“What’s your favorite color?”
This question is my response when I meet someone who asks for my business card.
Why? Because I have different colored business cards. What follows when they tell me their favorite color is me reaching into my pocket to pull out a colorful set of business cards.
At first, the person compliments the cool idea. Then, they comment that they almost expect it (given that I’m a brander). After a few seconds of browsing between the purple, blue, green and orange versions, they select their choice. Then, they feel the texture of the business cards. It has a nice thick weight and it’s soft and smooth. Again, another compliment. And, alas, we’re having a conversation.
Here’s a couple of images of my business cards.
What’s the point of this story?
It’s not about advising you to create multiple colors for your business cards (although you could do that if that’s what you want). Instead, this post is about posting the question:
Is your business card a conversation starter or a conversation ender?
The reality is that you can apply this question to ANY touchpoint of your brand whether it’s your elevator pitch, website landing page or email newsletters. So, whether or not you come from the school of using business cards or not, look at whether or not your brand is a conversation starter… or conversation ender.
In the case of my business cards, it allows me to have “conversation starters” with my ideal clients and potential partners. It is ONE brand touchpoint that many times yields to $50,000 in new revenue, and in some cases, it drives people to my website, which leads to a $997 sale. Either way, all the different brand touchpoints lead up to one thing. And, that’s people’s overall perception of you — and their willingness to either buy from you, recommend you, or follow you.
More specifically, my business cards led me to Michael O’Neil of the Solopreneur Hour, who recently invited me to be a co-host on his podcast because my business card was a conversation starter.
I’m sharing this teaching point because too often I see entrepreneurs with business cards, websites or marketing materials that are conversation enders. And, I know this is impacting their revenues and the potential growth of their business. So, I want to bring it to your awareness.
Here are some questions to explore to discover if your brand is a conversation starter or conversation ender:
- Does your brand tell a story OR is it flat and lack personality?
- Is your brand visually appealing and inviting OR is it an eye-sore?
- Does your brand represent quality and professionalism OR does it scream cheap?
- Is your brand clear OR is it confusing?
- It your brand memorable OR is it forgettable?
