Are your business cards a weapon to defend your business and to gain new territory? Or are your business cards the loser of the battle for new business? Over the years I have attended vendor meetings, business meetings, trade shows, networking meetings, chamber events and more. One thing that is always present is the business card. Even if it is not there physically, you can see on the faces of people who forgot theirs how embarrassed they are when it comes to exchanging business cards with others. They realize that they just missed a great opportunity. The business card is there - just on their mind and not in their hand.

To use them as a weapon to acquire new business, you should keep the following in mind. Never leave home without cards. I have stopped for coffee at Starbucks and had someone approach me and ask for a card because they saw my car sign out in the parking lot. If you want people to accept you as a businessperson, you better not say 'Oh sorry, I forgot my cards today.'

Another (bad) example - I have even been to industry trade shows and exhibitors were not able to give me a business card. They have not only lost an immediate opportunity to market their business and services, but they also look like an amateur who doesn't deserve my business.

Ok, you managed to bring your cards, but how about the information shown on the card?! Is everything still current? The reality shows that sometimes we change our contact information, but fail to update our business cards because we still have 4,987 sitting in the box we ordered last year. That's the downsize of ordering using a large volume discount. If you know that there will be possible changes in the near future, then reduce the number of cards you have printed. It is actually a better move to order new cards as soon as the information on it has changed. Do not wait. Do not hand write information on your card. Can anyone say 'amateur'? Sure business cards are an expense, but if you shop around for cheap card print shops and order in amounts you know you can hand out, it is not too much of an expense that might go to waste.

Does the biz card say what you really want it to say? What message are you trying to get across? The design and layout is critical to a good business card. A logo and design that stand out are critical when you hand out business cards. You do not want to disappear into the darkness of some rolodex where nobody remembers your card. You want the receiving side remember your card at all times. Set a standard and set it high. Other cards will have to measure up to yours.

Are you marketing with your business card? Keeping them in your wallet is a waste of time and money. Be active and use them whenever you have a chance. Make your business card a weapon to defend your territory and to bring in new business.

Author: Chris Puetz

About the author:
Chris Puetz is an international author who frequently writes about business related topics like Free Business Cards or how to run a web hosting business.

Article source: Free Sales Articles.