Friday, June 6, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
The best business card
It’s obvious to most that first impressions are crucial and that your business card plays a part in that first impression. The question is, “What do I want my business card to communicate?” Standard business cards meet the minimum standards in communicating basic information however our laminated “Best Business Cards” are truly in the realm of high performance. Lamination communicates, “I’m serious about my business, I’m here to stay and I’ll be here for you in the future.” Rounded corners are elegant and smooth, not sharp. The credit card size (only thinner) says, “I stand out from the average and ordinary.” The best business card goes to work for you when you need an ice breaker. They’re professional and represent you when you’re not there, they’re relationally connective, they trigger memories and since they look so nice, people keep them and if they keep them, your cards may become an unexpected source of referrals. Wouldn't you like to try them for yourself?
www.bestbusinesscards.com
--Mark
www.bestbusinesscards.com
--Mark
Monday, November 12, 2007
Is your face a brand in itself?
I've alluded to this idea in my previous post but I think it deserves it's own discussion. What is a brand after all?
Colin Bates provides the following definitions on his website: http://www.sideroad.com/Branding/what_is_brand.html
The Dictionary of Business and Management defines a brand as:
"a name, sign or symbol used to identify items or services of the seller(s) and to differentiate them from goods of competitors."
Signs and symbols are part of what a brand is, but to us this is a very incomplete definition.
"A brand is the most valuable real-estate in the world, a corner of the consumer's mind".
These are all great definitions, but we believe the best is this:
"A brand is a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer".
Why is it best? Well, first of all it is easy to remember, which is always useful! But it is also best because it works to remind us of some key points:
This definition makes it absolutely clear that a brand is very different from a product or service. A brand is intangible and exists in the mind of the consumer.
This definition helps us understand the idea of brand loyalty and the 'loyalty ladder'. Different people have different perceptions of a product or service, which places them at different points on the loyalty ladder.
This definition helps us to understand how advertising works. Advertising has to sell, and it achieves this by positively influencing people's perceptions of the product or service.
I would suggest that a brand is relational knowledge. We trust a brands because we feel we know them. If we don't know the brand, we don't trust the people behind it until we get to know them and trust them. Knowledge. But often more personal knowledge than just a set of facts.
The definition can be applied to most people, places and things. Take a place for example. New York city. Before I went to visit there last week, I had a perception that the people there were gruff and indifferent. The actual experience was quite different. As we fumbled our way through the subways, we found people to be kind and willing to help with directions. Now I have a different collection of perceptions. The brand of "New York city" has changed in my mind to a more positive one.
Just like the Nike logo instantly connects us to our collection of perceptions about the company, it's products or it's people, so also, each human face instantly connects us with our collection of perceptions and memory of the person. We know them or we don't know them. So, isn't our face a brand in itself?
This line of thinking flowed out of a recent convention experience where it dawned on me that with very few exceptions, I later couldn't remember much about a person from their business card even though I wanted to. So, how does this relate to networking at conventions? Networking requires relational knowledge. And strangely enough, the vast majority of convention goers do not provide the best trigger on their most used business tool. Their face on their business card. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again, in most cases, you should put your picture on your business card and clearly articulate the main points about you, your product or service that you later would like the person to remember.
What do you think? Does this resonate with you or not? Please feel free to comment. --Mark Marston
ReferralBusinessCards.com
BestBusinessCards.com
AfastBusinessCard.com
Colin Bates provides the following definitions on his website: http://www.sideroad.com/Branding/what_is_brand.html
The Dictionary of Business and Management defines a brand as:
"a name, sign or symbol used to identify items or services of the seller(s) and to differentiate them from goods of competitors."
Signs and symbols are part of what a brand is, but to us this is a very incomplete definition.
"A brand is the most valuable real-estate in the world, a corner of the consumer's mind".
These are all great definitions, but we believe the best is this:
"A brand is a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer".
Why is it best? Well, first of all it is easy to remember, which is always useful! But it is also best because it works to remind us of some key points:
This definition makes it absolutely clear that a brand is very different from a product or service. A brand is intangible and exists in the mind of the consumer.
This definition helps us understand the idea of brand loyalty and the 'loyalty ladder'. Different people have different perceptions of a product or service, which places them at different points on the loyalty ladder.
