Why Your Business Card is CRAP!

Walt Goshert — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 05:43:38 +0000

What does your Business Card say about you?

Yes, when you’re face-to-face with prospects, peers, Centers of Influence contacts, company reps, and clients, even in today’s digital word, the plain old paper business card is still expected.

But is a plain old business card good enough?

Or does your business card need to say more than name, address, phone number, website, email address, and social contact information?

Does Your Business Card Make A Big Promise?

Sure the design of your business card is important because it makes a visual impression.

But the design only creates a perception of what you can do to help your prospect solve his/her problems or help fulfill a desire.

Ask yourself these questions:

Is your business card a business-building tool?

Are you buying the best quality you can buy?

Does your business card fit in a Rolodex?

Should your business card fit in a Rolodex?
(Who the hell even uses a Rolodex any more?)

Does your business card

demonstrate incredible marketing capability?

Demonstrate incredible marketing capability?

Huh?

I’m an insurance guy. I sell insurance. My clients aren’t looking for me to demonstrate marketing capability.

Ah, but they are.

Your prospects, your peers, the insurance carriers you represent, your Centers of Influence, heck even your Mom, your Aunt, and your Second Cousin once removed on your Step-Dad’s side expect you…

To have your act together.

And your little old business card speaks volumes.

It either says you’re just another cheap, boring, same-as-all-the-others INSURANCE SALES PERSON.

Or, it demonstrates that you are a caring, trusted advisor who adds value and makes a difference.

So, if that’s the case, let’s ask a couple more questions:

Is your business card effective?

Does it deliver the Goods?

Is you business card any damn good?

Is your business card so good, so memorable, so unique that rather than tossing it in the trash because your prospect has a brother-in-law in the business, he hangs on to it?

“Your card should be so good even if they don’t like you they won’t throw it out.”

Cue the video, cue the music.

I fix insurance and financial services professionals’ websites that suck guaranteed.

What do you do GUARANTEED?

Free Google Name-Claim

Walt Goshert — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:13:26 +0000

If you’re a local business professional, what’s the first thing your prospects now do before they hire you?

They’re gonna “Google” you… Your Business Name and YOUR Name too.

Your Google Profile is where you begin to “Own Your Name” online.

So the Big Question is:

When your prospects and clients “Google” you, what do they find?

Do you “own” The Google space for your own name?

Here’s how to Claim Your Google Profile Name.

1. Sign into your Google account. Don’t have a Google account? Create one. RIGHT NOW. (click on “Sign In” in the upper right corner of your screen and follow the screen prompts) Before you read one. more. word.

Tip: Use your name as your Gmail address. Your Personal Profile URL Name defaults to this, but you can change it.

(Here’s a BIG TIP: Use your name consistently on all your online profiles. Your name is now your brand. We’re moving from the days of Location, Location, Location for Local Businesses to Content, Content, Content and Community, Community, Community. If you have a common name, like a “John Smith, you’ll need to use your Full Middle Name, or something like John Michael Smith, DDS to distinguish from non-dentist John Smiths)

2. If you haven’t claimed a Personal Profile… Click “Create a Profile”.

3. Add your Personal Information. Complete it all. You never know when an old school friend, past co-worker, or previous neighbor is looking to find you. Make sure you add a Photo Head Shot of yourself. Pick a good one because you’ll want to use this photo as your personal brand at other social sites online.

4. Add “A little personality” Have fun, but if your Personal Profile is for business connections, (yes, if you’re in business it IS for business connections online) be professional and consistent with the brand image you want to create.

5. Add Links This is KEY. Add links to your Website, Website Landing Pages, Company Blog, Personal Blog, Facebook Profile and Pages, Twitter Accounts, Flickr Photo Sharing account, YouTube Channel… all the places where you have information and content online. Remember, Google passes “link-love” from your Personal Profile back to your sites. Take advantage of this “Google Gift” and keep your links up-to-date. I go in and add and update my links monthly.

6. Add Photos- You can tie into any Photos you have on Picasa or Flickr.

7. Add your Contact Information.

And when you finish, Your Google Personal Profile should look something like this:

Walt Goshert: Google Personal Profile

(You’ll find Google Profile screen captures in my Photos. You can click on them and enlarge them)

There you have it… Your Free Google Name-Claim. You’re on your way to On-Line Fame!

After you complete your Google Personal Profile and Claim Your Name, go ahead and “Google” yourself.

Scroll all the way to the bottom of the first page of results. You should find your Profile Picture and a link back to your Google Personal Profile. Here’s mine.

After you create your Google Personal Profile, don’t stop. You’ll want to Claim Your Name on other relevant social media sites.

Walt Goshert » Google Buzz