would printed material complement Internet sales?  The answer would be that they would act in similar manner to how such material helped direct sales before the dawn of the Internet.  When a customer buys an item from you, you would send them the purchased item.  You also want to send along information about your company, a thank you letter, and information about other products you have to offer, along with any discounts or sales.  Let’s look at this in a little more detail.

Letters of thanks accomplish a few things.  First, they show your appreciation for the customer, which will be a memorable act.  Next they show that your customers have value to your business and are not just seen as dollars.  Thank-you letters also show a human side to your business which can be a huge marketing value in a world of faceless corporations.  Personalized letters go even farther in this area.

Sending further information about your company in printed material helps build trust and recognition with your business.  People will choose to buy from a recognized and trusted company before any unknown seller of the same product.  This also allows you to personalize your business with the customer even more.  Customers will regard you more as a trusted associate or friend rather than a cold stone office or warehouse.

Using orders to send along further information about other products is the most efficient and cost effective way to get repeat customers or referrals.  Each new order provides an opportunity for your business to sell complementary items or accessories.  A good example of this is Amazon.com; this online giant always sends along information about sales, products related to your purchase, or what other customers like you have bought recently.  This method not only cuts down advertising costs, but it also helps in customer retention.

If you don’t have a physical product, then what?  You should still try to find a way to get material into the hands of your customers.  Even with no physical product, you should still attempt to incorporate the methods mentioned above.  The reasons apply to every business and every situation where a sale takes place.

There are so many businesses out there that finding a way to make your stand out amongst them can seem near impossible. While being noticed is rarely easy, it can be done. With the competition nipping at your heels, you have to use every trick at your disposal, to leave the competition in the dust. Ways to make an impression that lasts:

Work your butt off.

When you have a client that comes to you to solve their problems, whether through a product or service, do everything in your power to make them happy. Bend over backwards for them, dance for them, eat off the floor, anything as long as they know you WANT to help them. If you cannot solve their problem, then being able to recommend someone that can, can make for a memorable conversation. People remember when someone helps them, as well as when someone tries all they can to get them what they need.

When you make a promise to your customers, never back out.

If this means you have to run outside naked in freezing temperatures, then do it. Your character in business, as in life, is everything. Never promise something that you may not be able to deliver. Promise less, and give more. Make your customers feel special, and they will want to seek your services in the future. They will also be more likely to recommend you to their friends and associates.

Adapt your business before you have to.

Don’t wait for a major downfall to happen before adjusting your techniques. Find novel ways to do business, even if what you have been doing in the past is working. Give your customers new reasons to need you. Make your business as versatile as possible. Give your customers new products and services to try. You will run into people who don’t care for change, but the ones that do, will more than make up for them.

Do things that are unexpected.

Give your most loyal customers an occasional gift. Nothing fancy, just a token that reminds them that you cherish their business. Just do not give then any reason to think that you are trying to bribe them to buy you products or services. When you know your clients personally, you can make them feel special by offering things they find interesting.

Stay in touch with your customers.

Many people do not do this nearly enough. Just call to see how they are doing.  Don’t use it as a sales call. Let them know that you care, and are thinking of them. If you go on vacation, send your clients a postcard. Do things that are out of the norm, and you will be surprised how it can take your business to the top.

To understand the importance and the value of direct marketing you need to understand what a powerful marketing tool this technique can be.  Although this is considered to be a marketing sub-discipline, it is still a viable technique that is constantly being employed in most promotional campaigns.  Despite techniques currently employed in both offline and online sectors, direct marketing is still one of the most cost-effective, efficient, and profitable forms of advertising.

What Differentiates Direct Marketing from Other Types of Advertising Venues?

There are two distinct aspects that differentiate direct marketing from all other types of promotional techniques.  Most importantly, direct marketing techniques attempt to deliver messages directly to the consumer without media intervention.  In other words, commercial communication venues such as direct mail, e-mail, or telemarketing are just a few of the venues of choice.

Secondly, purchases that are stimulated by a particular “call to action”, namely those utilized in e-mail marketing on the internet or sales letters, have proven themselves to be a viable option when it comes to direct marketing and a good return on that investment.  Additionally, these forms of direct marketing rely heavily on measurable or trackable results based on customer response.

Why is Direct Marketing so Effective during Lean Economic Times?

Based on the above aspects, direct marketing is often referred to as “direct response marketing.” In other words, if the consumer is asked to take a certain course of action, such as calling a toll-free number or visiting a specific website, this promotional effort is referred to as “direct response marketing.”  It is the type of marketing that evokes a response by the consumer.

Characteristically, there are 10 different channels of direct response marketing inclusive of the following:

• broadcast (or bulk) faxing
• coupons
• direct mail and business card exchange
• direct selling
• direct response TV marketing
• door-to-door leaflet distribution
• e-mail marketing
• integrated marketing campaigns
• telemarketing
• voicemail messaging

From an economic standpoint, direct response marketing involves interaction between an advertiser and consumers, therefore eliminating the middle man such as a distributor or a retailer.  This is an ideal advertising venue when local, state, or national economies are in a downswing and every business is literally counting their pennies.  There are 4 primary elements that are characteristic of direct response marketing:

• an introductory offer
• explicit consumer information regarding the product or service
• a specific “call to action”
• means of responding to the offer – e.g. an e-mail address, a toll free telephone number, or a website URL

The Pros and Cons of Direct Marketing

Since the positive effects of direct marketing can be measured or tracked, this is an attractive form of advertising.  Typically, a 1% response factor is acceptable and equally profitable.  In other words, if you send out a million solicitations and 10,000 consumers respond to this, you’re considered successful with this endeavor.  Conversely, certain direct marketing techniques are criticized as being intrusive solicitations.  For example, direct mail that overloads your mailbox is considered “junk mail” and unwanted e-mail messages are considered to be SPAM.

Now that you have those shiny new business cards, what will you do with them? Far too many people leave their cards sitting inside of the box that they came in. Not only is this a waste of time and money, it is also the farthest thing from a good marketing strategy. Instead of leaving them inside of a box or locked away inside of a drawer, learn how to make your business cards work for you on a daily basis.

First of all, invest in one or two sleek business card holders. Taking your cards out of a new card holder always looks better than removing a few crumpled cards from your pocket. When someone else hands you their card, take the time to put it inside of your card holder – this will show the other person that you are handling their card with care and attention.

Next, keep your cards inside of pockets, wallets, and purses. Get into the habit of putting a few cards into every jacked pocket that you have – you never know who you’re going to meet! It’s also a good idea to place a few cards inside of your car. When you keep your cards handy, you are far more likely to hand them out regularly.

Now you’ll want to think about ways to network. If you are offering a local service that many people in your town might find useful, consider placing a few cards on a local restaurant or supermarket bulletin board. If you want to be even more selective, try and think of those locations that are in direct connection with your business. For example, if you offer homemade meals to go, then a local gourmet food shop might be a good place to leave a couple of cards.

Finally, never give up an opportunity to hand out a card or two. Whether you are sending a postcard or writing down a phone number, always think of ways to get your card out there. You never know who might pass along your card, or who might be interested in the services that you offer. Business cards can really be effective marketing tools if you know how to use them the right way. No matter what you decide to do with those cards, make sure to get them out of the box that they came in – they won’t generate any business if they can’t be seen!