It's in the Cards!: Getting the Biggest Impact from Your Smallest Ad

All that money you spend on advertising: does it work? Of course it does. But what form of advertising is the most effective of all? Television? Radio? Newspapers? Billboards?

To answer the question about your advertising, consider this: Which of the advertisements you use, when seen by one person, is most likely to result in business? The answer may surprise you, because it's one of your least expensive and smallest ads, dozens of which will fit easily into your pocket or purse: your business card.

When you hand someone your business card, you're setting in motion a chain of contacts that can become a new branch of your network. That's why you want your card to be attention-getting, pleasing, informative, and memorable - so people will look at it, comment on it, pass it around, and keep it handy. And the next time someone needs your products or services, they'll remember you.

Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D. is the founder and CEO of BNI (Business Network Int'l.), the largest business networking organization in the world. Called the "Networking Guru" by Entrepreneur magazine, Dr. Misner is a keynote speaker for major corporations and associations throughout the world and is on the business administration faculty at Cal Poly University in Pomona, CA. He has written six books, including "The World's Best Known Marketing Secret" and the New York Times bestseller "Masters of Networking".

Candace Bailly has been an executive director of BNI for the Oregon and Southwest Washington regions and regional director for the San Diego region. She was a contributing author for "Masters of Networking". A former naval intelligence analyst, she has also written articles for naval intelligence publications.

Dan Georgevich has been an executive director of BNI since the mid-'90s, mostly in Michigan. In this role, Dan supports more than 100 BNI chapters, helping business professionals increase their sales. He has spoken to audiences worldwide about the art of building a business by referral.