This definition helps us to understand how advertising works. Advertising has to sell, and it achieves this by positively influencing people's perceptions of the product or service.
I would suggest that a brand is relational knowledge. We trust a brands because we feel we know them. If we don't know the brand, we don't trust the people behind it until we get to know them and trust them. Knowledge. But often more personal knowledge than just a set of facts.
The definition can be applied to most people, places and things. Take a place for example. New York city. Before I went to visit there last week, I had a perception that the people there were gruff and indifferent. The actual experience was quite different. As we fumbled our way through the subways, we found people to be kind and willing to help with directions. Now I have a different collection of perceptions. The brand of "New York city" has changed in my mind to a more positive one.
Just like the Nike logo instantly connects us to our collection of perceptions about the company, it's products or it's people, so also, each human face instantly connects us with our collection of perceptions and memory of the person. We know them or we don't know them. So, isn't our face a brand in itself?
This line of thinking flowed out of a recent convention experience where it dawned on me that with very few exceptions, I later couldn't remember much about a person from their business card even though I wanted to. So, how does this relate to networking at conventions? Networking requires relational knowledge. And strangely enough, the vast majority of convention goers do not provide the best trigger on their most used business tool. Their face on their business card. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again, in most cases, you should put your picture on your business card and clearly articulate the main points about you, your product or service that you later would like the person to remember.
What do you think? Does this resonate with you or not? Please feel free to comment. --Mark Marston
ReferralBusinessCards.com
BestBusinessCards.com
AfastBusinessCard.com
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Networking at Conventions
Labels:
business cards,
conferences,
conventions,
networking
I just returned from what is billed as the biggest online media and marketing convention in the world. AdTech 2007 at the New York Hilton. As an exhibitor who sells a really nice laminated style picture business card, I may be a little biased, but here is my networking advice: Put your picture on your business card. The worst business card in the world is the one where at the end of the day, your card looks just like everyone else’s. I met and spoke to plenty of people who had a product or service that I really wanted to remember, but their card was of NO help in recalling our conversation. Like an old song that brings back lyrics you thought you couldn’t possibly remember, the human face is an instant trigger for what is already stored in the memory. Some people say half joking, "I wouldn't want to put my face on a business card." Don’t worry about whether you’re good looking enough. The benefits could be tremendous and your card will never look just like everyone else’s if your picture is on it. It will trigger memories of what you stand for, talk about or have to sell. Just get a decent picture taken and do it.
I've been in the business card business for many years now and I've heard so many stories about how these laminated style business cards have directly resulted in a sale, directly resulted in a referral or made a great first impression. I often ask our customers on the phone,
"Does anyone ever comment on your card when you hand it out?"
They almost always say, "Yes".
So I ask, "What is the most common thing they say?"
(I brace myself because at this point because almost everyone starts enthusiastically relating a story) Over and over again, the most common response is, "Wow! That's a nice card. Can I keep it?"
Then I often ask, "Did anyone ever comment on your card before, when you had a standard business card?"
The response is almost always, "No."
We have one chance for a first impression. Sometimes we only have a few moments to tell something about ourselves, our product, our service, etc. So I wonder, why in the world do most people continue to use a business card that is indistinct, unremarkable, unmemorable and provides no memory triggers other than basic name, address and phone numbers? It's ironic that we are now surrounded with astounding technology, graphics, and instant communication which we have quickly adopted and integrated into our daily lives, but the business card still looks like it did 10, 20, or even 100 years ago.
Well, I've spent the last 15 years providing outstanding and memorable business cards, but more than that, I've been learning what it means to care for each of our customers in a way that is as caring and relational as possible in our often brief interactions. I tend to focus most naturally on systems; how to make things run faster, smoother, better and produce high quality consistent results. Caring about each of our customers as real people and not just another order takes being intentional. And isn't that relational dynamic a huge part of networking? Not just networking with others so I can get something from them or accomplish my agenda, but really caring about others? I suggest that no business card, marketing tool or networking technique will be effective unless we genuinely care about other people.
--Mark
ReferralBusinessCards.com
BestBusinessCards.com
AfastBusinessCard.com
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