Business cards… we all have and collect them, but now what? With just a little forethought, some skilled networking and important follow-through, those little rectangles of paper can grow your business. A simple gesture of handing them out, in just the right way, can make all the difference.

A word of caution – business cards are not like toys where she who dies with the most wins. Those huge stacks of business cards, bound with rubber bands from people we don’t remember, sit in a drawer merely waiting for… what? The recycle bin? To save your own business card from this fate, use it skillfully. Create a reason for your card to stand out from the others and not end up in the bundled pack in the drawer.

What does your business card look like? It probably has all the prerequisites: company name, logo, your name and various contact information. Good! This is important. What does the back look like? If it is blank, you are on the road to success! This is the space where you can add unique value each time you give it out.

Let me explain. Let’s say you meet someone at a Chamber luncheon or at the Olympic College Columbus Day Luncheon – the location is immaterial. You have gone through mutual introductions or re-acquaintance, and then what? More than likely, you get around to the topic of work. An important question to ask is what they need in the next thirty days or who their ideal client is. Based on their response, you are mentally searching your contact database to figure out who you know that fits the other person’s needs. This is where the “value” part of your business card comes into play. You pull out one of your business cards, turn it over to the blank side and write down a piece of helpful information for that person. You may write something like, “5/15/05 Chamber luncheon. Call me about Mary who needs a mortgage refinance.” Or maybe you will write, “5/15/05, Regal Cinemas. Call me about the white paper I have on marketing to seniors.”

Note that you are not giving them enough information to take their next step without first contacting you. This is key to your success. Give them a reason to call you, to get something that they want. They know that you have it and are willing to share. Bingo!

What will happen next? Human nature dictates that the person will follow up with you to get this important information from you – and what do you think they will do next? They will ask you, even if out of politeness, about what you do or what you need in the next thirty days. And guess what? You get to tell them! A rapport is established, networking is underway and the world is your oyster. Congratulations!

(Editor’s Note: Wendy Miles, Director of Customized Training and Special Programs at Olympic College, oversees the operation of the Kitsap Business Assistance Center (KBAC). For partnership opportunities, contact Ms. Miles at 360-475-7786. Business Development Specialist at the KBAC, Sharon Zerr, contributed to this article and provides individual counseling for businesses. For business counseling needs Ms. Zerr can be reached at 360-307-4220.).