Do you do what the vast majority of people who buy business cards do?

Give them out to friends and family or post them on a few bulletin boards and hope for the business to come rolling in?

How about putting them on tables at restaurants (yes business card spamming is alive and well :( ).

A good one at trade shows is every vendor tossing business cards to anyone that comes within a few feet of their booth. I guess they heard that the old network marketing 3-foot rule works!

Okay enough of that!

Wait! I'll admit there are some businesses, biz opps for example, that have a huge potential market and some of those strategies could work. But for most businesses it's just a waste of a good business card.

And that's unfortunate, because your business card really can be a powerful and effective direct marketing tool...

So in direct marketing you don't pass them all around and hope for the best.

What you do is:

1. Find people that would be interested in your offering (a prospect in marketing speak).

2. Talk with them and see if they really are interested in your business.

3. Then give them your business card, and just point out some of the benefits that your business provides (highlight them on the card). Now you have someone interested in your product or service and they have a way to get in touch with you. Let them know that you'll follow-up with them and...

4. Now your job is to follow-up with them and ask the right questions to help them understand why it is in their best interest (if you really believe it is BTW) to become your client.

Sure it's easier said than done. Hey most things are.

But, it's a simple formula and will work wonders with virtually any business.


About the Author
Mark Meyers has more tips about Business Cards Marketing on his website.