Business Card Etiquette For Doing Business in Foreign Countries

Presenting your business card portrays you as a professional, and is a representation of your business. When doing business in other countries, there are different ways to exchange business cards, and handing them out should be done in the correct manner. A business card is an internationally recognized method of offering a fellow businessperson your contact details. Therefore, if you travel overseas on business a lot, you should have a printer at the Lake of the Ozarks print you a good business card supply. Smart Postal Centers is your full-service printing center for high-quality business cards at the Lake of the Ozarks.

General Guidelines

If you are traveling to a country whose main language is not English, you should have one side translated into the language of the country you are visiting, if possible. Always present the card with the foreign version side up, not the English side. This shows you are serious about doing business there. In many countries, it is considered disrespectful to put the card you were just offered immediately into your pocket. You should look at it for a few moments and clarify any information on it before putting it away. Study foreign customs of the country you are visiting to be prepared. Here are some more examples of business card etiquette in various countries:

The Middle East

Business cards are often given to everyone you meet. It is wise to have one side of your card translated into Arabic, but if you do that be sure to check the translation. Always present and accept business cards with your right hand or both hands, but never with just solely your left. 

India

Put any university degrees or honors on your business cards, as India places a great deal of emphasis on academic achievement. Always use your right hand when offering your business card. If the local dialect is Hindi, then you may not need to print one side of the card in that language because most business people who speak Hindi can also speak English.

China

Present your business card before asking for another person's card. Hold out your card with both hands and text facing the other party when you present it to them. Study the business card when you receive one and comment before putting the card away. Never write on the card in the person's presence. Find out the specific dialect of the people you will be meeting, whether Cantonese, Mandarin, etc. and have the card translated to correspond to the region of China they are from. The script for the characters should be Simplified Chinese, as that is the most commonly used script today in most parts of China. Gold is a lucky color in China and any gold print or embossing expresses fortune. Highlight any pertinent information on the card, such as the year your business was established. Your title should be displayed prominently as well. 

Japan

Giving and receiving business cards in Japan is quite ceremonial. Business cards are not just for business interactions, but also for personal relationships. Nearly everyone, whether business or personal, from the time they are a student and onward has their own cards. Make sure your business and title are prominently printed on the card. Status is important to the Japanese so present your business card to the highest ranked person first. When accepting another person's card, hold out both hands. Do not write on another person's business card or fold it. In a meeting, it is respectful to keep all the cards in front of you.

Have Your Business Cards Printed at Smart Postal Centers

Business cards are an essential part of doing business throughout the world. When traveling overseas, it is critical to know the customs of the country you are doing business with, and it is important to find out all you can about proper etiquette there. Get high-quality business cards and other marketing materials to take with you overseas at your Lake of the Ozarks printer. Smart Postal Centers has a full graphics department to assist you with your professional image. Call us at (573) 348-3100 and let us help you make a good first impression when traveling abroad.

Smart Postal Centers -  Here for all your packing, shipping, copying, and printing needs! 

Contact Us
www.SmartPostalCenters.com
Tim@SmartPostalCenters.com
4320 Osage Beach Parkway, Osage Beach, MO 65065
573-348-3100
Follow us on:
Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Google+

Your Company Newsletter - Part 2: Generating More Sales

In our last blog, we talked about why newsletters are effective in business. In part 2 of our series on newsletters, we will discuss how to generate more sales with your company's newsletter. By careful planning and organization, and having your local printing company at the Lake of the Ozarks create a professional looking newsletter, you can enhance your company's reputation as an industry leader. Smart Postal Centers can make your newsletter catch the attention of your customers. Here are some tips to help make your customer newsletter more effective at generating sales:

Choose Your Articles Carefully

Keep each article focused on your goal. Every article should be used to generate results. Try to avoid "space-filler" articles that have nothing to do with your company's area of expertise, including recipes or famous quotations. Some ideas to generate business are:

• Introduce a new product and its benefits to prompt sales.
• Profile one of your best customers, showing readers new ways to use your company’s products and services.
• Highlighting the impressive qualifications and accomplishments of key employees.
• Discuss a hot industry trend to draw in new readers who comprise your target market.

Offer Free Helpful Tips

To attract more readers and potential customers, feature articles that give free tips and helpful information related to your company's area of expertise. These tips can should be helpful to readers regardless if they do business with you. By offering "free tips" in your company's newsletter, you are demonstrating you are an industry expert concerned with helping out customers. 

Add Customer Testimonials

Customer testimonials can make a big impact on readers and be extremely persuasive to potential clients. Testimonials can be used in a few different ways. A very effective way is to feature a story on a very satisfied client. Interview the customer and quote the person as to how beneficial your product or service was to him or her. Include how helpful your employees were and if the customer would recommend your company to others. Another way to utilize customer testimonials is to dedicate a section in your newsletter where you can reprint complimentary customer letters that your company has received. If you would like to generate more customer testimonials, try sending out a feedback form to customers who purchase from you. Just be sure to ask if you can use their comments for promotional purposes. Some questions you might ask:

• How satisfied are you with the product you ordered?
• Please describe the level of customer service you received.
• How can we improve the product or service that you received?

Smart Postal Centers Will Print a Professional Newsletter For Your Company

Newsletters can be used to attract new customers, increase repeat business from existing clients, and improve customer communications. It is important to choose industry-focused articles and offer helpful information to gain more business. Your Lake of the Ozarks printer offers many options for paper stock, sizes, as well as mailing. Smart Postal Centers can create an eye-catching company newsletter to help you start generating more sales today! Contact us at (573) 348-3100 to get started.

Smart Postal Centers -  Here for all your packing, shipping, copying, and printing needs! 

