Firefly Studios

The Philosophy of a Card or All Business is about Relationships .

Isn't a Card a Card by any other digital name?   NO.

Simply updating your Facebook status is not networking.  Nor is sending a mail flyer or Facebook message  keeping in touch with your clients or proper seeding for growing new clients.  The way to make a powerful connection is to make it personal.  Making time for conversations is crucial and  you should have a multitude of arrows in your quiver to make, nurture and sustain that relationship.

Strong relationships don't just happen from one-time networking meetings. Nor if they used your services once does it mean they will come back again.  Why should they?  Customer nurturing is a long-term investment.  A continued business relationship requires continued contacts and that doesn't happen without a plan but it's not as hard as you may think.

Communication requires real contact,  so do it early and often. Relationships wither and die unless they are tended.  Immediately and consistently reinforce who you are, what you do and the connection you've made.  Don't let your clients or contacts forget who you are.  But it's just as important to make sure they know you haven't forgotten them.  Be sincere in your contact and don't  treat them like a number. Aha, that means make sure they know that the contact is meant for them, just them, and not every one on Planet Earth.

Remember, you rarely meet people at the exact moment when they need what you offer. When they're ready, will they think of you? Only if you stay on their minds. It's easier to keep a connection warm than to warm it up again once it goes cold.

Okay, so what does this have to do with Cards?  Quite a bit.   Not every means of contact is successful contact.  Social media can be effective, easy and cost effective.  But it should not  be the sole contact you have with potential clients or continued clients.  Mass mailings or Social Media  can be as personal as putting your name on a billboard.  Surely not a targeted or private communication.  No warm and fuzzies there.  Cards are the exact opposite.  They are personal  by their very nature.  Addressed to one person, meant for that person from you.  It's not a sales pitch - it's a connection - it's a reminder of a relationship.

If you are not taking care  of your clients then your competitors will.  - Zig Ziglar