Make Your Personalized Business Cards Stand Out

Your personalized business card is integral to sales success; it is your calling card and what you'll leave with new prospects after you first meet them. In an age when hardly anyone has time to pop your phone number into their cell phone (let alone find a pen and pad to write it down), personalized business cards are a necessity. But it's not just enough to have a business card - no, your business card has to stand out above the rest if you want to stand out from the competition. Here are four sparks of inspiration you can use to help your personalized business card capture more leads and win more sales.

Action photo

Nothing is more common than the business card with a headshot framed by a standard rectangular box. It's boring, it's overused, and it doesn't say anything about you (other than, perhaps, that this is the best you can do). Instead of looking just like the competition, design your personalized business cards to include a photo of you in action - at work, doing what you do best and helping other happy customers.

Big name

You build relationships with customers; and customers build relationships with you, not your company. It's befuddling then why so many companies place their business names big and bold on their personalized business cards and minimize the name of their representative. The reverse can do wonders for you - place your name big and bold and make your company name a bit smaller. This will help you stand out and ensure that your name, above all others, is easily remembered.

Call to action

Even marketing gurus exclude calls to action on their business cards, but that's what they're all about. You want your personalized business cards to be a step in the purchasing process, mini-salespeople that work for you 24/7/365. Your call to action could be as simple as "call me at 555-5555 today to get the very best insurance rates." It does not have to be elaborate or witty; just honest and valuable.

Quality printing

The quality of your personalized business card printing speaks volumes about the quality of your products, services and persona. The logic is simple: Customers figure that if you're good at helping people like them and honest in what you do, then you'll be successful; if you're successful, then you will have good business cards. Simply put, quality printing lends credibility while poorly printed business cards sacrifice it. First impressions are supremely important, and it's important to print high-quality business cards to earn trust right off the bat. Fortunately, high-quality personalized business cards can be printed on the cheap - even if you choose premium paper stocks such as 16-point gloss cover or 13-point recycled matter cover. You can even have your business cards die cut into a unique, prestigious or elegant shape to further personalize your pitch. Remember that is what business cards are - a sales pitch - and initially they're selling you, and not what you sell. That's why personalization is so important.