Is Your Business Card Hurting Your Business


By Bernice Ross

If you have bought into the practice of "image or personal marketing," it's time to take a fresh look at what today's consumer really wants. The 80's and 90's were the decades of image and personal marketing. Marketing experts advised Realtors® to prospect using a personal brochure. "Tell the consumer about how many houses you sold. Use your glamour shot that illustrates how professional you look and don't forget to include it on your business card as well." What seemed like a good idea ten years ago can be the kiss of death in today's consumer oriented environment. Increasing your business in this environment may call for a quantum shift in your approach. A simple place to begin is by changing your business card. If you want a business card that actually attracts business, follow the five tips listed below.

1. Is there a picture on the card?
Can you name one other profession outside the real estate industry that places pictures of its sales force on its business cards? I've asked this question at numerous seminars and the answers are the same—insurance agents and used car salespeople. If our industry wants to break away from the "one-step-above-a-used-car-salesman" image, we should follow the lead set by Fortune 500 businesses. Their business cards provide the name of the company, the individual's name, and their contact information. There are NO pictures. To illustrate why your picture is not that important, can you name the person who won the academy award for best actress three years ago? Even when the person's name and picture has been in front of you repeatedly, most people still have a hard time remembering. The same is true with your business card. The people you meet will decide whether they want to work with you while you are face-to-face. If you didn't make a great impression in person, how is your card going to make any difference? A better approach is to print separate business cards for each of your listings. Use a picture of the listing on one side, a brief property description, and your website and phone number on the back. Sellers will love the idea and it makes you stand out from other agents who still use their own photos to market their services. Most importantly, people who see your card will understand immediately that you're about helping people market their property rather than marketing you.

2. Is the contact information readable?
As an agent, you have access to business cards from other Realtors®. For the next two weeks, collect as many as possible and/or check the ones you may already have on file. Now look at the cards. How many have such a small font that you can barely read the print, even with your glasses (if you wear glasses)? Because the agent’s picture takes up so much space, a small font is necessary in order to cram in the agent's contact information. One agent summed it up like this: "Our prices are so high that almost anyone who can afford to buy properties in our area is wearing bifocals." With up to 40 percent of today's listing market composed of the 55+ crowd, making your phone number and email address easy to read is critical.

3. How many phone numbers are on the cards you collected?
In most cases, the agents will have a cell phone, home phone, office phone, and fax number. How do you know which number you're supposed to call? Instead of listing multiple numbers, include your fax number and one primary number where clients can reach you. Remember, if someone is calling you from your business card, most people will have little patience trying to track down which number is correct.

4. Your website address
If you're using your name as your website address, consider shifting your primary web address to a function. For example, if you work a geographical farm, create a web address that incorporates the name of the area you farm: for example, InglebrookHomes.com or WestlakeHeightsCondos.com. If you serve a specific niche based upon a profession or a specific market segment, use that as your web address. Examples include LakesideSeniorHomes.com or DenverHomes4Teachers.com. Also, remember to use your print advertising to direct people to your website or to call your 800 Call Capture system.

5. Your email address
One of the most irritating and costly mistakes an agent can make on a business card is having a difficult-to-remember and/or difficult-to-type email address. When existing or potential clients make errors in typing your email address, important communications may not reach you. Furthermore, people lose business cards all the time. (Since the first of the year, how many business cards have you tossed or been unable to find when you needed them?) Having an easy-to-remember email address is critical. This means keeping it simple with no dashes, strange numbers, or difficult-to-spell names. In addition, instead of using Yahoo, AOL, or some other ISP in your email address, print up new cards with an email address at your website. For example, instead of using YourName@Yahoo.com, shift to YourName@YourWebsite.com. This sends a clear message to today's Internet-based consumer that you're in touch with today's marketing environment.

Remember, making the connection is the name of the game when it comes to converting leads into closed business. Make your business cards about the consumer and watch how many more leads you generate.


