ArticleBlaster How To Know If Your Business Card Stinks

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Please consider this free-reprint article written by:
Diana Ratliff

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Article Title: How To Know If Your Business Card Stinks
Author: Diana Ratliff
Word Count: 691
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=61930&ca=Marketing
Format: 64cpl
Author's Email Address: biztips[at]gmail.com (replace [at] with
@)

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If your business card isn�t doing what it�s supposed to do �
helping the receiver remember you in a desirable way, leaving
behind a strong, positive impression of you, your company and
your product or service � then it�s a failure. It stinks.

And if you�re reading this article, it probably does. Stink,
that is.

Wonder how can I make that prediction, without ever having seen
your business card?

Two reasons.

First reason. People keep business cards that have value �
business cards that, in their minds, have information on a
person or product or service that they find interesting or that
they think they�ll need. It only makes sense, right?

In my opinion, such a business card may be ugly � or cheap � or
ordinary � but if someone chooses to keep it (for legitimate
business reasons, not for scratch paper), it doesn�t �stink�.

However, the vast majority of business cards are thrown away
almost immediately. According to research I�ve seen, more than
90% of business cards are thrown away the same day they�re
received. Less than 1% of business cards are kept more than
thirty days.

True, some people throw business cards away because they save
the information on them in an alternate format (such as an
electronic business card scanner), but most are pitched because
they�re of no value to the recipient.

In other words, they stink. They�re crappy. They�re literally
worthless.

Reason two to believe your business card stinks.

I have no statistical data to back this up, but I�ve often
noticed that many business people seem to be nervous or
embarrassed when they�re actually at the point of handing
someone their business card.

Maybe Ms. Business is having a great conversation with a
potential customer. She�s really excited and enthused about the
newest Wonder Widget her company manufactures, and her prospect
is smiling and looking interested. But something happens when
it�s time for her to hand over the company business card.

She grimaces. She hesitates. Her tone of voice changes. She
makes some sort of offhand remark like �Well, here�s my
business card.� Instead of eagerly, confidently giving someone
this outstanding example of their company�s professionalism and
credentials, this awesome, amazing business card � her whole
posture and demeanor conveys a sense of embarrassment.

Or maybe you�ve felt it yourself � a mental twinge, or an inner
voice that says �Maybe he won�t be impressed� or �My card isn�t
as good as my competitor�s� � when the time comes for you to
give someone your business card. Instead of giving someone your
company card with poise and assurance, you feel reluctant to
actually let someone else see it� and judge it.

After all, that card is your baby. Maybe you were instrumental
in the creation of the card. Maybe you�ve had the business card
so long that you�ve become attached to it. Either way, if
someone throws that business card away, or casually stuffs it
into their pants pocket without even looking at it, it feels
like rejection. If they don�t appreciate the card, they don�t
appreciate YOU.

So� if you�re worried that your business card stinks, so
worried that you cannot hand it out without fearing that it
will be found wanting, and if you haven�t had enough positive
reactions to reassure you that your fears are groundless� it
probably does.

Of course, there are objective criteria to use when evaluating
a business cards�� er, �stink factor�. And varying degrees of
�stinkiness.�

For example, business cards that are overcrowded, stink.
Business cards that give you no idea what product or service
you offer, stink. Business cards that waste the space on the
back side of the card may not stink, but they�re certainly
being underutilized.

And business cards that aren�t kept, remembered, and used by
your customers or prospects, stink.

About The Author: Business card expert Diana Ratliff can show
you how to create business cards that not only don't stink, but
carry the sweet smell of incoming business. But first, visit
http://www.bizbooklets.com/checklist.html to learn how bad your
current business card smells!

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