Here are some tips that are proven to work to increase your chances of creating a business opportunity
1. Never leave without your business cards! Before leaving your workplace or home, create a checklist that includes your business cards as a part of what you should have in your wallet. Even a quick trip to a grocery store could be an opportunity to network.
2. Don’t save your business cards to yourself. Be generous. Give business cards out to everyone you know, including your friends and family and always give two cards at a time to each person.
3. Send your cards in every piece of correspondence – letters, invoices and even your bills! Bills are often used as an advertising vehicle. Why can’t you advertise your services or skills in the same way? After all, there is a live person who processes the bills on the other end!
4. Treat your cards right. Use a good-looking business card holder so you don’t bend corners and produce the best possible impression on first contact with your prospect.
5. When ordering your cards, order more then a thousand – the cost per card will be substantially lower making it more cost effective.
6. Whenever you give out your business card, always ask for one in return. Furthermore, make that person feel important by looking at what they have to offer. Furthermore, this usually helps to define a topic for a conversation thus strengthening your networking.
7. Ask for referrals. This will work both ways – people feel more important when you ask them about referrals. Moreover, it is natural for people to help when they're asked.
8. Take notes. After a networking event, always make notes on the back of each business card so you don’t lose an opportunity and remember the important things from a conversation.
9. Be on the other side of the table. Whenever you are at a business conference or a job fair, you can improve your networking results by volunteering at the event. Company representatives and your potential prospects will look differently at you, knowing that you can go an extra mile.
10. Use your business card to its fullest potential. Your business card is not just contact information on a piece of paper. It is a mini business presentation. The greater impact you can make on first contact with a prospect, the better your chances are to stand out in the crowd and get more business.
Use the following for a better impact:
a. Brand yourself with a strong business identity and a slogan.
b. Have it professionally designed – one time small design fee is well worth a your business image and will get you the results with high impact design and quality.
c. Use the backside as a mini flyer or brochure. List more details on the services and products you provide, including their benefits. However, be careful - do not put "everything you know" on it, or you may confuse your prospect. Remember about the attention span of a modern society.
d. Do not print business cards yourself simply because it adds an “amateur & unprofessional” flavor to your business image.
Author of the article: www.vstudios.us
