Want to save paper, save money and wow your business contacts at the same time? Use a cheap key chain “pen drive” (a small flash memory card that jacks to a USB port) to create an interactive “business card” that will stand way out from the crowd.
Upload the drive with your filled-in Outlook/Plaxo contact or virtual business card and add a few free offerings such as an short MP3 demo of a class or training, a white paper, workbook, ebook – whatever is pertinent to your business. Keep the drive with you and whenever someone is talking to you about your work and has access to gear that will accept your drive (PDA, laptop, pocket PC, USB-capable smart-phone, etc), you can just offer to download your inclusive package into their device.
No more agonizingly expensive waste of newly obsolete business cards whenever you need to update or change your contact information. One less “what do I do with this” business card for your contacts to have to deal with when they get home from whatever networking event you’ve connected at. And you can constantly tweak the content for relevance, change seasonal discounts, update with limited special offers, and so on!
A few caveats:
1. Choose your selections carefully. Opt for high-value, high-return options that will benefit the receiver, not just the giver. You can include a brochure, if it seems appropriate, but make the bulk of your offering valuable, pertinent and something they’ll want to pass on to friends (taking your information with it)!
2. Respect your contact’s time and available memory! Make sure that you don’t pack it so full that it will overload smaller devices or take 20 minutes to download! If you have large-file offerings you’d like to share, consider creating a single html “web page” to download instead, with the links embedded in it. Your contact then simply opens the page, logs onto their ISP and clicks through to get all the great stuff you want to share!
3. Don’t push! Not everyone is comfortable letting just anyone download stuff into his or her devices. If this is a concern, offer to take their card and send them the information via email. You’ve already made a good impression just by being ready and willing to pass on valuable items on the spot. Anything beyond that is pure gravy.
With just a bit of careful decision-making and common sense, a pen drive business card can be an amazingly successful vehicle for generating greater interaction, creating an environment of valuable informational exchange and providing a source of interesting conversation. It can include anything from a PowerPoint presentation to a multi-media product demo to an audio/video clip of your services or presentation skill – all condensed into one tiny, cigarette lighter-sized bauble. You can even buy them in designer shapes and colors, or imprinted with your logo. And, while we have been discussing mainly business applications, it is a technology that lends itself to a nearly infinite variety of adaptations. How many ways you can think of to use this idea?
Archive for: ‘September 2011’
Create A Pen Drive Business Card
The Great Two-Sided Business Card Debate
A business card is one of the most important marketing pieces that you’ll develop
for your company, since it is typically the first piece of your marketing materials that
a new client will see.
One of the most debated points in business card design is whether to print
information on just one side of the card or to use both sides. There are many views
on this controversy, and here are some that we frequently hear.
The arguments for keeping the back of the card blank are that printing on both
sides has the following disadvantages:
o Not having a space to take notes while networking: Many business
people use a system of writing notes on the backs of the business cards they receive
while networking. They do this to remind themselves of the commitments they
made or to later jog their memories about the conversation. Too much printing on
the back can make this difficult or impossible. Glossy coatings on the backs of cards
can also prevent note writing.
o Rolodexes, business card filing systems, and card scanners: These are
widely used in business today, and many models don’t allow for the back of the card
to be viewed. For this reason, you should not put vital information on the back, so
that the card can still be functional when only one side is visible. Also, if your
prospect uses a business card scanner to store business cards, they might not scan
both sides.
o Greater printing expense: Printers charge more to print a two-sided card, because of the additional work and ink involved.
o Ink smearing: Some inks are more likely to smear or rub off on
neighboring sheets of paper than others; for example, blue Pantone inks are
especially prone to this effect. If you do choose a two-sided card with a field of
color on the back, then it is best to also varnish or clear-coat the back of the card in
order to seal the color in and prevent this. The varnish also adds drying time and
expense to the
The arguments for putting information on both sides are that you can use the back
to:
o Add more information: If you have a lot of contact information, putting
it all on to the front of the card will often make the font too small and the text too
dense to read comfortably. Putting some of that information on the back will free up
the front of the card and make it look better.
o Make your business card more valuable: By including interesting
information like a calendar of events, tip, or quote on the back, you can make your card more likely to be kept. Other things that you can put on the back include
coupons, appointment information, or directions to your store or office.
o Enhance your brand: The back of the card is often the perfect place for
graphical treatments and pieces of your Visual Vocabulary.
o Maximize your message: Use the back to add more information about
your business. It might not be clear to everyone receiving your card what you offer,
so you might try listing that on the back.
And it might not cost that much. Some printers will print a two-sided card for as
little as $20 extra per 1000 cards. In that case, the low price for additional “real
estate” really makes it worth the cost.
With all of these points in mind, the most effective card for small businesses is often
a two-sided card. The next question to address is what to put on the back of the card. We recommend:
o Not putting vital information on the back of the card: Since the back of
the card might get hidden or ignored in a filing system, it’s best to put all of the
most important information–like your name, logo, phone number, email, and
website–on the front of the card. If you have a physical office, you should also
make sure that your address is on the front of your card.
So what’s left to put on the back? You could put your tagline, a couple of lines that
explain your offerings, a list of your services, or a short testimonial. Or try one of
the suggestions from “Make your business card more valuable,” above.
o Try graphics: You can print a field of color, small graphic, or a simple
pattern on the back. A card with graphics on the back looks more sophisticated and
high-end, and is more memorable as well. If you don’t print in a color that is too
dark and you use a solid color field, people will still be able to take notes on the
back of the card. Just don’t forget the varnish!
If you use these tips, you’ll be able to maximize the effectiveness of your business card. Your card will go from being just a thing to hand out when you meet someone
to being a strong marketing tool.
Business Card Etiquette – How to Give and Receive Business Cards
A business card is a singularly powerful tool for self-advertisement. If lets you market yourself to a very wide audience without the hassle and prohibitive cost of newspaper advertising.
When you have business cards printed in bulk, however, be sure to get yourself a business card case. It’s crass to distribute your business card without putting them in a business card case first.
How to Distribute Your Business Card
Is there a right way to distribute a business card? Is there a wrong way of doing the same? The answer to both questions is yes. In distributing business cards, there is a right way and a wrong way. There is no right way of doing it the wrong way.
The Wrong Way: Distributing your business card as if you are dealing playing cards.
The Right Way: Never pass out business cards like you would pass around sheets of paper or playing cards. Keep them in a business card case. Additionally, present them in such a way that the recipient can read them right side up.
As the recipient takes a card from your business card case, make an effort to keep up polite chatter. If, on the other hand, you are the recipient of the card, comment as you take the card out of the business card case. Then, subtly, put it in your pocket.
When networking, remember to keep your business card case inside a pocket you can easily reach. It is not seemly to have to rummage for your cards while exchanging banters with high-ranking executives.
Keeping Up Appearances
Your business card is your advertisement. It should, thus, be representative of the image you are trying to get across. So, make sure they are never creased, wrinkled, dirty, or scribbled upon. To help your cards remain spotless and crisp, keep them inside a business card case.
Tips for Cross-Cultural Card-Giving
1. When traveling abroad, have your information printed in English on one side and in the language of the country you’re visiting on the other.
2. When giving out business cards in Asia, remember to use two hands to give and receive cards. Be sure to put the card that you receive on the tabletop, at least until the meeting ends. After the meeting, put the business cards you received inside a portfolio or a business card case.
3. If you ask someone for a business card, offer yours in return. The same rule applies for times when it is you who does the asking.
The act of exchanging business cards is as important as a handshake. After all, when you exchange business cards with someone, you trade not just contact information. You exchange the possibility of a future with each other in it. Do it with style.