| Business cards are the most underutilized and | | | | It would be interesting to run the numbers on how |
| misunderstood marketing tool in business. Many people | | | | much money was saved at the printers versus how |
| spend the bucks for cards and don't make an effort to | | | | much business went somewhere where the |
| get them into the hands of those who can hire them | | | | salespeople appeared more professional. With car |
| or buy from them. | | | | dealer margins, one sale would buy a lot of business |
| Everyday people throw away stacks of undelivered | | | | cards. |
| business cards. Money down the dumper. | | | | Worse is using a business card with a black or blue |
| Your goal is to design and use a memorable card and | | | | marker blotting out a line of type and a new |
| get so many delivered you have to re-order. Forget | | | | name,address or phone number written (or typed) |
| about those clever articles about what to do with | | | | above the black line. Ugh! |
| stacks of leftover cards. | | | | Some people painstakingly cut itty bitty strips of |
| The only time you should have cards still in the box is | | | | computer labels printed with the new information and |
| when something on the card becomes outdated or | | | | stick them over the old just to save a few bucks. |
| obsolete. | | | | Calculate what your time is worth and the savings turn |
| If you designed your cards as a marketing tool and | | | | into an expense, not to mention what the "corrected" |
| planned your distribution, tossing unused cards in the | | | | card does to future business. |
| trash should become the exception rather than the | | | | Dig out that stack of business cards you have been |
| rule. If one item on your card changes the cards are | | | | collecting for years and flip through them, you will see |
| obsolete and should be pitched. | | | | at least one with a correction. |
| Car dealers are famous for finding ways to save | | | | If you are in any business and venture outside your |
| money on business card expense. With the revolving | | | | cubby-hole for any reason, you should carry business |
| door turnover of salespeople, many dealers stopped | | | | cards at all times. You should be able to "whip one out" |
| ordering individual cards for new hires. They print a | | | | without diggout out your wallet and digging through pics |
| master card with color dealer logo and phone numbers | | | | of the kids, or plunging to the bottom of your purse |
| and leave a big space in the middle for the new | | | | past the hair spray. |
| salesperson's name to be penciled in. That way, when | | | | You card says a lot about you. And you say even |
| the would-be fast talking, glad handing flannel mouth | | | | more about you when you offer your card. |
| doesn't work out, no new cards need be printed. | | | | Say it in business-like, professional style. |
| A swell image: handwritten business cards. | | | | |