Resist commodity selling. Embrace service as a differentiating marketing strategy.
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Retail Marketing – Service vs Commodity Selling – Podcast
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Etsy sellers and online retailers read this
When your customers get their package from you, do they know who you are … ? This question derived from the link below really struck a chord with me because many online sellers today do not realize one of the fundamentals of “mail order” (whether traditional or online) is repeat sales. It takes a lot of effort to get a customer to buy from you the first time but much less effort to get them to buy the second time. Many mail order and online sellers consider it a success if they just break even on the first sale because the profit is in future sales now that a customer willing to purchase has been identified.
Did you ever consider why that fancy coffee seller gives you the free coffee maker? It’s because they want to identify you as a coffee drinker. Now hopefully you will continue to buy coffee from them for years to come. Many sellers offer “loss leaders”, those are items offered for free or at a loss because it’s worth that small investment to get your contact information which provides an opportunity to market more products and services to you.
What does this mean to you as an Ebay, Etsy or other online seller. Simply that you have identified a customer – – now begin to cultivate that customer into a regular buyer. One very simple technique is to include an opportunity to make an additional purchase within the package you send to your customer. This can be in the form of a catalog or at the very least a business card with your web address to remind them where this purchase was made. This way if they love it they can go back for more or see what else you have. They can also easily share the information with a friend. Don’t be an anonymous supplier – – be a preferred resource.
Many Etsy sellers are crafters who love what they do and are happy to share their creations but you must also think like a business person if you want to have a steady stream of dedicated followers who will continue to purchase from you and tell their friends. If you have not done so already have some business cards made and include one or two in every package you send out, it’s good advertising and good customer service. If you do not want phone calls you do not have to include your phone number. I suggest your name or your company name at a minimum plus your web address (url), presumably they can get all the information they need online. Really no need to include anything more. This way you encourage them to visit your website if they need any further contact info. To read more on this topic visit this link http://tinyurl.com/o5lzso . To learn more about marketing yourself inexpensively with business cards visit www.businesscardtobusiness.com.
Free Chicago Online Networking Event
Meet new people. Talk about your business. Learn about others. Make meaningful contacts. Free Chicago online networking event. Speak on the phone view profiles on web. Network from home or office. Try this new technology. It’s fun and profitable. 5/27 at 5:30 PM Sign up today. I’ll be there. http://tinyurl.com/qwxdan
Microsoft Business Card Templates
I am not an advocate of do-it-yourself business cards printed from your laser or inkjet printer because they seldom look professional. Business cards are cheap so why not make the investment and get them printed by a professional printer. HOWEVER !!! There are times when you just need some cards now – – today – – beacause you are going to a networking event or your cards are not ready from the printer or whatever. So here are links to a few Microsoft templates I found that will help you print up a few cards in a jiffy. Also good for making flash cards or placecards or very small signs.
(Note: I have no association with the site that these links go to. I am just sharing them to help you in your quest for a template.)
Vintage Card -South Bend Pulley
Designers today can take a tip from many of the business cards printed in the 19th and early 20th Century. These cards are full of information and presented in an artistic manner that is simply lacking today in spite of our advanced technology. Much of this may be due in part to the aesthetics of the post modern era and the idea of “less is more.” But look at the sense of balance combined with attention to detail and shear artistry exhibited in this example provided by Halcyon Rare Books of Adams, TN. The cards of this era were painstakingly etched, reflecting the craftsmanship of their time, with great care to faithfully represent the product being sold and to convey an image that would resonate with the intended customer.
Vinatage Business Card - South Bend Pulley
This example of South Bend Pulley proudly announces its business as manufacturers of Wood Split Pulleys with Iron Hubs and Iron Bushings; no doubt the state-of-the art pulley technology of the day. The card displays the names and titles of each of the company’s key personnel, includes a detailed drawing of its product and presents it all on a decorative bed of roses adding a sense of elegance and good taste to an otherwise cold and industrial enterprise. The shaded hand drawn font is effective and unique.
The main criticism I have of this card is the repetition of the “South Bend” which appears four times on the card. Arguably the redundancy may be there to reinforce the name however the South Bend, IND on the bottom of the card could have easily been left off with no harm to the message. In fact it appears to me to have been an afterthought as it is perilously close to the bottom and is rendered in a font that is less delicate than the rest of the card.
I believe this is a business card that company president M.F. Milton would have been proud to hand out when calling on captains of industry who might be in a position to use his product. It is important to note that people do business with other people and this card suggests that he and his associates are Victorian gentlemen of refinement.
Photo courtesy of www.HalcyonRareBooks.com .
Been Canned? Whataya do w/old biz cards?
