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Your business card--your billboard to successBy Gary Opper, CPA, CFPBusiness card design
"Don't be so humble; you're not as great as you think you
are."
—Golda Meir
Do you want to turn your simple business card into a powerful,
effective and efficient marketing tool? Here are some ideas. Some
are very simple and straightforward. Some are passive. Some are
very aggressive. Use the ones that feel comfortable now, and slowly
increase your marketing with your business card to include most of
these ideas.
Touch = business card
If you touch someone, give him your business card. This sentence is
so important that I'm going to repeat it. If you touch someone,
give him your business card. Whenever you have contact with a
person, he should have your business card and know what services
you provide.
Who do you touch, each day? You would be surprised at the
answer. Of course, there are the obvious ones, like your clients
and vendors; but, what about your mailpersons, newspaper carriers,
cleaners, librarians, doctors, dentists, other health
professionals, attorneys, accountants and stockbrokers?
Also, let's not forget about the ticket sellers at movies and
sporting events, airline agents and skycaps, hairstylists, waiters,
bartenders and dining room attendants. Don't leave out your fellow
members of clubs, associations, churches and chambers of
commerce.
If you think that covers everyone, you're forgetting your
children's teachers, the parents of your children's friends and
classmates, car salespeople, neighbors, gardeners, tollbooth
collectors, driver license examiners, department store salesclerks
and hotel clerks. The list goes on and on.
You should try to mail two business cards and a short letter or
flyer to everyone you talk to on the telephone.
Two cards per touch
When have you passed out too many cards? You've passed out too many
when everyone in your state has two cards—one that you gave
them and one that a friend gave them!
Who of these people needs a mortgage now? Who knows? Who of
these people will need a mortgage in the future? Most will. Who of
these people knows someone who needs a mortgage now or in the
future? All of them do!
Pass out at least two business cards to each contact. Pass them
out as if your business cards are important, valuable documents.
Don't fling your business card at a prospect. Tell him, "Here are
two of my business cards. One is for you to keep and one is for a
friend of yours who needs a mortgage now," or, alternatively, "Here
is a business card for you to keep until you need a mortgage, and
here is a business card for you to give to a friend. Please keep my
card and call me when you need a mortgage. Thank you." You have
just doubled your advertising.
Make your presentation an event that will make your prospect
remember you when he looks at your business card. Ask your prospect
for a business card. Follow up with a telephone call, flyer or
short letter to that person.
What can 'touchees' do with your business
card?
A person who gets your business card can do one of three things
with your card. One—he can keep the card and, hopefully, will
call you when he needs a mortgage. Two—he can give your card
to someone who needs a mortgage. Three&mdash:he can throw your
card away. By giving him one more card, you increase your chances
that number one and two will happen. You probably decrease you
chances that someone will throw your card away when you give him
two cards and the speech about giving one to a friend.
Be prepared
As an Eagle Scout, I follow the simple Boy Scout motto, "Be
prepared." I always have business cards ready. You should have
business cards in small business card holders in:
• Your purse or wallet;
• Your briefcase;
• Your car (in the front and in the mortgage box in the
trunk);
• Your spouse's car;
• Your spouse's purse or wallet;
• Your coat pockets;
• Your workout bag for the gym;
• Your recreational backpack; and
• Your luggage.
You should keep a marketing box in your car. The marketing box
should include business cards for each niche product, flyers for
each of your niche products, a stapler, thumb tacks, business card
holders, flyer holders, pens, pencils and a pad of paper.
You should have your business cards and business card holders at
pack-and-ship stores, waiting rooms, video stores, your bank's
lobby, your title company's office, your appraiser's office and
anywhere else where you are permitted to place your business
cards.
Aggressive advanced techniques
Some aggressive techniques only require that you place business
cards in strategic places. Basically, just leave a trail of
business cards, and people will find you. When you check out of
your hotel room, leave some business cards in the room. When you
have your car serviced, leave some business cards in the front
seat.
Leave business cards at telephone booths and restaurant tables.
Leave business cards on tables, benches and seats that you occupy
throughout the day. Leave business cards in public bathrooms. Put
your business card on bulletin boards in office break rooms,
hardware stores, etc.
Each business or personal letter that you write should have two
business cards included. When you send a check to pay a bill,
include two business cards with a message explaining what you
do.
You should supply your biggest fans with cards to promote your
business. That is, your spouse, your adult children, your parents
and your in-laws should have plenty of your business cards.
Joe Girard, the number one car salesperson in the world, would
throw business cards out at Detroit Tigers baseball games and
Detroit Lions football games. People would look strangely at him,
but they would also buy cars from him! He used business cards as
confetti at New Year's Eve parties. He included business cards with
his Christmas cards. Girard went though 16,000 business cards a
month.
Designing a business card
Gather and review all of the business cards that you have collected
over the years. Include cards from mortgage brokers and everyone
else. From all of these cards, determine what a good business card
looks like.
After you have designed your business cards, review them for the
following:
• Your name;
• Your title;
• Your company name;
• Your company logo;
• Your company theme, motto or slogan;
• Your designations (e.g., CRML, CMC, CPA, CFP or
Esq.);
• How to contact you (see below); and
• Exactly what the benefits to your clients are.
Put the name that you use on your card (full name or nickname).
Make it easy for them to remember you.
When a person receives your correctly designed business card, he
will know exactly what you do and how to contact you in several
different ways. Include an area code with each telephone number.
Update your card as area codes change. A business card should have
some or all the following ways to contact you:
• Street address;
• Post office box;
• Local office telephone number;
• Toll-free office telephone number;
• Office fax;
• Beeper/pager;
• Voicemail;
• Cell phone number;
• E-mail address;
• Web site; or
• Home telephone number.
At minimum, your address, office telephone number and fax number
should be on your business card. Most mortgage brokers have beeper
and cell phone numbers that they also include. If you don't have an
e-mail address, yet, get one now. If your cell phone number is on
your business card, be prepared for substantial telephone bills. If
your home telephone number is used, be prepared for calls at any
time.
A business card is a mini-billboard. Since business cards are
relatively inexpensive, you can have several business cards. For
example, you can have one set of business cards that describes
available niche products, such as A and B/C loans, a separate set
for hard equity mortgages and another set for commercial loans.
In addition to niche-product business cards, you may want to
have niche-market business cards. For example, you may have
separate business cards designed for consumers, real estate agents,
builders and professionals (CPAs, CFPs, attorneys, etc.).
A business card can be double-sided or double-sized and folded.
The additional information that extra space would allow could
further explain your services and products.
Determine the wording, font types and font size, and then add
your logo. Limit your business card to no more than three font
types. Raised printing adds professionalism to your card. Determine
if you want a white business card with black letters or a colored
card with colored letters. A black-and-white or color picture is
also an option for your card. Your business card, stationery and
fax coversheets should all have some coordination of color schemes,
wording, font types and sizes and logos. Determine from the above
list how you want your prospects to contact you. Tell your prospect
exactly what you do!
Summary
The small, lowly business card can be your big billboard to
success. This week, redesign your business cards and place the
order with your printer. Every person you touch should be given two
business cards. Give! Give! Give!
Using your properly designed business cards can propel you into
top sales. Of course, business cards are used to supplement and
complement your other advertising. These items increase the
public's awareness of you and your mortgage company.
Gary Opper, CPA, CFP is the president of Approved Financial
Corporation and is past president of the Florida Association of
Mortgage Brokers Miami Chapter. He may be reached at (954) 384-4557
or e-mail [email protected].
About the author