After designing a variety of business cards, I’ve learned more and more ways to create a business card that speaks for itself. A business card not only serves as an informational tool, it is also a marketing tool. The business card could be the only tangible item a business card collector takes home. Sure, you can leave the lasting business impression with your great conversation, resume of qualifications, and a selling attitude, but what’s that last tool that will make the business card collector be reminded of you when they go home?

Scenario #1 - the Business Person: You are trying to sell a service or a product. You meet a potential client and you make the best sales pitch you’ve ever given. At the end of the conversation, you get their information, and bust out your own contact info.

Scenario #2 - the Employment Seeker: You are looking for that new opportunity, whether you’re a college graduate or advancement lover or you just need a new job. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t want the best deal they can get out of a job. So you meet a potential recruiter or a person who could link you to your next dream job. You have a great convo, yaddy yadda, and what’s the LAST thing you want to do? Give them your business card and get their contact! With the internet these days, paper resumes are the old-fashioned way of giving your qualifications. Plus, who wants to lug around a resume when you can get conveniently get it in your email at the office? A professional BUSINESS CARD would be the way to go - ask them for their business card, and give them your own impressive one.

With those two scenarios, you obviously should give the card because it could be the quickest and most convenient way to advertise to your prospective client. But bringing it to the NEXT step… how do you make that business card stand out?

Some Business Card Pointers:

• Organized. Go with a clean cut design, but at the same time SELL IT and be creative!
• Professional. Represent your company or yourself with professionalism but capture the feel of what you’re trying to sell. Don’t just add a whole bunch of pictures or words and expect it to sell.
• Informational. You can certainly make it pretty, but also make the contact info and services be clear. Especially your email and website. People want to go home and be able to look you up or contact you.
• Conveyer. Convey your creativity, your message, your uniqueness, your brand.
• The ONE THING that makes them REMEMBER your card! A splash of identifiable colors, custom corners, creative layout, a memorable quote. Whatever works. But when a person thinks of your business card, what do they remember? Hopefully not that it’s boring. Yawn.

 Simply make your business card tangible AND intangible.