It’s that special time of year again. Odds are that very soon you’ll be mingling with people you barely know (or know all-too-well) at some sort of holiday get-together. Whether you’re attending out of courtesy, tradition, or business desperation (it’s been a tough year for many) doesn’t matter. What DOES matter is that you understand how holiday networking differs from the networking you’ll be doing in January.

Holiday networking is less aggressive, slower-paced and more subtle. Think “market research” instead of “close the deal” and you’ll have the right mindset. Yes, making connections that lead to sales is still a primary reason for attending social functions, but around the holidays it’s less obvious. The social “dance” is longer.

So when preparing for your holiday party “performance,” practice the role of Santa instead of Scrooge, and you’ll do just fine.

How would Santa act at that lavish bash in your office building next week?

First, remember that Santa is friendly and approachable to EVERYONE. He’s not a snob or someone who’s solely focused on influential, powerful people. You’d do well to adopt that attitude yourself. You’ll enjoy yourself more, feel less stressed, and who knows? You may meet someone with unexpected influence or connections.

If you’re one of the many people who’d rather have teeth pulled than talk to strangers, rehearse a few “safe” opening lines. “So how do you know (the host/hostess)?” or “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” are non-threatening ways to begin a conversation, with the added benefit of allowing you to look for connections. And “How has your day been?” is much more likely to initiate small-talk than the usual “How are you?” (“Fine, thanks.”) exchange.

Second, Santa is a great listener who’s really focused on other people’s wants and needs and not his own. He invites confidences and listens more than he speaks. Can you imagine Santa thrusting his business card on someone he’s barely met? (I DO have one of his cards, by the way. See it here.)

So ask a lot of “who, what, where, when and why” questions. Try to spend the first five minutes of any conversation talking about the other person. You already know about yourself; you want to gather information and make friends with others. Besides, it’s very flattering. Someone who’s interested in others is invariably seen as someone worth knowing. (So tuck a few business cards in your pocket beforehand!)

Finally, Santa is welcome and appreciated at any gathering because he brings gifts. No, you don’t need to carry in a large red bag filled with personalized company pens or magnets. But before the party, think about who you’re likely to meet and what you can offer them.

Have you read a great book? Do you know what’s being built across the street? Did you discover a helpful new product or service? Then don’t be a Scrooge! Spread the news. Offer the information.

Better yet, do you have a personal connection to someone party attendees would like to meet? Then be prepared to offer their name and/or business card.

And when talk does turn to business, keep it light and keep it brief. If you have helpful ideas to pass on, or discover a connection you’d like to strengthen, ask for a business card and permission to call at work. Then steer the conversation back to more fun, personal topics. (Just remember to follow up afterwards!)

With preparation, you can enjoy meeting new people and reconnecting with old colleagues in mutually profitable ways. And you might just become as popular as Ol’ Saint Nick.

Are you saddled with a “ho-hum” business card, one that’s about as exciting as watching paint dry?

Never fear. You can give ordinary cards a little “pizzazz” without spending a cent. Given the fact that people expect someone who’s serious about their business to have a card, you can’t afford to let this versatile and portable marketing tool languish in the depths of your desk drawers.

Here are three free ways to make an ordinary card seem extraordinary.

1. Use both hands to give someone your card
Next time you want to give someone your business card, make it a presentation. Turn the card face up with the text facing the receiver, and then slowly, carefully, give them the card. You want to convey the impression that your card contains such valuable information that you wouldn’t give it to just anyone. Treat it as if it was a precious commodity, and the person receiving it will definitely notice.

2. Punch a hole in your card.
Use a standard hole punch and “snap!” put a hole somewhere on your card. Odds are you’ll be asked about it! That gives you a great opening to give more information about your product or service.

A window washer might say: “That hole lets you see through the card very easily, doesn’t it? You’ll see just as well through your windows, too!”

If you run a dating service, the hole could represent the emptiness people feel without someone to love.

If you sell insurance, the hole could illustrate the gap in coverage your company can certainly fill.

If you sell weight loss products, the hole might represent the “empty stomach” feeling you get on traditional diets.

