As long as there has been companies and salespeople who sell for these companies, it is widely accepted as fact that business cards are one of the quickest, cheapest, and best ways to promote your business or yourself. Not everyone can afford to buy an expensive newspaper or magazine ad, or can they pay huge fees to rent a billboard.  Business cards are your own personal mini-billboard meant to do one thing and one thing only: bring you more business and better business contacts.

“Well that’s just peachy” you might be thinking, but how exactly am I supposed to go about this? It’s actually quite simple to use business cards when promoting your business or even promoting yourself if you are unemployed.

Here are 4 tips that might help:

1. Whenever handing out your business card do it in a professional manner, a simple “Thank you for your time, here’s my business card if you would like to stay in touch. May I have yours?” will do perfectly.
2. The flip side of this is that whenever someone gives you their business card you should offer yours in return.
3. Don’t pass out your business card like it’s candy. It’s not. Your business card is worth more than a simple piece of paper, it’s your foot in the door of your next job or meeting with a potential client. Only give your business card where it is needed and wanted.
4. If you are job hunting, attach your business card to every resume that you submit. It will make you seem more business world savvy and ready to take the job. 

By following these simple suggestions, you will have clients for years to come. Business cards represent you and your business, so be sure to choose a design that is perfect for you and include relevant information on the card.

So you might now be wondering… what exactly do I put on my business cards? Following are a few rules of thumb to guide you.

1. Your Name: – No matter how important you may be, people forget names. It’s a fact of life. Your name should be printed clearly…this also will help avoid misspellings and perhaps even being called the wrong name.
2. Contact Info: This is vital info… and probably the most important thing to put on business cards! I mean really… think about it for a second. The ONLY point of a business card is so that the people you are giving the card to can contact you at a later date. Contact information includes email address, phone number, both office number and most importantly your cell phone number. If you are willing to lose much of your private life for your business, then give them your cell number. This not only shows that you mean business by giving this out, but it also shows that you Are willing to work on the weekends for them. And this can go far in building customer loyalty.
3. Don’t forget your name. You would be surprised at how many business cards I get that only show the company name and not the salesman’s name. Well, in my opinion… this is just stupid.
4. Your company name and logo should be displayed prominently on your business cards! The second main purpose of a business card is to spread your business name across the face of the earth. If your company has a tagline, include that as well, it will make your card more memorable.
5. Steer clear of clutter – Be very sure that everything on your card is needed, company logos, contact information, and company information are all vital. Too much information will overload the brain and make your card seem less valuable and memorable. You don’t want to be remembered for the headache that your card gave your client.

Remember This!  Check everything carefully for typos and misspellings. These can tarnish your image and make your company seem unprofessional and sloppy, not quite the first impression you want to leave.

About The Guest Author:

John Montana has been a successful salesman since 1990. He has written an ebook about how to record a message on your messaging system that will greatly improve your success rate of potential customers leaving their name and phone numbers.

Check it out for yourself… CLICK HERE.