I've never been a big fan of business cards and in Part 1 of this series of articles I outlined why most massage therapist business cards simply were not a useful marketing tool. But I had a change of heart and in Part 2 of this series, you found out how to add a direct response element to your card to get people calling you for appointments.

Now there is one further very important element that every massage therapist business card should have. It doesn't seem like a big thing, but studies have shown that people will hang onto your business card longer and are more likely to respond...

...if you upscale your image by having them printed in full color on glossy stock.

Use full color business cards. Test after test has shown them to be worth much, much more than the extra expense to print them.

It's true that glossy full color business cards are a little more expensive than a regular card printed on ordinary paper, but the cost is inconsequential. Does it really matter if the cost goes up three or four cents per card? That's hardly going to break your bank account.

They are valuable for a number of reasons. First and foremost, they give you an almost instant boost in credibility. They do this by upscaling your business in your prospect's eyes. Let's face it - they look more professional; they look higher class.

This is particularly important in an industry like massage where we are selling an intangible service. Potential customers can kick the tires when they're checking out a new car, but they can't kick you. They have nothing to judge you on but the visual image that you present. So the materials that represent you must be of the highest quality to represent the quality of your service.

Another benefit is that people hold on to glossy full color business cards much longer on average than black and white ones - ten times as long according to one survey. I guess because they look more expensive, people are just hesitant to throw them out.

So if you're a massage therapist, business cards you create should always be full color, glossy ones and should always have a direct response element to them.