It is a fine summer morning and you are in a happy mood. You have just returned from a long and important overseas business trip and you have attended a number of seminars and exhibitions. As you sit down with a cup of coffee your secretary enters and hands you a stiff piece of rectangular paper. She announces that a well-dressed man had come to meet you regarding an important business deal and had left behind his business card. As you glance through the card, you are impressed by the quality of the board used to make the card. What strikes you is the superb color combination the logo and the lettering of the card uses. Your eyes are riveted to the same and you just cannot take them away.

You also recall how many business opportunities you had lost in these meetings, seminars and exhibitions just because you did not have a business card. It is high time that you got a decent one made for your company. If you search the net, you will come across many ads that are selling cheap Business card designs that you can use for your business card design. It is not recommended that you use them for your official business card. If these designs are available on the net, you are not the only smart browser and in all probabilities others must have downloaded and used the same for designing their organization’s business cards. Check the net again and go in for some blank business cards online and select one whose base color and quality of card appeals to you.

Better yet, appoint some professional to make the selection for you. They are your best option when it comes to designing a professional business card for they have been in this business for many years and know how to design and print a perfect business card that adorns your wallet. You may go in for plain white colored cards, or ivory cards as they are called, for making your business card. If you so wish, you might also go in for color business cards that are the rage nowadays. During your sojourn you might have also come across business card maker programs. These programs are helpful when you need to print a limited number of business cards immediately

They are perfect when you have exhausted your current stock of business cards and need some immediately. However you need to ensure that you have your business card design in your computer before you can use the special software to make a few copies of your business card. Come to think of it, what is the need of such a program when you have the business card design on your computer? In all probabilities the agency that designed your card might have provided you with a `one up’ card design. This means that if you print it using a personal printer, just one card will appear on the printed A4 sheet. Not a wise judgment and too much loss of paper.

The special program will take the business card design that you have on your computer as the source and will make multiple copies of the same and arrange them on a single sheet of paper with cutting guidelines. This ensures that the paper is not wasted and that all the business cards are laid out properly. Just use a slitting knife to cut and separate the individual business cards and you are in business. Before jumping in, make sure that you have got the business card design of your official business card designed by professionals. They ensure that your card will stand out among others and when the purchaser has to select from a number of business cards lying on his table, his eyes are attracted by yours and that he picks yours only.

This results in you procuring the order you were hunting for a long period of time. Take some time and try to make a collection of the business cards of leading organizations and put them out on the table. Look at them and examine them carefully. Can you see what makes them tick? Most of them will be having simple designs and a good color combination. Not just the color combination of the text and logo, but also the color that is used in the background of the card. You will also notice that the leading companies also maintain a certain standard in their business card design. They never clutter up the card with too much text or information.

There are some folks who cram up their business cards with all the information it can hold. This is not done, for a business card is business card and not sales literature. Let the additional info be there on your sales literature and keep the business card as simple as possible. This will ensure that the card will be able to pass across the information it was supposed to convey immediately. Would you rather want that the CEO of a reputed company scanned all through your business card just to find your contact information? A proper business card design should have as much `white space’ as possible on it. People should be able to access the necessary information immediately.

When going in for your business card design, do not go in for a design that requires multi-fold cards. If you use such a card, you can be rest assured that the CEO will dump it in the trashcan without even bothering to glance at it. Get your organizations business card design designed by a professional. This might cost you some additional money, but it will ensure that your business card conveys your true image. After all this is what a business card is supposed to do. They are not required to promote your products. They are meant to project your image and they can do it only if designed by professionals.

Real Estate Business Cards – The Design Matters

There was a time when everyone had a black and white business card with minimal if any graphics. Overtime this slowly changed and now full color graphics is inexpensively available and even high resolution photography can be placed on a card with stellar results. The question I hear over and over from real estate printing customers is should I put high resolution photos and graphics on a real estate business card? Isn’t that just a tad gaudy and over the top? My response is always would you put it on a brochure or a flyer? If the answer is yes why would you cripple your marketing message on your business card by leaving it out of the design?

The simple truth is a high resolution picture sells better than most written sales offers. Color pictures sell better than black and white pictures. Black and white pictures sell better than written sales copy. If you were to ask a business development mentor how likely it is to happen that you could get all your potential sales with only half your marketing message he or she would probably look at you a tad oddly.

