Ferraris Run on Business Cards

A while back, while livin' in New York City, I became acquainted with this guy named Harry Vincent. He was somethin' else. Ol' Vince liked to show off a lot, as shown by his daily food regimen of booze and loose city girls. It was pretty tough on the ego hangin' around him; I had recently started my so-called writing career and the cash wasn't rollin' in like I had planned. When Vince and I would go to the local bistro, he'd usually surround himself with a sensual panorama of mouth-watering full course treatment. I, on the other hand, stuck to the crusty French bread, topping it with cold, unspreadable butter. He'd drink some of the finest grape nectar your palate could ever reach, while I would stick with some tasty tap.

Ok, maybe he was a bit of a jerk, I'll admit to that. So why did I stick around him so much? Well, he wouldn't really rub things in, so he wasn't a complete butthead. But the allure of being in his company was that I learned something new EVERY time.

See, Vince was successful. Pretty damn successful. And I'd love to say there was a secret to his success, but there wasn't. He would never tell you if you'd ask him, but all you had to do was pay attention. It wasn't even really what he did; he would do the same things most people in his field did. It was how he did it. His style of doing it. Let me try to explain.

It was guy's night out and we were at a pretty high class 'bar' of sorts. A few friends, some women we had met, and of course, Vince. We were havin' a good time, havin' a few drinks, and pretty much enjoying our bachelor status. Then, right in the middle of conversation, Vince gets up, winks at us, and says “Opportunity knocks.” Everyone was left confused. Me, on the other hand, knowing how Vince works, just kept my cool. I figured he had found someone that caught his eye, more than likely a woman. So we all eye him. And to my surprise, it wasn't a woman he was after, but a man. Vince had the guy positively enthralled in his conversation. After a few moments, Vince pats him on the shoulder, smoothly palms a business card into his hand, winks with a sly smile, and then walks back toward us. He saw the look on our faces as he sat. All he said was “Just business.” And that was that.

Alright, he probably did have some sort of secret. Charisma or somethin'. But everything he did that night fell on one thing. It wasn't his alcohol level. It wasn't the smile. It wasn't even his persuasive conversation. It was his business card.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that a card made a difference between sale or bail, but all that talk, all that smile, and all that swagger, would have been to waste if it wasn't closed by the exchange of a business contact card. It didn't even dawn on me how important it was until I noticed how many people do exactly what he did, sell themselves, and then say “Here, let me call your cell phone so you can get my number.” Business cards are free, what's so hard about carrying them around?

A few days later, I meet Vince for lunch. I figured that while splurging on restaurantal delights I'd be able to get the full story on the other night's events. As I pull up, I see Vince leaning on a nice little whip of a sports car. As I open my door, he pockets his cell phone in movie star fashion, putting up his sly smile in the process. I say, “You're kidding.” He says “Would I?” That's all I needed to know. Son of a gun closed a sale guaranteeing him a nice upfront chunk along with recurring commissions through to the next seven months. The guy at the bar bought in. Vince now drives faster. I asked him what he did. His exact words: “He liked my card.”

Vince built his career on the design of his business card and style of his exchange. It was his trademark repertoire.

Ever since realizing that, I've been able to pull off writing contracts a lot smoother than I ever thought. The business cards work, but few people understand their potential. That's why I carry a few with me all the time. And if you still haven't gotten any, or wanted to get a new one but hesitated, now is the best time. A place called VistaPrint is offering printed sets of business cards free through this link ( http://vistaprint.corenexus.net/ ), so there's no excuse. Now, carrying a card won't guarantee you anything, but it sure helps seal the deal.

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