How do we make Business Cards 'sticky'?

By 'sticky' we mean a card that someone wants to keep. The best way to do this is to use the blank side which is very cost effective advertising.

When I think back to the cards that I have kept the following come to mind:

* My chiropractor used a card with a calendar on the back. Not only did it make it easier to book a repeat appointment but when I felt stiff I would use it to check when I had last visited.

* I also found the calendar very useful so I put it into the plastic wallet in my purse. The amount of times someone asked me for the name of a dentist and I just pulled out the card and they copied his details - it was a great marketing device but so simple.

* If you do accounts, you can have the important dates for submissions on the back of the card. If you also put a note in your diary to contact them well in advance of these dates you may well pick up SME's who up to now have been struggling on their own.

* I used a hairdresser in the UK for many years. One January she produced her new business cards which opened like a little booklet. I had one discount for being a loyal client and another if I changed the date of my appointment to one of those highlighted in the calendar. Obviously she had worked out her slack days and was using this method to fill them.

How can a Virtual Assistant use Business Cards to drum up more work?

The aims and ideals of your company or a list of services that your Virtual Assistant company offers.

Offer an hour of free support but make sure you are explicit about what you will offer.

If you are a VA specialist in any area, list hints and tips that will help your client deliver what you need to do your job.

Won any awards? Put full details on the back of the card, it gives you the edge.

Try to be different

You need to have that unique edge to stand out. Everyone is always receiving business cards, how can you make yours unforgettable? If you work on a commercial estate, perhaps you could put a map to your office on the back.

Words of Wisdom

There is the old joke about the IT Consultant in a hot air balloon that did the rounds some time ago, that would make a change from the more serious quotes. The best idea I saw was a Marketing Seminar where the main points to be taken away had been printed on the back of the lecturers card.

What is the aim of all this - to get your prospect to keep your card and so remember you.

When the time comes to sort out the business cards you have collected, you normally give them a good look before deciding what to do with them. They all go into my CRM system but some get filed in the round bin under my desk while others go into my card books. If I am looking for a service I automatically look through my card books first.

Make the back of your card stand out as much if not more than the front. Buy in small quantities and start a trend where clients and prospective clients automatically turn your card over to see what gem you have come up with this time. The memorable Virtual Assistant get the work.