Contact Us

www.SmartPostalCenters.com

Tim@SmartPostalCenters.com

4320 Osage Beach Parkway, Osage Beach, MO 65065

573-348-3100

Follow us on:

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Google+

6 Valid Reasons Why Direct Mail Still Works in Advertising

Some companies may believe that direct mail is a thing of the past, but it is certainly not. Today, many multi-channel marketers get caught up in the latest advertising trends. That does not mean you should ignore tried and true marketing tactics, such as direct mail. By analyzing your customers wisely, and having a Lake of the Ozarks printing company create a quality direct mail piece, you can have a successful marketing campaign using direct mail. Smart Postal Centers lists 6 valid reasons why direct mail still works in advertising:

It's In Your Face

A graphic designer at the Lake of the Ozarks can create a marketing piece to stand out in a stuffed mailbox. This may not be the case in an over-crowded inbox. Consumers have been trained not to open e-mails from unknown senders. With an increase in the number of e-mails people receive these days, they can easily overlook your important message. Plus direct mail won't accidentally get caught in a spam filter.

It's Tangible

There is something to be said for appealing to the senses. A piece of direct mail delivers a tactile sensation that online activity can't.  You can hold it in your hands, view the message on the printed page, and sometimes you may even be able to smell it! The potential customer may not be ready to purchase your product or service today, but they will have a physical reminder to keep for a later time.

It's Targeted

Direct mail can easily be marketed to those most likely to respond. You can take advantage of print by tailoring a specific message to appeal to customers or prospects. The more targeted the message, the better the response. If you are not customizing your message for your intended audience, you may be creating "junk mail" that goes unnoticed.

It's Diverse

While the cost of some direct mail continues to rise, such as catalogs, because of postal rate increases, there is an abundance of other format options. By getting creative with format and function, a postcard, self-mailer, or three-dimensional package can have just as much impact as a catalog. Explore all the direct mail formats available to you with your printer at the Lake of the Ozarks. They can work with their design team to find an innovative and effective format. The more remarkable the format, the more it will stick out in the mail.

It's Measurable

The fact that direct mail allows you to track and measure business makes it a vital marketing channel. By tracking source codes on your direct mail, you can gauge the mailing's success and analyze the overall results. Discount coupons are a familiar way companies use direct mail to track their business.

It's Integrated

Direct mail shouldn't be your only marketing strategy. It should compliment your other marketing channels. You can integrate your web presence with direct mail. Try sending out a postcard to get people to log on to your website to accept a promotion or view your other products and services.

Smart Postal Centers Can Design and Print Your Direct Mail 

The bottom line is direct mail is still a popular marketing strategy. There are various options when it comes to creating effective direct mail. When you are ready to send out a winning marketing piece, let Smart Postal Centers guide you with colors and format options that work for your business!

Smart Postal Centers -  Here for all your packing, shipping, copying, and printing needs! 

Contact Us

www.SmartPostalCenters.com

Tim@SmartPostalCenters.com

4320 Osage Beach Parkway, Osage Beach, MO 65065

573-348-3100

Follow us on:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Google+

Effectively Promote Your Business With Rack Cards

Rack cards are a high-impact way to market your business. They feature the company's most important information, along with high quality graphics in a small convenient marketing piece. Coupons, maps, menus and tourism information are typically found on rack cards. If you think rack cards are a fit for your business, a printing company at the Lake of the Ozarks can produce them in small or large quantities, with relatively quick turnaround. Smart Postal Centers can create a visually appealing rack card to handout at tradeshows or to stand out in a rack card display. Below we answer some common questions about this popular method of advertising:

What Exactly is a Rack Card?

A rack card is a cost-effective marketing piece that is generally printed in full color on one or both sides on heavy cardstock. The standardized size of a rack card is 4" x 9" or 3.5" x 8.5". This allows them to fit in a display rack or counter-top holder specifically designed for rack cards. Also, the marketing piece fits well into a #10 business envelope, thus serving as a mailer insert.

What Types of Businesses Use Rack Cards? 

Rack cards can be used by nearly any business. They are displayed frequently at convenience stores, hotels, restaurants, visitor centers, rest areas and other areas that have significant foot traffic. They are popular for lobbies, showrooms, tradeshows, and point of purchase (POS) marketing. Rack cards have become widely used in tourism. You have likely seen large display cases that hold colorful rack cards.

How Do Rack Cards Appeal to Customers?

In most cases, rack cards are supposed to attract foot traffic, so the marketing message should target people as they walk by or are standing next to a display. Rack card display cases are strategically placed in areas with a lot of visitors. It is important to make your rack cards stand out and to have a call of action, so that the potential customer will ultimately visit your place of business. Hence, they should be designed to hold a future customer's attention. This is accomplished through a creative use of colors and graphics, and brief but convincing text. In addition, rack cards can be gloss-coated to maximize the vibrancy of the ink colors and to add to the durability of the marketing piece.

What Can Be Printed on a Rack Card?

Rack cards are very durable in construction and can be printed with any content or layout. Although, most rack cards are printed with vertical orientation to fit in a display rack or counter-top holder. Anything to help build awareness or boost sales can be printed on the back or front, including promotional offers, upcoming events, information about products or services, discount coupons, contact information, directions, maps, QR codes, etc.

Smart Postal Centers Will Print Rack Cards for Your Business or Organization

Smart Postal Centers is your exclusive rack card printer at the Lake of the Ozarks. We can create professionally designed rack cards for your business or organization. Rack cards are an affordable and easy way to promote your business. Contact us at (573) 348-3100 to find out how we can effectively market your business with rack cards!

Smart Postal Centers -  Here for all your packing, shipping, copying, and printing needs! 

Contact Us

www.SmartPostalCenters.com

Tim@SmartPostalCenters.com

4320 Osage Beach Parkway, Osage Beach, MO 65065

573-348-3100

Follow us on:

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Google+