Don't Sell Yourself Short

Why do some cards make the grade while others get tossed? Appearance is important, but it goes beyond that. To ensure your card gets added to the Rolodex, you need to:

Correctly identify your company
A company logo, colors, tag line all help to build recognition. Include these on your business card. Provide vital contact information. Your card holds no value if the contact information is missing, outdated, or illegible.

Use layout to make sure you get calls
Have you ever tried calling someone and reached their fax number by accident? Who hasn't? This is a design problem. It happens because the name, address, and phone number are laid out so that the eye automatically goes to the fax number instead of the voice number.

Notice how your own eyes automatically scan a card diagonally from the top left to the lower right. As layout creates the problem, layout can also solve the problem. You can put the fax on the sleft side of the page, and the phone on the right, or you can separate the fax from the phone number by placing them on separate lines, making the phone number one point-size larger and printing it in bold or another ink color.

Pick a card style

COUPON CARD
One option is to make your card double as a special offer such as "present this card for 10% off your next order."

BILLBOARD CARD
Use your card's backside for a display advertisement.

INFO CARD
You can include information on your card that the cardholder might refer to from time to time. It could be a calendar, or something unique such as a special quote or a psalm.

REFERRAL CARD
A referral card leaves a space for an invitation to a meeting, or an appointment. One of the best things you can do with business cards is to give out more than one. If a person has just old you how much they like your work, hand them several cards. tell them something like, "I certainly appreciate the good word. Maybe you could pass these on to people you know when they need work done. Yes this works. Try it.