In the early morning of Saturday, May 26, 2018, Don Varney, his wife Yvonne, and a couple dozen of Don’s friends, many whom attend the Friday Networking Lunch every week, gathered at Heroes Stadium to participate  in a 5K Run/Walk.  While the event was organized in support of local law enforcement, the team that Don assembled, known as Team Victory, was there to support him in his first athletic event in nearly a decade.

For the past 6 or 7 years, Don endured an undiagnosed or misdiagnosed medical puzzle which left him unable to walk without crutches or canes. Once able to participate in ironman events, Don could no longer walk across the kitchen without external support. He had countless tests and saw many specialists around the country. For years, no one on Don’s medical team could pinpoint the exact cause of his condition. In this situation, most people would be filled with hopelessness. But, Don never lost hope. He never exhibited depression, anger, or any other negative emotion. Throughout his journey, Don remained hopeful and happy.

In 2017, the cause of Don’s failing health was finally correctly identified as a tiny non-cancerous tumor in his knee.  This tumopr was causing his bones to die.   Upon removal of the tumor and after a short recovery period, Don began training for this event, which he says will be the first of many as he continues to regain his strength and endurance.

Those participating included: Bill Smith, Brent Holmes, Chris Gerhard, Danielle Woodward, David, Reitblatt, Francis Silva, Javier Trevino, Jeff Weber, Jim Faulk, Joan Reitblatt, Jose Rivera, Linda Buck, Linda Molina, Lu Karnes, Mary Sutherland, Mike Stump, Ricardo Romero, Rick Lay, Staci Gonzales, Stephanie Bostic, Tracy Carlson, Victoria Rodriguez, and Yvonne Varney.

Custom Team Victory shirts were made by Franklin Adams at Adams Marketing Group.

Photography and videography was provided by Michael Stump with Kestral Views.

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“You want your business card to stand out.”  At least that’s what you’ve been told.  But, in your quest to make it “Stand Out” you may have made it the very first card that gets tossed into the waste basket.

This article provides some pretty obvious, but often overlooked or downright ignored, common sense guidelines to follow when designing your next business card.   You’ll also find some design elements that you should absolutely avoid no matter how persuasive or enthusiastic your designer or card printer is when pushing new our unique design options.

Here are some timeless basics that your business card should have:

• Name (This should be obvious)
• Business Name and/or Title
• Contact Information
• Website or Social Media Links
• Easy to Read Font Type
• Font Size No Smaller than 10pt
• High Resolution Imagery
• Standard Size Card

Everything in the above list seems pretty logical.  But, it’s like those silly warning labels we read on consumer goods.  You know those warning labels are only there because somewhere some fool actually tried to swallow a clothes hanger and then sued the dry cleaners.  Yes, I have been handed cards which do not contain such items as name, company, email, phone number, etc.  If you guessed that these cards went directly into the trash, then you guessed correctly.

Here are the things you should avoid:

• Odd Sized or Odd Shaped Cards
• Tiny Text
• Thin Flimsy Free Cards
• Overcrowding
• Self Printing

In addition to the do’s and don’ts, I also recommend that you have your cards professionally designed, and by “Professionally”, I do not mean by the kid working in the print shop at the office supply store.

Upon handing someone your card, has anyone ever said to you, “Wow, that’s a really nice business card!”?  If you’ve never heard these words, then your business card is likely in need of an overhaul.

Your card may be your first impression.  A professional designer should know what will make your card stand out and also be familiar with the latest in print processes so that the design can be effectively communicated to the printer.

If you’re buying cards based on the lowest bidder, this is a sure sign that your cards suck.  Sorry, it’s just a fact.  There is a no such thing as a great business card that only costs $30 for a box of 1,000.

And, on the subject of cheap-o business cards, do not under any circumstances, print your own cards to save money or because you ran out.  First of all, it will not save you money.  Printing at home will always cost more.  Secondly, everyone you know, at some point in their career, has run out of cards.  Just tell people that you ran out or that the post office lost your delivery and then offer to text or email them your contact info.

Following the business card design guidelines will ensure that your card makes a great first impression and that it gets saved rather than tossed.

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Those who are in straight forward sales mode, are often poor listeners because their primary focus is on getting your attention.  They often try to build up themselves or their business rather than taking an interest in you, your business, how their business may truly benefit you, or how a relationship with you could create a win-win structure for future sales and growth for both of you.

The last time you met someone for the first time, did they dominate the conversation by telling you all about themselves?  Or, did they ask about you and did your answers prompt additional questions?  We’ve all had first time interactions that either fit firmly into the former or the later.  Which was most enjoyable?  Which person would you like to meet again?  Which person would you be more likely to do business with?   Be that person.

In his famous book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie writes, “We are interested in others when they are interested in us.”  Therefore, if you want people to like you and have an interest in you, then stop being the salesman and start being the listener.

Those who attend the Friday Networking Lunch on a regular basis, are those who do not strive to make the sale, but instead strive to build the relationship, because they know that the relationships they crate and maintain are likely to lead to many sales rather than just one.

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Instead of saying, “Goodbye”, to her customers as they were leaving, the owner of a small hardware store often told them, “Don’t work too hard”.  After hearing this for several years, one young man asked the store owner, “But, how do I get ahead, how to I reach my goals if I’m lazy?”   Of course, she never intended for her customers to think that she was telling them to “Be Lazy”.  Yet, that is what some of them heard when she told them not to “Work too Hard”.

When asked how he was doing, a hard working realtor frequently said, “Busy. Busy. Busy.”.  One Sunday morning at church, he was surprised to hear that members of his Sunday school class had recently sold their home and purchased a new one.  He thought for sure that they would have asked him to handle their sale and purchase.  Feeling a little hurt, he asked the couple why they had gone to another realtor.  They answered that they thought he was “Too busy” to take an another client.  The realtor thought that he was conveying that he was industrious and that he worked hard for his clients.  But, this was not what his potential clients heard.  Instead they heard that he was too busy for them.

The next time you’re chatting with a client, consider your words carefully, especially those words you use again and again everyday.

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Let’s suppose that you know a great auto mechanic.  Well, that’s awesome.  Now you have someone who you trust to work on your car, diagnose problems correctly, make needed repairs, and charge you a fair price.  These are all wonderful things.  And, by having these positive experiences with your mechanic, you’re now positioned to be a great referral source for him.  But, when your mechanic needs a widget, does he know you well enough to know that you’re one of the top experts in all things related to widgets?  Is your mechanic ever going to refer widget buyers to your widget store?  No, probably not.  Because you know him, doesn’t mean that he knows you or your business well enough to think of you when he needs or knows someone who needs your widget expertise.

Maybe that saying needs to be rewritten?  “It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you” would probably be more accurate when it comes to estimating the worth of a relationship or to the potential business growth that can be derived from those relationships.

Weekly networking events, like the Friday Networking Lunch, provide an opportunity for people to know who you are and to know what you do.  These events also give you numerous opportunities to tell a large audience about different facets of your business each and every week.  Or, even if you provide the same information each week, you’re creating a fresh memory for those people to draw upon when they run across someone in the market for the latest greatest widget.

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