Every word and graphic on a piece of marketing collateral including the lowly real estate business card can be counted on to add to your message, your brand, your professionalism, and your respectability in the eyes of a sales prospect. Unless you are the only real estate agent and town and don’t have to try you can count on other real estate agents going the extra mile to take all the sales out there available. You should not cripple your sales by not going the extra mile as well, especially when that extra mile takes a minimal effort of time and money.

Why Hand Out Business Cards

Sales professionals hand out business cards to provide sales prospects a way to reach them since most people do not instantly buy what you are offering. They also hand out business cards so that when the prospect needs a service they offer, the prospect can call them. They ALSO hand out the cards to ‘prime the pump’ by providing the prospect a handy reference to the services they offer. They ALSO hand out the cards to communicate a sales message, Call to Action, or similiar inducement to call them soon.

Does Everyone Hand Out Business Cards For The Same Reasons?

Everyone does not hand out business cards for the same reason. Many people just hand them out because they feel they are expected to hand them out. In other words they have no strategy behind the handing out of this tiny piece of marketing collateral. People working for ‘da man’ in someone else’s business tend to fall into this category. Small business owners like real estate agents generally understand there are other reasons to hand them out if the cards are designed properly and they do their best to think of other creative ways to hand out and use business cards.

Why Put Pictures On Business Cards?

This may be the most misunderstood single component of a business card design. The question is why put a picture of anything on any piece of marketing collateral at all? he answer is because it coverts to sales more frequently if you do. Old school business cards just had contact information on it and that was it. As printing progressed and things became less expensive it became practical to put photo quality pictures on this tiny marketing collateral. So people started to do it and its use has taken off. Its a truth that pictures sell ideas and emotions better than words.

16PT Business Card Stock

Forget the run of the mill business card paper you can get at any big box office supply shop. You are not doing yourself any favors by using it. A business card needs to be crisp, hold its form in the holder’s hand, and serve as a good platform for high resolution graphics and the treatments that bring out the best in those graphics. You want the best paper you can get which right now is 16PT business card stock. Just get it.

A Great Business Card Picture

If you are in a professional sales role like a real estate agent, put your picture on the card. If you don’t want the expense of sitting for a professional portrait shot with a photographer (you should) then snap a shot with a digital camera with the photo quality set to maximum and save the file off to your computer in a 300dpi resolution file.

You will also need your business logo. If you don’t have one, get one made for you professionally. If you are selling to a target market that is upscale and affluent you should also include a high resolution picture of your product or your target market somewhere on the card.

All Your Contact Info

Don’t skimp on the contact info for your business card. If you want people to contact you through facebook or twitter, put the appropriate info on the card. The bare minimum should be name, title, business, phone, fax, 800 number if you have it, email address, and website if you have it.

Call To Action

Every sales person has a sales message or pitch. Digest that message or pull a snippet from your pitch that you use over and over again and stick it on the business card. This is the single most overlooked part of a business card when it is produced by a non-professional. You must give the viewer of the card a hook on why they kept the business card and why they should call you. This is it.

Product Services Information

If you sell blue left handed widgets you should mention that somewhere on the business card. Its completely normal to list the services or product lines you business is offering to customers.

Bringing in a professional can save you time and stress if you need to have the announcements printed in photo quality, high resolution, vibrant colors. The time you save and the stress you can relieve is well worth the few bucks you will spend to have them professional printed. A professional postcard design for party announcements will be the first impression that could end up leaving a lasting impression on your guests even before they arrive.

Party and event planning is stressful and we all need help form time to time. If you are not a professional party planner, then you will certainly have to ask the experts and even hire a few to aid in making the party a success. You can rest assured that even the party planning professionals hire a printing company to create their postcard design for party announcements they are using. High quality affordable announcements are available in many styles, designs, and offer many different formats for text. You can make them simple with a date and address to more detailed with information regarding the evening’s events.

As the guests arrive to the event, they are prepared for a fun filled, exciting, and classy night, you have already set the mood for the evening by sending out you’re professionally made announcements, and the rest of the evening is up to you. Sending out a professional postcard design for party announcements really does add some style to your event; it takes a load of pressure off your shoulders, and saves you much needed time to prepare other items needed for the special event.

