A Drop Card is a business card that serves as a commercial. It has an incentive and a call to action for people to follow. My favorite example dates back over 100 years. M. M. Broga had an advance team going to the next town to announce his coming with a wagon full of whips and “Segars” (cigars).  The call to action is “Wait for the Wagon”; the date the wagon will be there and to wait if you need whips or cigars. This is what one of the original drop card marketing programs! These where dropped and handed out all over town at the post office, general store, saloon, hotel, and so on. Those were the days of simplicity and necessity. You had your “segar guy”, pot and pan guy, iceman, scissors man and all they had to do was drop a card announcing their arrival. Necessity of the people allowed for simplicity from the vendors.

Today’s world offers many more niches and specialty boutique items and services that serve much more versatile segmented groups of people. Somewhere there is a guy or gal selling $500,000 toilet seats who only has to find 2 customers a year to be very successful. For the rest of, we us need a larger market niche and we need to provide value to more than just a few select people. Drop card marketing or sizzle cards make an excellent venue to reach many people. They are sure to bring you results because a portion of people who find them will be attracted and take action.

Drop Card Marketing requires you to have an enticing message with quick eye appeal and a call to action for the viewer to follow. Your website address, toll free number to call or a direct number if you feel gutsy about talking to everyone even crackpots. Personally I went for it with a direct number. I am an honest and sincere marketer dedicated to helping people and will talk with anyone.Once you have your Drop Cards created it is time for some Drop Card Marketing! What the heck do you do now?

 

10 Ways to Hand Out and Drop Your “Drop Cards”

 

  1. In Bookstores and Libraries: This is one of my favorites. I will set an hour aside and go to the local Barnes and Noble or Public Library Branches then select books I think my prospects would read. Books on saving money, investing for retirement, job searching, marketing or anything related to your primary business. An extra tip: if there is community newspapers or event newspapers take a moment and drop your card in each of them.
  2. Waiting Rooms: Another place where you have a captive audience, waiting rooms and hair salons. They always have magazines there, take your drop cards and place them in as many magazines as possible.
  3. Restaurants: When you are done eating at the restaurant and putting in that tip (make sure it is a nice tip or this will not work at all!) slide a drop card in there, I have sponsored quite a few people that work in the restaurant industry. You may even preface the drop card by asking this Ice Breaker question to the waiter or waitress, “Would you be interested in a side project if it didn’t interfere with your current job?” Who the heck would not say yes to that?!?
  4. Toll Booths: Now you can also use CD’s or DVD’s for this tactic but the lowest cost way is to use a drop card. Next time you are pulling up to a toll booth, look in your rear view mirror and see what kind of car is behind you, if it’s a decent vehicle, pay for their toll and have the operator give the person behind you a drop card! The operator may even ask you for one!
  5. Newspaper Stands: Another interesting one is buying a newspaper, pulling out all the newspapers and stuffing them with drop cards and putting them back in the stand. This one cracks me up, think about this though, if you were marketing for real estate, wouldn’t it make sense to put drop cards in all the apartment rental guides that are in these stands? Sometimes you have to think outside the box.
  6. Elevator Rides: Pass them out to everyone in an elevator, another captive audience. In my primary business I give a drop card to everyone talking or using a smart phone.
  7. Community Bulletin Boards: You can find them at Grocery Stores, Laundromats, coffee shops who, community centers and you might even find someone who is interested in speaking with you. Another ice breaker question to start the conversation is “Have you ever thought about making extra money doing a fun project a few hours a week?”
  8. Checkout Stands: Whenever you buy groceries, gas, pick up Dry Cleaning or anything; give a card to the cashier.
  9. Flea Markets, Trade Shows, Fairs and Carnivals: Be sure to leave a Drop Card at every table and in every glass bowl.
  10. The Mall: Park far away, put drop cards on the windshield of cars as you walk to the mall, ATM Machines, Food Court Tables, Rest Rooms and anywhere else you think of while you are there.

  10². Put a Drop Card in every envelope you mail out for paying bills.

Watch the Drop Card Video for more information and places to order your drop cards. If you benefited from this article please share it and comment. Comment with other ideas for drop cards and share your creativity.