Here are my thoughts on getting a business card that works.
There are two things I think are vital for a business card.
First, have your personal photo on it, a current, awesome photo. People get so many cards and they really won’t remember who it is from, but if there is a photo of you, they can say, “Oh, yes, it is that person.” It helps more than you think.
Second, use the back of the card (which is usually blank) not to set up an appointment, but to give them a pink spoon. Give them some free offer. Mine basically is like, “Hey, are you a conscientious entrepreneur who is struggling to get enough clients? Well, go to my Web site and there is a ton of free stuff.” At the bottom, there is a line with my website, MarketingForHippies.com/free. Use the card as a way to direct them to some pink spoons, nothing too heavy, and they can check you out at their own pace.
Can the pink spoon be a small discount of your service? It can, but I think that is less pink spoonish. Ideally, it is something online: audio, video, written, a quiz and/or e-mail series. It is something from which they can check you out from a distance without having to book anything. No risk for them and no effort for you. That’s ideal.
It depends on the vibe. You might have a great vibe and just decide to go for the next level. I don’t know; a small discount on a service, to me, does not give me a taste. It is not a pink spoon at that point. It is just a discount.
For more brilliant thoughts on what to put on your business card (and networking in general) go read these thoughts from my colleague Bill Baren.