Web Magnets

“When you passed out your cards…I might have thrown it away.”

May 6, 2008 – 7:21 am

Here is an article with advice about how to make sure they don’t throw away your business cards
Reprinted from - http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebizbite/archives/138161.as  Enjoy!

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I got a very valuable gift this weekend. It was some constructive feedback.

Here’s what happened. I was at an event, getting ready to speak on a panel. People didn’t start sitting down until the last minute so I quickly worked my way through the rows of chairs to greet everyone.

“Hi, here’s my business card with a gift for you inside.”

My business cards are part of a mini marketing kit that comes with a gift wrapped in a funky little plastic bag.

I thought I was doing something right. I was making a personal connection with some people in the room, getting my business cards into their hands before the session started (sometimes people leave a session a bit early), and giving them more than just a card.

I was actually doing something wrong.

After the session, a woman came up to me and said she really enjoyed the presentation and thought I was a great speaker.

“Can I give you a little feedback?” she asked.

“Of course!” I replied.

“Well, when you passed out your cards in those little bags before the talk, I didn’t know who you were,” she explained. “I just thought you were someone selling something at the event so I stuffed it away in my bag somewhere and I might have actually thrown it away.”

She went on to give me a great piece of advice. “You should consider giving out your cards after the session, once I’ve seen you in action and made the connection between you as a speaker and your card.”

She had a really good point.

I explained why I gave my cards out before the session and told her I would use her feedback to do a better job of explaining who I am when I’m passing out my cards before people have had a chance to see me in action up on stage. I will also be sure to remind people they can grab a card from me after the session.

I can’t remember her name (it was a beautiful and unusual name that started with an M) but I thanked her for taking the time to come up to me after the session and give me such a valuable piece of feedback for growing my business.

TIP: Welcome feedback, especially when you’re doing something wrong. Listen to your customer’s perspective. If it makes sense, be willing to change your approach to make it more effective and more relevant for her.

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