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Maximum Marketing - Minimum Budget
Two years ago I started my small Virtual Assistant business with a non-existent marketing budget. I borrowed marketing books from the library, read countless articles on the Internet and joined a professional trade association of my peers. I learned...
MLM Training- Who Are the Best MLM Small Business Prospects and Why?
by Doug Firebaugh
There is a virtual Gold Mine out in the marketplace for network marketing and MLM that is being virtually ignored by most folks.
These folks have 5 things they bring to MLM that can prove to be absolutely invaluable: ...
Network Marketing Prospecting- The 4 Steps To Blazing MLM Prospecting
What is MLM Prospecting?
According to Webster's Dictionary, prospecting is looking for gold. That is a good definition of MLM Prospecting, as you always want to strike gold in your business. Just like gold, MLM Success runs in veins in your...
Resource Allocation
So here you are…a business owner. Bravo!
You’ve got a catchy name, you’re equipped with all the right tools, your website is up, and now you’re ready to do business. So you start to network online, join the right groups, check out search...
Why Santa's Marketing Works Better Than Yours
Santa Claus Inc. is well and profitable, right through
recessions, depressions and just about any economic scenario.
The reason why his marketing strategies work better than yours,
is because he uses solid, dyed-in-the-wool psychology. He...
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Your Business Card--Executive Pacifier or Marketing Tool?
Your Business Card—Executive Pacifier or Marketing Tool?
Do you remember when you started your business or you got a new job? The excitement you felt when you the business cards arrived to match your new business or new position? The cards became your rite of passage.
Now you realize business cards are part of every business boiler plate, one of the many adult pacifiers we all have.
This article show you how to use marketing principles to re-do your business cards. You can turn your cards into a powerful marketing tool. If you want to avoid the dreaded “They dropped my card in the bottom of their drawer syndrome”, use the following marketing principles to redo your business cards into an effective marketing tool.
getting the attention of your prospects showing them benefits making it easy to contact you giving them a specific call to action testing your ideas
Getting your prospects attention
You need to grab the attention of your prospects. Your business cards can accomplish in a number of ways.
1. Color gets attention. Your photo gets attention. Experts still undecided on whether the added expense of color and photo’s increase prospect attention or retention.
2. You can get your prospects attention by using different forms of business cards. Today, you can print your name on anything. Pens, mouse pads, jackets, letter openers, coasters, calendars, CD versions of your business card, musical business cards are only a few of the possibilities. You limited your options only by your imagination.
With these attention getting methods, ask yourself this question, “Do I want to be cute? Or do I want to be effective?” If you want to be known as cute, then pick out something cutie and make that your novelty business card.
If you want to be effective, pick out something that is different but meaningful to your business. For example, a person in the furniture business has their information on a piece of wood for their business card. It relates directly to their business rather than just being cute.
3. The heart of getting the attention of your prospect must be your heading or tag line. No matter what form of business card or what color, your heading or tag line should command your central focus.
Show me the benefits!
The heart of marketing is letting the customer know what benefits they will receive from using your business. It’s not your company logo. It’s not your company’s business name that is most important to them. It’s what they will receive.
Make sure your business card in one sentence, in one phrase tells the reader the biggest benefit they will receive from your business. This is your chance. If you don’t catch their attention with the headline, you card will probably go into the drawer with all the other cards. Give them a powerful one line reason to stop, to read and to keep your card.
Make is easy to contact you
Imagine, receiving a business card without the person’s
name on it. At a recent networking meeting that happened to me. I actually became embarrassed to call the company because I couldn’t remember the person’s name.
Make it easy for recipient to contact you. If you prefer email than focus on your email. If cell phone, then cell phone. Have all of the appropriate information on the card. If you are store front business, they will need your address. Rather than putting tons of information on your card, ask yourself, “How do I want these people to contact me?” And then make it very easy for them to do this on your card.
Call to action
What do you want them to do? Effective marketing always tell the prospect exactly want they want them to do. “Pick up the phone” “Go to my website.” Tell people on your business card what you want them to do.
Testing Experiment with different messages and formats. Today, you can go online (Vistaprint.com) to choose from standards design cards. You can get 250 cards for $10.00. Use this as testing models until you find the right combination that works for you. Once you find something that works, text, layout and style, you can explore more expensive and better looking options.
Using your business card in a marketing process
Here are just a few creative ways you can use your redesigned card to make your marketing more effective.
1. Have some fun, especially if your cards are the low cost items. Send them out with every piece of mail, including your bill payments and other correspondence. You will stop people in their tract.
