Business Card - Please critique

[Justin Silverio]

Please let me know what you think of my business card. I know a lot of investors have 2 cards - 1 professional and 1 we buy homes. I thought I would try to use this card as dual purpose. Please let me know what you think.

By the way, my main investment strategy is rehabbing.

Here's the Front and Back of the card
http://www.biggerpockets.com/photos/show/183206
http://www.biggerpockets.com/photos/show/183205

[Michael Quarles]

Business cards should at all times reinforce what you do. They are great advertising tools if used right. If there is such a thing as an instant second impression it would be at the time you hand a prospect your business card. I’ve seen everything from perforated edge self-made cards to tricky cards to crossed out rewritten cards.

Dont get all caught up with what logo or font looks good or any of that crap. Most of us aren’t graphic designers and we can really screw up a great intention by trying to design our own.
When I use to get on stage I would ask someone to come up from the audience who had a business card. I would blind fold them ask them to hold out both of their hands and in each I would place my card and their card and then ask them to pick the card they would call. 100 percent of the time they picked my card.

Business card performance isn’t rocket science however there are a few things to keep in mind.

Do

1) Make the card 1 to 2 weighs heavier than normal
2) Gloss on front mat on the back
3) Print what you do big
4) Drop all titles and logos
5) Keep them simple and easy to read
6) Red and Yellow on front red on back
7) Pass them out to everyone. When you get to an empty box you should have signed a contract.

Don’t

1) Print on the back
2) Fold
3) Create oversized business cards that don’t fit into a wallet
4) Don’t have “Something Investor” or “Your Realty” printed on them. The name of your business isn’t what is important.
5) Leave them in the box.
Also be ready to talk the talk. Learn your elevator speech. Read your local newspaper for all of the real estate propaganda. Its Top of Mind to active sellers and youll need to know what theyre thinking and reading.
This card is your advertising card and its creation should be for that purpose.

Here is a copy of what I have used with a ton of success.

There are all kinds of things going on within this card and some are more obvious than others and frankly it isn’t the most professional card I have seen however it works great.

Little things like as seen on TV builds instant credibility, the colors Red and/or Yellow are used by several of the top mega businesses who promote the Theme “SAVE”. Not to mention two of the country’s largest discount real estate firms use them as their colors.

Using “I Buy Houses” or “We Buy Houses” plainly tells the consumer what you do so they don’t have to try and think about it.

Too many times we call our business name something which can define a real estate brokerage or lending company and its difficult for the seller to differentiate.

I no longer use and 800 number however if you do only use an 800 number if it is easy to remember otherwise a local number trumps. If you do use an 800 number also buy the local number. The key phrases should be kept short and pointed.

This photo shows the value of color.
Sorry for the long post