Get the idea? You can even spend $5 or so and buy a themed punch, say in the shape of a house or a heart.

3. Write on your card.
Anything you do to personalize your card increases its value and makes it more likely to be kept. You can merely sign your name, or go further and write down the name of the product you recommend. You can write “10% discount” on the card, initial it, and tell the receiver to bring it into your store. You can even write private information on your card, such as your home phone number, which really makes the receiver feel special.

Another way to add value to your card (and to other people’s cards, too) isn’t free but offers great returns on a one-time investment. And that’s the purchase of a classy or unique business card holder or case.

Try to find one with two sections so you can separate cards you give and cards you get. Buy two separate cases if you can afford it. And make a point of using them! You can really impress a prospective customer by taking time to really look at his or her card before carefully tucking it away into a sturdy case. The care with which you treat that card subconsciously equates to the care with which you’ll treat their business.

Remember, creating a card that people keep is only partly about the card — it’s about you, too. If you’re creative and helpful when presenting your card, you’ll likely be perceived as someone who’s creative and helpful in business dealings too. And who would toss the card of a valuable contact like that?

Ever picked up a copy of one of those “Best of Business Card Design” books? The ones filled with glossy photos of business cards made of “special materials” using “innovative printing techniques”? While I admit it can be fun – and occasionally instructive – to peruse these award-winning business card designs, I think these books often confuse more business owners than they help.

How?

By fostering the notion that a business card has to be radically different, trendy and expensive to be effective.

It’s time to get real!

“Cool” doesn’t sell your product. “Trendy” doesn’t pay the bills. And “Wow, what a great card!” is flattering, but hardly an income guarantee. Ever seen one of those expensive Super Bowl TV ads, where afterwards you can remember the commercial but haven’t the foggiest idea what product it was promoting?

Same principle. A business card can be a masterpiece of graphic design and do you absolutely no good as far as convincing someone you just met to give you a call, visit your website or drop by your store.

The truth is that a fairly ordinary business card can be an extraordinary marketing tool, if used wisely.

Now don’t get me wrong – I am not advocating the use of a generic, black-text-on-white-stock, flimsy card ordered from the local quick printer, or an attractive but ad-supported “free” business card ordered online. And splurging on a custom designed business card is definitely appropriate in certain industries and certain business situations.

What I’m saying is that an attractive, legible, customer-focused business card is good enough for most people in most circumstances. Even if it’s designed on a website that offers business card templates which can be used by an unlimited number of other business owners. Even if the graphics or clipart aren’t original.

Frankly, it’s more important to get a decent card circulating than it is to let customers slip by while you’re endlessly tweaking the “perfect” business card.

So what is “good enough”?

Your business card should be attractive. It should look professional, be of standard size and weight, use color well, catch the eye, and be different enough from your competitors to make your card stand out but not so different that you seem out of touch.

Your business card should be legible. No tiny text. No crazy mish-mash of fonts. No crossed-out phone numbers or dingy food stains. Each word should be there for a reason, carefully chosen to given recipients a reason to remember you and encourage them to use your product or service.

This means that business cards should also be customer-focused. Though a business card contains your company name and contact information, its purpose is less about you than it is about showing your prospective customer that you understand their needs and that your company can meet them.

A business card design that is “good enough” may look little different than those used by others in similar professions. But if it goes beyond the typical business card to include information that reassures or informs prospects (such as testimonials, store hours, special services or solutions to common problems), it will certainly out-perform a fancier but less customer-centered card.

And let’s also “get real” about what a business card is, and what it can do. Yes, it’s a powerful marketing weapon. But c’mon, it’s a 2.5” by 3.25” bit of paper. No piece of paper, no matter how innovative or elegant, can override a prospects’ instinctive distaste of a salesperson who’s arrogant, uncaring, or completely clueless. You may find that people love your card and that you just can’t seem to keep enough of them in your wallet – but if you never hear from the people you give them to, there’s something wrong.

After all, there are plenty of superstar performers using bland, impersonal company-generated business cards with outstanding results.

In the hands of a personable and articulate company representative who really listens to what a prospective client wants, a “good enough” business card will outperform a graphic designer’s dream card every time.