How to Make Your Business Card Memorable

The business card is one of a sales professional's most common (and most commonly neglected) sales tools. Ideally, you want a business card that 1) helps reinforce your message and 2) get saved, so that a prospect has it handy, if he happens to want to call you.

Of course, some of you are stuck with corporate business cards that reflect whatever some bureaucrat thought would be appropriate. But a lot of you probably have some latitude in choosing your own designs, and today's printing systems make it possible to create your own card for a small amount of money.

With this in mind, I asked Geoff Eitland, vice president of sales at Staples Print Solutions for some advice to sales professionals (or sale managers for that matter) who want to make certain that their business card is effective as a sales tool. Here's what he said:

• Q: What can make a business card stand out?
• A: Even in the digital age, we're still seeing a strong reliance on printed business cards as a tangible way to make a great first impression. Companies of all sizes are combining eye-catching design with purpose to create business cards that truly stand out. As they look for ways to differentiate their business cards from the pack, we're seeing an increased use of features such as memorable graphics, unusual paper stocks, texture, embossing and more. To give their business cards a personal touch and make them memorable, many of our customers are adding individual photos to their business cards. This trend is especially popular among real estate agents and financial advisers.

• Q: Can you provide some examples of unusual business cards that work well?
• A: We are seeing a greater interest in and reliance on unorthodox business cards as a way to stand out - something that's increasingly important for many companies, especially in this tough economy. To that end, magnetic business cards are among our top sellers - something our customers use to maximize visibility. Pairing creativity with functionality yields highly memorable business cards. Great examples include cards that incorporate or use 3D graphics, CD-ROMs (enabling users to load and share supplementary information) and flash drives. In addition, through paper stock options that range from basic to transparent and even "stretchable," you can find eye-catching ways to differentiate your brand.

• Q: How do I know if I'm going overboard?
• A: It's important to channel creativity to ensure that the design reflects what you do and isn't cost-prohibitive. Don't just go for the "cool factor" - it's important that your card be memorable while still reflective of your company identity and within the bounds of professionalism. For example, graphic artists lean toward more innovative and eye-popping designs. Doctors often adopt multi-purpose business cards that also serve as appointment reminders. For divorce attorneys, it can be beneficial to have a business card that is perforated in the middle, with contact information on both sides, so that both parties can have it.

• Q: Are there any other trends you're seeing among customers?
• A: Paper choice can influence production costs, and we're seeing a trend toward allocating money differently - i.e., compromising on paper grade so that more money can be spent on other ways to stand out (through colors, graphics, unusual designs, etc.).

• Q: What type of information should I be sure to include?
• A: Include basic contact information, including the company name, address, and each individual's full name, title, phone and fax numbers, and email address. With social media playing an increasingly important role across industries, we also recommend including social media information, such as a Twitter handle, when applicable.

• Q: How much color is too much?
• A: Two-color cards are still our most frequent request. Using a four-color process can be more dynamic and enable more designs, but the key is ensuring your card doesn't get too busy and color is used effectively in a way that doesn't detract from professionalism. In general, we urge our customers to think more of a wedding invitation than a tie-dye T-shirt when applying color.

• Q: What other design elements should I consider?
• A: Using thermography to create raised print is a great, cost-effective way to add to the professionalism and elegance of your business cards. In this process, plastic is added to the ink coming off the press and then sent through a heat tunnel. The plastic expands, giving you an engraved look at a very low cost. It's important to balance not only the cost of the material, but also the production costs as well.

• Q: Should I print on the back of my business card too?
• A: The space is there, and people do sometimes use it as a way to provide supplementary and industry-specific information, though this does add to overall costs. We advise that if you print on the back of business cards, try to also leave room to accommodate hand-written notes.

• Q: How can I gauge the right number of business cards to order?
• A: Look at your annual usage, and target business card orders accordingly. Because titles, phone numbers and other data can change, it's often best not to over-order. In general, companies are opting for fewer, but better business cards, allocating money to make them more impactful.

• Q: Do you have any tips for saving money?
• A: Understand what drives production costs, and partner with a print vendor who can help you find simple options to save money. For example, printers get more favorable pricing by buying their core offerings of paper. Moving to a comparable in-house paper can help you save on production costs. Also, if you shift to a high-volume substrate, your print provider can share production efficiencies with you. In some cases, you may need to stay with custom colors because they're important to your identity. In those instances, it's possible to save money by leveraging your volume and having master shells produced with the custom color and then have a one-color variable imprint. To really reduce the variable imprint cost, consider black ink. Printers always have black ink ready to go, and it's a choice that looks good and is easy-to-read.

• Q: Any other recommendations or tips to make my business card - and my company - more memorable?
• A: Above all, make sure your business card is professional looking and easy-to-read. When opting for more unorthodox designs or simply something different than usual, consider testing out your business card with a focus group for feedback.