Don’t forget to snap pictures at the event. You can use them for the next event on your party announcements!

You want to stand out? You want to make that great first impression? You want to get them talking about your event before it even happens? Sure you do! You know you throw a great party, but if you have new guests on that invite list, they do not have any idea…yet. You have to do something to grab their attention and make the event stand out in their minds; make it the highest priority as possible. It should be the place to be, the one event not to miss, the gala of the century. Well maybe that is over the top, but if you are taking the time to plan and organize this event, it is of the utmost priority to you so of course you would expect no less from the attendees.

Choose your postcard design for party announcements and leave the printing to the professionals, make a great first impression and ensure your entire guest list arrives for your special night. Start making lasting memories and dazzle guests with your party planning skills.

Patrick lives and writes on a variety of topics in Connecticut. The principal behind Business Card Genius at 35 West Main St., Plantsville CT 06479, a business cards southington Internet Printer catering to sales professionals focused on affluent target markets, he is deeply involved on a day to day basis with technology and small business operations. He can be reached at pjc@businesscardgenius.com

Realtors have been using printed marketing tools for years and it has been proven to be an effective method for advertisement. The simple yet personalized postcards for realtors are designed to offer information such as recent listings, home values for the area, a simple introduction, or a thank you to a recent client. The postcards for realtors are also designed to offer personal contact information that will allow the prospective client to contact you for your services.

There are many ways a Christmas photo postcard can be useful to your business:

• Say Thank You To A Past Client
• Show Appreciation to Past Clients
• Introduce Yourself and Your Business to New Prospects
• Advertise Specials
• Introduce New Listings
• Solicit Your Services

All of the above mentions are achieved in a beautiful and simple Christmas photo postcard. The method is subtle and does not feel like an intrusion to the recipient, the feel is more of a welcoming and warm greeting.

You can establish a little more attention this holiday season by offering your contact information in the form of a high quality professional Christmas photo postcard. Most people receive many cards and post cards form loved ones, friends, and co-workers during the holidays and many will display them as the beautiful prints are decorative in nature. By choosing the best design you too could end up with a displayed postcard in every home you sent a postcard to.

The holidays bring many visitors and with the several gatherings, work parties cocktail parties, and dinners that the recipient will attend, having your name fresh in their minds will be helpful to you if realty should become a topic. Word of mouth is a very effective tool and it is free. You want to be the topic of conversation whenever realty services are brought up, sending a Christmas photo postcard could help you in achieving that goal.

The cost of marketing materials is a sound investment in to your business and your future. You have to get noticed and grab the attention of your prospective clients and print material has been the easiest and most affordable effective way to do this. Postcards for realtors usually will contain a personal photo of themselves and all contact information as well as their company branding logo. The feel of a realtor postcard should never be cold but always inviting and offering the right information. The Christmas photo postcard is a great way to open the doors to future mailings by establishing a personal relationship with the recipient.

Patrick lives and writes on a variety of topics in Connecticut. The principal behind Business Card Genius, an Internet Printer catering to sales professionals focused on affluent target markets, he is deeply involved on a day to day basis with technology and small business operations. He can be reached at pjc@businesscardgenius.com

Introduce Your Services

A great way to introduce your self is through postcards, flyers, and realtor email campaigns. You want as many people to know about you as possible and the affordable method of print advertisements is a great way to make that happen. There is no easier way than to send out a friendly advertisement of your services than by way of a holiday greeting postcard. You are offering a very friendly hello and warm greeting as well as making your self known and your services offered available to the person who receive it.

The high quality photo printing that is offered from select internet printers will bring a great first impression to the prospective client. You will derive business from many methods, one being word of mouth. If you send out a greeting at the New Year or during any holiday you are more likely to be the topic of conversation at the person’s dinner table, cocktail party, or work party if realty should come up. Keep your name on the tip of the tongues of many prospective clients, stay fresh in their minds and keep them talking.

Wish Past Clients A Great New Year

Since word of mouth is so important to a realtor’s business, past clients should always be included in holiday mailings. You can wish them a great beginning in their new home with a beautiful photo quality New Years postcard design that reflects your personality or theirs. When people buy or sell a home they are often questioned by co-workers, friends, neighbors, and family who they used as their realtor. You want to have only good things said about you when these questions arise, and just as importantly you want them to remember who you are.