More Resources

Ten Ways To Sell Advertising Space Fast
1. Give your customers a discount when they spendover a certain dollar amount for ad space.
Power Headlines for Promotion Success
Do you send email to your Online audience to let them know about an upcoming teleclass, your service or your book? Do you have a seminar "flyer" on your web site? The biggest mistake professionals and entrepreneurs make is to announce, rather than promote themselves. Each piece you send or put on your web site should begin with the #1 copywriting winner--the headline.
Dont Be a Secret Agent
This tactic of the game was hard for me to master and at first I failed many times. I carried my business cards only in my briefcase, because I thought they were only used in business.
The Ultimate, "Must-Have" Home-Based Business for YOU
The Ultimate, "Must-Have" Home-Based Business for YOU aUnderemployed, Unemployed, or Industrial Age IndividualAllow me to educate you on the issue of job security andpaint you a picture of what the aftermath can be if youremain comfortable at your regular job. Job security is anold-fashioned term that claims the longer an employeeworked for a particular company, the more precious thatperson became.
Double the Effectiveness of Your Company Brochure
Let's face it - most brochures go straight into the bin. But if you know the big mistake to avoid, as well as the secret to make people keep your brochure - and read it, over and over again - you're laughing.
How To Write More Powerful Brochures, Leaflets, And Catalogues
Probably the most interesting thing about brochures and leaflets is that they're seldom read in what we've come to know as the right order - as you would read a book. Rather in the same way that many people read magazines in dentists' waiting rooms, they will flick through brochures and leaflets and stop to take a longer look at bits that grab their attention.
Using The Popularity of Celebrities and Currrent Events to Promote Your Business
In this article, we want to explore the idea of using the popularity of celebrities and current event (news) topics to help market any internet business.The IdeaCelebrities and news events are not only popular topics, they are also popular "keywords" in the major search engines.
Advertise Where Its Forbidden To
The most common way to drive people to your business site is advertising. You cannot succeed without advertising, this is a fact.
Advertising That Annoys: The Real Story
Critics conclude that entertaining or "creative" commercials sell better than those that are bland. But liking the commercial may not really be that important in the scheme of things.
Advertising Agency In Boston: Tips and Tricks
The big news on Wall Street last year was the initial public offering of Internet search engine Google. If you were a visitor from another planet, you might be asking yourself, What big, sophisticated, high-technology company is behind the success of Google? Could it be IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Apple, Oracle, SAP, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, Dell, Xerox, Sun Microsystems, Philips or Siemens? Of course not.
Marketing Tips - Advertising
Typical methods of advertising-newspapers, radio and television are effective if used properly, but there are other, less expensive ways to get your company's name out. Local or cable television is an inexpensive alternative to the traditional forms of advertising.
Create Your Own Business Cards, Part 2
This is the second part of creating your own business card. If you missed the first one, let me know: mailto:webmistress@janes-place.
Avoid Being Vague
We are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages daily?on television and the radio, on the internet, in magazines and newspapers, on billboards and other signs, and even at the bottoms and on the backs of receipts. The world is, indeed, a very noisy place.
Advertising Basics for Beginners
So many of us who have decided to do business online have no background in marketing or advertising. It can be so frustrating without any kind of guide.
16 Ways to Make Your Business Cards Unforgettable
Every time you hear someone say "May I have one of your business cards?" you should get excited. I know I do.
Customer-Involving Signage and Selling
Here's some easy ways to create signage that will attract, not annoy customers (and local government agencies that regulate signage):1. Since movement always attracts attention, any banner, sign set of a pole that might move with the wind or electrically-turned sign will stand out from the static messages around it.
Take Your Radio Ads to the Next Level
Most small businesses do not have a high poweredadvertising agency to produce award-winning radiocommercials for them. Most award-winning radiocommercials win for the wrong reasons anyway.
Small Business Image
The single easiest way to increase sales is to look professional. People believe what they see.
Improve Your Promotional Flyers And Improve Sales
Admittedly, I have not seen your advertising flyer. Then again, I probably don't have to.
Why Radio Advertising Could Be The Best Thing You Ever Did For Your Business
In the marketing world, radio has earned the reputation of being the odd step-cousin. You know the one.

