A person who is worth knowing will always have a Business Card. The value of a business card is not just your ‘contact details’ but everything that it embodies - it speaks volume about your personality, your character, your company, and your brand. Having a card that is well-designed or unique or funny can stick in someone's memory like a catchy song or a television ad. It can be passed on from person to person giving a consistent message to everyone who comes in contact with your card.

Needless to say that Business Cards are the most valuable networking tool to acquire potential clients or business partners if used correctly. Have you ever felt dissatisfied after handing out hundreds of business cards and not getting a call back from your prospects? If Yes, then chances are that you’re doing something wrong.

Here are 5 reasons why your Business Card is not bringing any results:

1) You Are Not Distributing Your Business Cards the Right Way

Having attractive Business Cards does not mean that you will automatically get the desired reaction, a phone call, from people you hand out business cards to. Even though Business Cards are the most powerful networking tool, you still have to distinguish high-quality leads from people who will never be interested in your services. Be selective and precise on who you want to share it with.

Being overly aggressive in distributing business cards sends a wrong message. It implies that your business cards aren’t worth that much. The key is to exchange them with the audience that might be engaged and interested in what you have to offer.

2) You Keep Forgetting Your Business Cards in the Office

Have you ever been in a situation where a Perfect Prospect is right in front of you and you don’t have a business card on you? Always store backup Business Cards in your car, office, bag or wherever convenient. You never know when you need to give one. There is nothing more unprofessional than to say “Sorry, It ran out….” or “I’m not carrying it….” to the person asking for your card.

3) You Are Not Keeping Your Cards Organised

Ensure that your cards are presentable by always keeping them in a box or a holder to prevent them from creasing or tearing. Cards that are crumbled or dirty can have a negative impact on the receiver's first impression. having your cards organised in a holder also looks more appealing and professional when you’re handing it out. It speaks a lot about your character and creates a positive impression.

4) You Don’t Understand Your Options before Printing Your Business Cards.

Australian businesses have a high perception of quality, making it extremely important for you to be on par with the industry standards.

Business cards are effective and valuable when appreciated, and low-quality cards are quickly discarded by the recipient. The truth is that 63% of the people would throw away received Business Cards if they didn’t need the service at the moment. However, having quality cards increases the chances by 10 times for your cards to stick around and be used when your professional service is actually needed.

Thus to increase the effectiveness of your cards and generate more sales it’s important to understand the different business card sizes, paper types, and the finish to get the best results.

Here is everything you need to know:

Business Card Sizes and Dimensions

• 9 X 5.5 cm : Standard Business Card Size.
• 9 X 11 cm : Twice the height of a Standard Business Card.

Paper Type for Business Cards

There is a lot more to business cards than just visual and graphic design. Having the right paper type and weight is a major success factor for Business Cards design. It should correspond to what you intend to print. The type of paper and the weight completely transform the way your business card looks and the way it fees. Having an understanding of combinations and permutations to print your cards with respect to your taste and your audience is what separates you from the crowd.

Choose from a plethora of paper types such as Artboard, Pearl Artboard, Eggshell Artboard, Ecostar Recycled Board etc. Ideally, the weight of these cards ranges from 310gsm up to 410gsm. High-gsm papers usually have more durability whilst helping you build a stronger impression. Printing in the low-gsm paper makes your cards feel flimsy and may have a negative impact on your business.

Finishes for Business Card

• Matt (One Side/Two Side): Matt Finish gives a smooth touch to your Business Card. It does not reflect light and is thus easy to view under any light condition.
• Glossy (One Side/Two Side): Glossy Finish gives a shiny touch to your Business Card. Making your cards appear fancy and of high quality.

Coming up with Innovative Artwork for your Business Card Designs along with the right mix of print quality and material will help you with branding and provide greater value by winning over clients and generating quality needs.

5) Not Having a Call to Action on Your Business Cards

It’s very tempting to fill your Business Cards with too much information, however, they key is to keep it relevant and valuable. Use your cards to send a message that would direct the receiver to your website or professional social media pages. The information provided should be relevant and useful to the reader; this would make your cards more memorable and generate quality leads.

Learn everything to create the most compelling business cards and use them to their full potential to ensure maximum advantage for your business.

And if you’re looking for the best printing partners in the country - then I have just the “card” for you!