The best way for someone to hang on to a tip is on a business card.

Do you remember seeing the TV commercials of OSH Hardware stores, the ones where they give out time saving tips on things like squeaky floors and a host of other common household problems? The tips are well received and they are getting their name associated with "the answers are out there". Of course, it's not easy to really take advantage of a tip on the TV. It would be more practical to write it down and stick it in a location where you can easily access it, perhaps even in a folder on your computer.

In the same fashion, you can print your own tips on a set of business cards that contain one tip per card. You can give-out the cards at intervals and keep coming up with more over a period of time. If the tips are of value to clients, they will likely collect them for future use. Once again, you will need to place your website and email address on the cards so that you are identified with the promotional item.

Tips can allow you to share your knowledge and help your customers. If you can make things easier for them to understand, or give them a shortcut that helps save time and money, you will be a hero. Hero's are always called upon to solve other problems as well. The important thing is that tip cards are another way for you to gain a touch point with your client or potential client. Take some time and think of what it is that you know that can be easily shared to save your client time and money. Think of it in terms of a quick tip, not a knowledge dump.

Even though tips work well, you still need to distinguish yourself. You can do this by thinking of unusual things that are not common knowledge which will give your customer an advantage. Be creative.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com