There are times that past clients may remember very well the company they used to buy or sell their home, but if a long relationship was not established, if the sell went quick, your name may be at a loss in their minds. Keep your name fresh with the use of realtor holiday postcards, high quality realtor flyers, and affordable realtor emails through out the year. The New Years postcard design that you choose will be a high quality photo printing that you will be proud to have your name on. So bring in the New Years right, start off fresh and remind those who may have forgotten, introduce yourself to those who do not know of you, and begin strong business relationships with all.
Patrick lives and writes on a variety of topics in Connecticut. The principal behind Business Card Genius, an Internet Printer catering to sales professionals focused on affluent target markets, he is deeply involved on a day to day basis with technology and small business operations. He can be reached at pjc@businesscardgenius.com

It’s difficult to find the time to make cards like this, which is why many people just end up going to the store. Business Card Genius is an experienced printer that has been helping people creating beautiful photo holiday greeting cards for years. They stand out from the average card by giving people the chance to add their own photos and designs. You can either get creative yourself, or have the staff help you design you card.

There are endless possibilities. Many people choose to use their annual family photo as the cover. It’s a great idea when you’re planning to send the cards out to all of your family and friends. This way they not only get a card, but a picture of your family that is updated every year. You can either have the picture taken professionally, or do it yourself. Some families use their pets in the pictures too. The more unique the photo is, the more likely they are to remember it.

This is the perfect way to send a card to a friend or family member who you will not be seeing over the holidays. When the average card just doesn’t seem enough for how much that person means to you, these cards will say it all. For that friend that you keep in touch with every year, or that relative that lives too far away. Using a photo holiday greeting card by is sure to send warm feelings no matter how long it’s been.

These cards are extremely easy to set up, and they don’t cost much either. Upload the photo you want to use,and the internet printer will help you make the card look perfect. They are a professional printer with many years of experience, so if you’re ordering on a late notice, you can be sure they will turn out right the first time. The cards are also set at a low cost compared other cards. The more you order, the cheaper they are. Most of the time, the cards will cost you just as much, or even cheaper, than what they would cost at the store. By ordering from a quality internet printer you can be assured that your cards will be interesting and unique compared to the average holiday card.

Patrick lives and writes on a variety of topics in Connecticut. The principal behind Business Card Genius, an Internet Printer catering to sales professionals focused on affluent target markets, he is deeply involved on a day to day basis with technology and small business operations. He can be reached at pjc@businesscardgenius.com

It has become more challenging to be unique and attention-getting with the advent of desktop publishing and computers. The bar has been raised on what clients expect to receive from you if it is printed. It’s hard to come up with something that’s unique when there are so many options for advertising, promotion and the like and most have been seen before. It’s time to think outside the greeting card box.

One unusual method is always a standout and that’s commercial photo postcards and commercial greeting cards. Much like direct mail post cards you are familiar with, photo postcards can get your message out to many customers or potential customers in an inviting manner they are reasonably familiar with, but unique fashion by customizing with your own photos and message. Let’s look at why using photo greeting cards is an ideal method of drumming up business.

Convenience

Businesspeople are busy and finding time to get to an office store to design and purchase postcards or holiday cards can be time-consuming. It’s an important part of the job, to be sure. Getting your name out there and making sure you connect with customers or potential customers are the bread and butter of what you do. But it’s helpful to make choices based on time commitment and return. In this case, you can invest little time but get a solid result.

Ordering online photo greeting cards is relatively simple, since you can design and order the cards from the comfort of your own desk. If you don’t have time to do the design, the internet printer should be able to do it for you. The good ones should be able to handle the mailing of the pieces for you as well. In the time it takes to make a simple phone call, you can upload your photo or photos, design the card or have it designed, add a message and place your order. Nothing beats that for convenience for a busy person.

Results

Sending photo postcards and greeting cards get results. It shows that you took the time to think of your customers and create a unique greeting. It shows that you are up-to-date on various technologies and what’s new and hot in the advertising and promotions world. Photo greeting cards are fun, different, and memorable; it’s unlikely that those potential customers (or regular customers) will file your card along with other items in the wastebasket.

We can’t promise huge results, but we can assure you that if you invest in online photo greeting cards, you will be more in the mind of your customers. And that is what you want.