2. Give two cards at once with the simple explanation. “I’m giving you a couple of cards. You may know someone who can use (share with them your benefit).” Now you have the recipient thinking about making an extra step.
3. Print a special offering or a coupon on the back of your business card. It gives the person it another reason to keep your card visible. This is what you want.
4. Enclose your business card as part of the thank you notes you send. You can print thank you cards, with appropriate business information on them. The inside can be blank for your personalized thank you and also include a place for your business card. Now you are combining two marketing strategies, the thank you process and the business card.
Conclusion
You have a way of turning your executive pacifier into an effective marketing tool. This is not a high expense item. It also makes your business card more consistent with other forms of marketing, giving you greater marketing power.
If you want more detail information about how to actually craft your next business card, click here for a free report “My Business Card” and I will send you an article which walks you through the business card making process.
Copyright Al Hanzal, 2004. All Rights Reserved
Hanzal Enterprises, Inc. 4191 Granite Court Eagan, Minnesota 55123 651-485-3340
About the Author
Small business owners have been using Al'smarketing materials to increase their profits.
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When You Know How | Network Marketing Works! |
Your guide to tips, resources, opportunities. Get your Free CD the Science of Network Marketing. We can show you how to make it work for you. |
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Marketing, business - Is Network Marketing Just a Scam? |
Marketing, business - Is Network Marketing Just a Scam? - Entrepreneur.com. |
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Business Opportunities: MLM, Network Marketing, Work at Home |
Listing of Business Opportunities: MLM, Network Marketing, Mail Order, Kiosks and more. |
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Multi-level marketing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Multi-level marketing (MLM) (also called network marketing or NM) is a business ... In a typical multi-level marketing or network marketing arrangement, ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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List of network marketing companies - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Jump to: navigation, search. This is a list of companies which utilize network marketing, also known as multi-level marketing. ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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MLM - Network Marketing Business Journal |
MLM industry journal is the oldest, largest MLM newspaper for the newest network marketing, direct sales, homebased income opportunities and articles. |
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The Real Problem with Network Marketing and Multi-Level Marketing ... |
It never ceases to amaze me the extreme polar views on the topic of network marketing and MLM. Some people are passionate about it in the extreme, ... |
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Network Marketing News ONLINE - Home |
Network Marketing and MLM Tools, Training, and Information - your online resource. Business Opportunity. Free fax-on demand. Free autoresponders. |
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MLM Woman Newsletter - The Complete MLM/Network Marketing Resource ... |
MLM Woman Newsletter - The complete resource on the Internet for the MLM Woman and Man. |
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Site Build It! - Network Marketing |
Site Build It! is the only all-in-one site-building, site-hosting, AND site-marketing system of software tools for Network Marketers (MLM). |
networkmarketing.sitesell.com |
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Amazon.com: Your First Year in Network Marketing: Overcome Your ... |
Amazon.com: Your First Year in Network Marketing: Overcome Your Fears, Experience Success, and Achieve Your Dreams!: Books: Mark Yarnell,Rene Reid Yarnell ... |
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Home based buisness ideas, MLM and Network Marketing Business ... |
Home based business ideas. Best home business and home based business ideas.Spiritual marketing your home based business ideas. Namaste. |
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Network Marketing: Home |
Special Offer. >> Home. News / Events. 15.08.06: APPOINTMENT OF GREG GUTHRIE. © Copyright Network Marketing 2002, |, Terms of Use, |, Privacy Policy ... |
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Specialists in marketing and creative recruitment both agencies ... |
One of the UK's leading marketing recruitment consultancies. Specialists in marketing and creative recruitment both for agencies and clients on a temporary ... |
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Network Marketing Success Now |
Tips and resources to help you build a successful network marketing business online... |
nmsnow.com |
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MLM Network Marketing Resources by Online MLM .com |
Directory of network marketing and direct sales companies. |
www.onlinemlm.com |
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MLM Network Marketing training Randy Gage |
MLM Network Marketing training resources by Randy Gage and other leading MLM industry experts give business building secrets for success in your home ... |
www.networkmarketingtimes.com |
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multi-level marketing |
multi-level marketing (a.k.a. network marketing & referral marketing) ... EVALUATIONS of MLM or Network Marketing Companies, Based on the "5 Red Flags" of a ... |
skepdic.com |
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Network Marketing |
Network Marketing as the basis of a home based business. |
www.homeworking.com |
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Network Marketing Support Services |
Offers resources for the MLM professional. |
www.mlmhelp.com |
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