Ah, the humble business card. Such an institution in the world of commerce and trade that to not to have one is positively unseemly. Could such a thing induce begging behaviour? Would one even want someone to beg for your business card? We shall see…

Make them Choose!

So you’re out and about in your everyday life showing everyone your mini art portfolio and generating quite a mailing list for your next exhibition by getting people excited and interested in your art. Wouldn’t it be nice if instead of just looking at your personal organiser art portfolio that people actually wanted to take a small piece of what you’d shown them home with them right then and there so they can remember you and your wonderful art?

I pondered this problem and I came up with a solution that I use myself which I call…

The Five Card Trick

An excellent way to gain interest in your artwork is to get people directly ‘hands on’ with it.

Here’s how it’s done:

• Get a set of 5 business cards professionally printed, each with a different artwork you have created on the back of it. Pay for a really nice high quality glossy double sided colour job so that they really look ‘the business’; almost artworks in themselves. Rather than just use a cheap generic free design I had a professional graphic designer do a custom job for me.
• Pop them into your personal organiser art portfolio. Some personal organiser makers also supply a little plastic pocket to fit inside the organiser which makes it easy to get your cards out quickly.
• When you are out and about showing people your art, if someone seems interested bring out your 5 different business cards. Let the person flip through them and examine them closely.
• As they coo over your lovely artworks on your glossy cards ask them which is their favourite. This will force them to really look at your art closely in order to choose. The great thing about this is that they really have to take their time and have the opportunity to really appreciate what they are looking at.
• Because these cards look great and are mini collectible items in themselves often people will ask right there and then if they can have all five. Tell them they can have only one. It shows them that you value your art enough not to give it all away for free, which implies in turn that your art is valuable. This is when the begging begins. I’ve heard people give me all sorts of reasons why they should have more than one. “Oh I just can’t choose! I like them all” they say, or “oh my sister would really like this one but I like this one, can I have both…please?”(cue batting of eyelids). Stand firm. Just one. A little taste just for now.

Of course you’ll note their specific choice in your personal organiser portfolio for later reference as a poll of the popularity of your images. This is great marketing info! Oh, and don’t forget to get their name and address so you can invite them to your next art show.

So go to it. Make your own variation of the Five Card Trick, practise often and refine it until people are almost begging for one of your business cards.

[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_3″]