More Advertising Information:

Related Articles

Does Post Card Advertising Really Work?
You've decided to try advertising your business with post cards. The idea came to you from the post cards you receive from other businesses.
Does Your Brochure Pass the Test - Or is It Headed for the Trash? Part One
The decision on whether or not someone will read your brochure is usually decided in the first 5 seconds they look at it. What kind of message are you communicating in that five seconds? Will you make a favorable impression with your prospect? Will you move your prospect closer to the sale?There are really only two key elements that will determine how well your brochure is received by prospects.
Is Advertising Art?
Oh Grand and Glorious Southern Guru, I am perplexed. What ails thee, my peabrained little grasshopper? My sleep has been short, my walls have been climbed, my hair has been pulled.
Add More Pizzazz To Your Ad For More Profits
I recently completed a Marketing Makeover for an Adthat wasn't generating results for the owner of a Piano Tuning Business.Here is the original ad: A BETTER PIANOA well tuned and adjusted piano is a beautiful instrument.
Electronic Score Boards
Wide range of electronic Key venues around the globe has turned to Electronic score boards that not only look breathtaking from every angle and distance, but provide consistently reliable performance year in and year out.Different type of sports including athletics, track cycling, running events, street cycling and mountain bike, swimming, synchronized swimming, diving as well as inline skating, water polo, ball spots, motor sports, alpine skiing, cross country and biathlon are some of the areas where Electronic score boards perfect fits solutions for.
Predictions for 2010
2005 puts us at the mid-point of the first decade of the new millenium. What will things look like at the end of the 1st decade of the new millenium in the world of advertising? I thought I'd project where the ad industry is headed and what 2010 (or sooner) might look like.
Why I Like The Ads I Hate!
It's been said that the antidote to liking/loving is not hating,but indifference. So, when an ad makes you angry or disgusted orevokes any other strong emotion, it has done it's job.
A Quick And Easy Way Of Getting More Customers From Every Single Ad You Write... Guaranteed!
FACT: Most people don't spend anywhere near enough time on creating a strong, compelling headline.Which is why many copywriting experts.
Five Characteristics of Highly Successful Advertising
Have you ever spent a small fortune on advertising that generated disappointment rather than sales?Many small business owners have been down the road of flat advertising results and are at a loss when it comes to developing new ideas to improve the response to their ads.Whether you run ads in your local newspaper, your industry's top periodical or on-line, you need your investment in advertising to pay for itself, and then some, in order to justify its cost.
What Happened? Troubleshooting Poor Response from Ad Campaigns
Too many small business owners today run ad campaigns that get little to no results, and they have no idea why. When you have the knowledge to troubleshoot the poor responses, you also have the knowledge to make the needed changes so that - next time - your sales improve! Let's take a look at the breakdown of an ad campaign, and how to determine what went wrong.
Business Cards: Why Waste Valuable Space?
So many business people neglect this valuable asset that may be used for a multitude of messages.Don't fall for the trap of supplying a "scribbler" for others that virtually guarantees your card will be in the "round file" sooner rather than later.
Boost Headline Believability With Specifics
Don't use vague generalities in your headlines. Be as specific as possible.
How To Create Instantly Compelling Ads Every Time
Use This Quick 3-Question Evaluation Process, So You Can Be Sure Your Message Will Sell!EVALUATION #1: "Well, I Would Hope So!" When you make a claim, don't think about it in terms of words coming out of your mouth. Think of it in terms of words entering your prospects ears.
Secrets to Get Free Advertising
The opportunities to get free advertising for your product or services are limited only by your own imagination and energies. There are so many proven ways of promoting your objectives without cost that it literally boggles the mind just to think of listing them.
Advertising on a Budget -- Part 2: Thinking Small
This is the second article of a three-part series. I'm illustrating the marketing challenges of a small business, PrescottWeddings.
Raising Funds For Your Nonprofit Using An Annual Direct Mail Program
A good annual direct mail solicitation program can produce unrestrictive operating funds for your nonprofit organization year after year. And such an annual direct mail program, if done right, should produce more funding for your organization each year.
5 Newspaper Advertising Myths Revealed
What I'm about to reveal are myths that most people thinkare 'true.'They seem set in stone yet they are deadly to theadvertiser.
Fax Broadcast Services Get Your Message to Millions
If your company is one of those innovative businesses that has taken advantage of new fax broadcasting technologies to get your message out, you've probably come to realize that the fax broadcasting services industry is ever-changing and new developments are coming out all the time.It's pretty much a full-time job just to manage a fax broadcast database of any size, not to mention keeping the related fax broadcasting software updated and operational.
Hit Them With Benefits
More about advertising from BIG Mike McDanielIt makes no difference what media you use toadvertise, the rules are the same. Benefits,benefits, benefits.
Advertising - Does it Matter?
When advertising, you need to sell your opportunity, your products and yourself. What sets you apart from everyone else? Maybe you produce a newsletter with a specific content where there is a demand from a particular group of people, or you promote your own special product that no one have not yet seen.