Cards of Change
Here is a neat collection of business cards representing the thoughts, aspirations and the redefining of a number of people who have been laid off, let go or otherwise reassigned. Enjoy these for their social commentary, upload your own or look for someone to hire.
Clever Business Card Google Spoof Layout
Cool Business Card
This is a clever business card idea that uses the familiar Google interface as a way of delivering the pertinent contact data for this Dallas printer. When Google sees this they may want to offer these cards for sale themselves. In the meantime consider that there are any number of non-traditional ways to organize the information on your business card. Check out this interesting collection at Webdesignerdepot. Get creative or get help. For help learning how to distribute more cards and how to network more effectively check out “Turn Your Business Card Into Business”.
Anti-Establishment Business Cards
On some level business cards can be construed as the very pinnacle of bourgeois establishment. The bourgeoisie are in fact defined as the merchant class and who would have more use of a business card than the “merchant class”?
Business cards are very curious scraps of paper because they are often much more than a convenient away to transfer contact information. They are in fact portraits of the business entity or the individual who they represent. A portrait is more than a mere painted photograph recordng the physical features of an individual. A good portrait reveals something about the personality of the person being painted. It offers essential information but it is also a glimpse into his or her social status by virtue of costume and sometimes location. A good artist captures nonverbal cues given through facial expression. In much the same way business cards at a glance tell us much about the person presenting it and the business or organization with whom he or she is associated.
There is much talk today about branding which essentially entatils delivering a clear consice and consistant message so that those interested in your product or service recognize your message instantly no matter when and where it is delivered. The publicy comes to recognize your brand. They come to understand what it represents; they come to know what they can expect from you, and ultimately they come to depend on your brand to deliver what you have promised at glance through familiarity with your branded message. There is no place in which the brand is more concise than on a business card. You must be able to deliver your brand message in a 2″ x 3.5″ space. In order to accomplish this your logo or branding image must do a lot of the speaking for you. Color, font, paper stock and other nonverbal messages must help to reinforce your message.
Now you would think that this way of thinking is mostly for large corporations, but it is advantageous for any individual or organization who provides a product or service to create and distribute an identifiable meaningful brand image. It appears that the importance of this concept is not limited to the bourgeois merchant class as is evidenced by this collection of Chicago gang cards presented at http://wearesupervision.blogspot.com/2009/03/chicago-lesser-known-arts-history.html. These “business cards” are the creations of Chicago street gangs whose leaders understood that brand is important and distribution of their brand through the use of business cards are an effective grass roots strategy for increasing awareness of their brand. I think this is interesting because it illustrates just how essential and fundamental business cards are perceived. You do not have to be a Harvard MBA to see the importance of distributing your brand image.
One of the roles of business cards is to declare your existance. In many instances a client or customer may never see your place of business because for instance there is no need to visit a manufacturing facility when orders are often placed through an agent or company rep. Today many businesses are virtual your business cards and website may be the only visual representaion of your company that a client sees. There is probably no enterprise more virtual than a street gang. These gang cards tell me that there is an understood perception that business cards declare your presence and declare you to be a part of the establishment or in this case the anti-establishment.
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Make a Lasting Impression
Anything that will help you get your business card into the hands of a potential customer or client is a good thing. Something that will encourage them to keep your card and refer to it often is even better. In advertising this called making impressions. Each time a prospect sees your message you have scored another impression. Multiple impressions build your brand and reinforces your marketing message. There are number of business card related promotional products that are available to help you accomplish this goal. A successful promotional product will be retained and referred to often thus providing multiple impressions and reducing your per impression cost. To be conservative, what if you could put your message in your prospects hand for $2.00 and have them refer to it on average twice a week? That would bring your per impression price to less that 2 cents per impression. Not too many advertisers can make that promise.
Zippy Business Card Letter Opener and Staple Remover
This Zippy letter opener has long been one of my favorite business card related promotional items. It is easy to customize. Simply slip your business card behind the clear protective cover which snaps in place making it virtually impossible to remove the card. It is a durable and useful item available in a variety of colors. Though I do not recommend doing it too often I have even opened boxes with it. This newest version includes a staple remover as well which will save your clients the pain of paper cuts and broken nails.
I have used these Zippy Letter Openers to promote my company and recipients often remark sometimes years later that they still have it and still use it. Others remark that they always know where to find my phone number because they keep this device on their desk. With the Zippy Business Card Letter Opener and Staple Remover you will make a lasting impression and your prospects will keep your message in the palm of their hand. Check it out.
Can You Prove Business Cards are Effective? – Podcast
Study shows that business cards are effective in increasing name recognition.
Read the original post here https://businesscardtobusiness.com/blog/?p=118
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