In today’s short marketing course, I’m surprised how many people don’t use their business card as much more than a place to put their name, address, phone number and email address, when it could also be doing heavier lifting in helping win more customers.

Here are three ways to use your business card that are often overlooked.

First for our short marketing course, right on the front of your business card, let people know your USP – Unique Selling Proposition. Meaning, what makes you different… why someone should buy from you rather than the someone else. If that’s not on your business card, you’re missing a valuable opportunity to let people know why they should buy from you.

I was counseling a business owner this morning for today’s short marketing course. He was telling me that his company is the only one in his industry that offers both Data Collection and the software to manage that data.

It doesn’t matter what it is. But if that’s something valuable to your clients and it’s the primary differentiator, explaining what makes you better than competitors, it needs to go on your website, on your letterhead, in the signature line of your emails, and definitely on your business card.

All of you on today’s short marketing course need to make sure everyone knows why they should buy from you… and your business card is the first place to put it.

Here are two ladies who teach swimming. Look how much they have on their card. Besides the contact information, it says,

Thirty-six years teaching swimming in Smithson Valley!

Red Cross Lifeguard, First Aid Safety, CPR Certified…

then, United States Swim School Association Members and Certified Instructors.

Isn’t that great? Right there on their business card, it spells out why you should use them. And the cute picture of a client enjoying one of their classes doesn’t hurt.

So, does your business card let people know why they should use you?

Second for today’s short marketing course, use the back of your business card to invite people to visit your Website. Your website should be an important component of how you win customers. And using the back of your business card as an actual invitation is an often overlooked simple technique.

Here’s public-speaker marketing coach James Malinchak’s business card. The front explains that he does Live Events, Home Study Courses and Private Coaching Programs. And then, on the back, he has an Invitation to Claim Your Free Gifts by going to his website, BigMoneySpeaker.com.

Do you invite people to your website, right on the back of your business card?

If not, why not?

Lastly for today’s short marketing course, the back of your business card could also be used as a coupon. I’ve seen a Bring-A-Friend, Buy-One-Get-One-Free offer right there on the card.

If coupons are important marketing tools for your business, consider the back of your business cards as a dirt-cheap way to help bring in more customers for your product or business.