© 2007 Tom Letourneau

    Behold the lowly business card. It gets no respect. It gets crushed in a billfold or tucked away in the bottom of a purse only to be hauled out and used as a piece of notepaper! Or worse yet, as a toothpick. It deserves much better.
    The business card is one of the cheapest forms of advertising we have and because of its low cost, we squander its effectiveness like ashes in the wind.
    This article will give you some great ideas to give your business card an "ooh, wow" factor that will make the recipient remember you.
    The back of your card is a valuable piece of blank space that should be used. Well over 85% of the cards I have collected over the years have nothing on the back. What a waste! Just think, you can double the effectiveness of your card by simply printing a valuable tidbit on the back. Here are some ideas:

1 - your business philosophy
2 - a list (or partial list) of your services
3 - directions to your office or place of business
4 - a reusable coupon
5 - an affirmation or favorite saying
6 - three benefits of doing business with you
7 - your picture or caricature
8 - a short quiz about your business or industry
9 - a mini-notepad with lines to make notes when your client isn't available
10 - a short joke
11 - a recipe
12 - a calendar of events
13 - community emergency telephone numbers
14 - tips on how your products or services can save money or make money
15 - a list of fashion colors that go together
16 - a list of common cooking weights and measures
17 - a sports calendar
18 - your rates
19 - a partial list of your best clients
20 - third party testimonials
21 - a tipping chart
22 - care and cleaning instructions for your products
23 - trivia about your business or industry
24 - your guarantee
25 - five things people should know about your products and services

    Have fun with this and let me know what you come up with. If you do, I'll send you one of my Shirt Pocket Seminar books for your idea.

    Tom Letourneau is a C.P.S. - a Creative Problem Solver. His approach to problem solving and decision making is to look for innovative solutions and have some fun.
    A former banker with more than 25 years of front-line experience in sales, marketing and customer service, he created Customer Development Group to help his clients: increase sales, improve profitability, get more customers. Tom's high-content programs help participants become more successful.
    For more information on how Tom can make your next meeting or conference more exciting, call: (303) 680-7405 or (800) 845-7553.