Your business card can bring you more leads, more clients and more riches…but only IF you know how to leverage its full potential. The humble business card has got to be the most underutilized marketing tool of all…yet it has the power to churn out riches into your bank account like a turbo-charged, cash-flow machine.

When I’m at a networking event I’m amazed that only 5% of the business cards I see are truly effective. The rest miss the mark…badly. First off, I invite you to rethink the function of your business card…

Don’t think of your business card as an ugly, functional parking lot for your name and address. Think of your business card as an elegant invitation to a fantastic party you’re having. You want lots of people to come and enjoy the fun. With this mindset, here are five keys to leverage the full power of your business card.

1. Put a Call to Action on Your Business Card

When someone hands me their business card the first thing I do is flip it over. I’m usually shocked. 95% of the time I see the same massive mistake being made…the back of the card is blank! (Or worse, it has a small advertisement for the printing company, which indicates the person didn’t want to spend the $10.00 to remove the printer’s logo.)

Use the back of your business card to present an irresistible offer and reason why someone should go to your website or contact you again. Offer them a free special report, eCourse or audio with information your target market most wants. The #1 purpose of your business card should be to invite them to take the next step in your sales process.

2. Make It Easy To Write On Your Business Card

I like to make the front of my card glossy and the back flat. This way I can write a personal note on the back where my call to action is. This personalizes the “invitation” and helps people remember you out of all the business cards they already have stuffed in their pockets.

3. Put a Photo of You On Your Business Card

Get a professional headshot and make it big on your card. You know what it’s like having a stack of cards and not remembering who’s who. But when your beautiful face is front and center people will remember you.

4. Make Your Business Card Simple

Another big mistake I see is cramming too much info on your card. Your business card isn’t there to sell people…it’s there to guide people to take one, simple step – your call to action. Don’t confuse people by giving them more than one website to visit. If you give a dog two bones they go crazy with confusion. When marketing your business give your prospects only one single action to take.

Avoid odd size and shape business cards – it becomes a burden for the person carrying it.

5. Make Your Business Card Easy on the Eye

Your card also needs to be visually appealing and easy on the eye. Avoid any graphic element that isn’t essential in driving people your call to action.

Avoid handwriting fonts because they are hard to read. Also avoid super small print.

I use a graphic trick on the front of my business card that’s literally as old as the Gutenberg Bible. Artists for the past 550 years know that the three most powerful colors in print are black, white and red. The whole front of my card is black with white and red text. It’s called a reversal. This way my name pops right out.

Also, my headshot on the front is against a dark background and I’m wearing a dark suit with a red shirt and tie – again, so my face pops right out. The back of my card is all white except for my call to action copy, which is red and black. This style works for me. Your task is to find the right look and style that matches your brand.

I recommend you spend the extra money to get the best printing possible. You want your prospect to handle your business card and feel its weight and glossy front surface. It all adds to the positive, perceived image you want to make.

The look and feel of your card is for one purpose only…to make it easy for your potential client to take the call to action you indicate. Your business card is only step one of many – it’s the invitation. You must decide what your sales process looks like for your business first and THEN create your business card to support the sales funnel that will make-you-rich.

© 2008, James Roche

Author's Bio: 

James Roche, “The Info Product Guy”, helps entrepreneurs create a marketing strategy and information products so they get more clients and generate passive revenue. He is the creator of the Info Marketing Action Plan (iMap) Program that shows you how to create a simple marketing plan for your business. To learn more about his simple, step-by-step programs and receive a free Special Report, go to: www.infoproductguy.com