Have you got business cards?
It’s one of the first things most hands-on practitioners buy to show that they’re in business.
But if you don’t know how to use them, business cards can be a useless investment.
Why?
Because what most people do is hand out their cards to anyone who will take them. They figure that they’ll be “out there, somewhere” circulating in the world, helping to build their practice.
Look at reality for second — Have you taken a business card you didn’t really want? What did you do with it?
I know you have higher-than-average consciousness about the planet, so you probably didn’t put it in the trash — but I’m willing to bet it ended up in recycling.
That’s what makes “Here — let me give you my card — call me sometime.” a terrible waste of your time and money.
When someone wants your card…
But what about when someone ASKS for your card? Clearly they want it, so you should give it to them, right?
Well, asking is certainly indicative of interest… but still the problem is that most people won’t call. So that means the time you spent developing a connection with most people is wasted, if you’re relying on them to take the initiative.
That’s why I do something completely different when someone asks me for my card.
- If I have one with me, I hand it over.
- If I don’t have one with me — which is usually the case — I say, “Gosh, I don’t have one with me right now.”
Either way, I follow it up with —
“Why don’t I take your card (or your name and number) and I’ll call you. That way, we can spend some time exploring what you’re looking for, and we can see if what I do is a good fit for you. How’s tomorrow afternoon?”
When you do this, you find that the ball is in the court of the person most likely to follow up — YOU!
No paper? Write their name on the back of one of your own cards and stick it back in your pocket!
Wait a second—there’s a trick…
Most people don’t know this, but to turn a connection into a great connection and increase the possibility of getting client from it—you have to remember to call!
It might sound ridiculous to say it, but the truth is that the vast majority of people don’t follow up with people — that’s why even people who say they want your card don’t call you.
Making good on your word will set you apart from 99% of the people on the planet, who simply don’t follow up.
Get started now
Don’t throw out your business cards — make them more effective!
Go back to that short script a couple of paragraphs back. Rewrite it if necessary to make it sound more like you — just make sure the result is still that you’ve got the ball in your court.
When you’ve got the words you feel comfortable saying, practice them — a lot! When you no longer stammer or trip over anything, you’ll know you’re ready to make your business cards a whole lot more valuable!
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