Design Tips

There’s no real wrong way to make an online photo greeting card if you avoid body parts on the copier and other sophomoric humor out of Office Space. You can certainly make a card that is likely to get more attention, however, if you think about it like a piece of marketing collateral. Let’s look at some tips for making the best card you can for your needs and the needs of your clients and customers.

Think of color. When your customer opens an envelope that contains your photo greeting card, you want them to pay attention immediately. Think about strong background colors so that the card gets attention right from the start.

Think about the photos. Don’t overlook this important step. Don’t choose flat photos because they are what you have readily available or you think they are best. Have some fun with this part and choose a photo or photos that truly send the message you want to send. Think of yourself as the customer and think objectively about how you would perceive a particular card and let that guide you when you make design decisions.

Order more cards. Order many more cards than you think you’ll need. You can always find more people to send the cards to and because it’s often more cost-effective to buy in bulk, it’s best to buy more rather than a few. There’s a good chance that you’ll be so pleased with your cards you’ll want to send more than you originally planned to send.

Sending photo greeting cards don’t take the place of making a direct contact with a customer, but they are a good way to fill the gap until you do and they do it in a way that’s unique and interesting yet cause no additional work for you.

Patrick lives and writes on a variety of topics in Connecticut. The principal behind Business Card Genius, an Internet Printer catering to sales professionals focused on affluent target markets, he is deeply involved on a day to day basis with technology and small business operations. He can be reached at pjc@businesscardgenius.com

Whatever your needs, you want to find the best company to serve those needs. That’s where a little research is necessary. How can you find the best company for you? Let’s look at some useful methods to finding just the right online photo greeting card company for you.

Experience

How long has the company been in business? You might be surprised to know that longer is not necessarily better. That’s because a company that’s been around forever might have a well-known name or a good deal of background, but it also might not be adept at keeping up with trends.

Pay attention to not only how long a business has been around, but what kind of experience the company has. That is, do they make greeting cards that are timely and relevant? Or are they a bit old-fashioned looking and too small? Do they keep up with the technology in graphics and printing techniques, or do they operate as they did 10 years, simply adding photos to greeting cards because that’s the “new and hip” thing?

Consider the overall experience of the companies you consider for your online greeting card needs, not just the length of time the company has been in existence. Having said that, however, don’t choose a company that’s just launched for a large greeting card order. If you want to try a new company out, by all means give them a chance, but do it for a small and non-urgent order, so you aren’t disappointed.

Do The Print Anything Else?

What kinds of services does the company provide? If all they do is online photo greeting cards, that’s OK, but sometimes diversification is a good thing. If the company you choose only does photo greeting cards, they aren’t parlaying experience in other areas into that card making.

If, however, the company you are considering also makes business cards, postcards and other similar materials, then you are considering working with a company that has a good deal of printing experience and which can parlay that experience and knowledge into your greeting cards.

You benefit, then, from the company’s experience and industry expertise when it has more than one specialty.

Easy Online Ordering

Without actually making an order, you can play around with a company’s interface and see how easy it is to use. If you are looking for a company that you’ll use more than once you’ll especially want to find one that provides an easy-to-use and easy-to-navigate interface. If it’s sloppy or difficult to understand, you won’t likely return.

So play around with a company’s interface and make sure it’s easy to use; make sure the photo upload is fairly quick and simple and that designing your photo greeting card is relatively hassle-free.

Customer Service

What kind of customer service does the company provide? Dig around the website and find answers to some basic questions like:

What will they do if there’s an error on your cards?

How and when do they ship your order?

How quickly can you expect your order?

On what kind of paper will your photo greeting cards be printed?

Where is the company located? How and who do you contact with questions or concerns?

Even if you are dealing with a very small company, you should be able to feel comfortable providing them with your personal information and entrusting them with your greeting card order. Most websites will offer a FAQ that will answer these questions, so dig around and try to find answers to these simple and basic questions.

Asking yourself a few questions about what’s important to you and then doing a little research will pay big dividends when you find the perfect online photo greeting card company for your needs.

Patrick lives and writes on a variety of topics in Connecticut. The principal behind Business Card Genius, an Internet Printer catering to sales professionals focused on affluent target markets, he is deeply involved on a day to day basis with technology and small business operations. He can be reached at pjc@businesscardgenius.com