Business Cards that Make Them CALL

How would you use business cards for gift certificates?

I asked at the beginning of this chapter "How many business cards do you need?" and answered that you only need one. Even though this is true when you are trying to form business relationships, it is not true when it comes to promoting your business. Promotion can come in many forms, but using business cards to represent a gift certificate will make it easier for your potential customer not to lose it. You can issue gift certificates for a two-for-one dinner, a discount when coming into your store, or for time at the driving range. Whatever it is that you decide to use it for, you will find that usage will climb considerably if they are in a format that can be readily tucked into a wallet. When you go to most grocery stores or retail stores, they sell gift certificates in the form of "credit cards". This allows them to swipe at the register when a purchase is made and to have the amount left loaded on the card. This is a very expensive method for most small businesses. You can use the same principle, but in paper format. Business cards can range in thickness from paper-thin to fairly heavy stock. The heavier the stock, the more likely the card will not be lost.

I once helped a small grocery store promote their business and gain new customers in their neighborhood by having "gift certificates" for a free jug of milk. We decided on a jug because most people do not purchase just a quart if they have a family. This promotion drew in almost all the neighborhood and the store gained new customers through the attention. You do not need to give away the farm, or in this case the cow, you just need to use a format that will work for you. Once a customer is in your store, then you can start working on the business relationship.

Your gift certificate, invitation, announcement, etc., should also contain your web information.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com