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Top 5 Tips to Increase the Effectiveness of the Most Important Sales and Marketing Tool

Written by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Article Overview: What is the most important sales tool that you have? And more importantly, are you losing opportunities to leverage this key tools? These 5 tips will help you use that tool more effectively as well as to increase sales.

Top 5 Tips to Increase the Effectiveness of the Most Important Sales and Marketing Tool

If you were asked to name the one tool to increase sales beyond all other tools, what would you answer:

• Website?
• Brochure?
• Signage?
• Cell phone?
• Autoresponder?
• Computer?
• Telephone?

Yes, these are all important marketing and sales tools, but are not the most valuable one. Right now open your briefcase or your wallet and take out your professional business card. Here is the most important sales tool that you will ever have.

To increase the effectiveness of this combined sales and marketing tool in your ongoing quest to increase sales, these 5 ways will help you do just that.

#1 – Review for current content

All information listed should be 100% current including:

• Contact name
• Cell phone
• Email
• Website
• Physical location (optional)

If you change information at any time, immediately visit the local print to go online to revise the content and reorder. Sales Coaching Tip: Scribbling in your new cell phone number or email address only demonstrate how unprofessional you and your business really are.

#2 – Use Color to Maximize the Message

Color plays an important part in communication. Red, yellow and orange are considered hot colors and fire up the emotions. The colors of blue, green and purple are emotionally cooler.

#3 – Keep Graphics Simple

The graphics within your professional business card include the logo as well as the fonts. If your design is too busy, the human eye wanders and does not retain what has been seen. The size of the font script and the actual style of font are equally important. You may be quite happy with what you see, but this card is not for you but for your potential customers (a.k.a. prospects) to centers of influence.

#4 – Use both sides

One side of your professional business card is for the information listed in the first way. The other side is for your Call to Action. Do not make the mistake of leaving one side blank or for your fancy logo. By having a call to action, you can strike s speak when the iron is hot instead of waiting for the next opportunity which may not ever come.

#5 – Carry at all times

This tip is probably the most effective one. Every week I meet one sales professional, small business owner or even C-Level executive who does not have a professional business card on her or him. This is not only a missed opportunity for the business, but does not speak well about the person carrying the card. Placement of these opportunity makers in cars, briefcases, wallets, purses, jackets and suit coats only increases the benefits to the business professional.

By embracing these 5 tips, you can increase sales. Remember, your professional business card is your first impression and one that always must be 150% positive.

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Article Tags: autoresponder, briefcase, brochure, cell phone number, contact name, current content, email, emotions, font script, human eye, li li, marketing tool, physical location, professional business card, prospects, sales and marketing, sales tool, sales tools, signage, wallet



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