This article focuses on the last principle of the advertising concept AIDA. A=Attention. I=Interest. D=Desire. And the last A=Action! Basically, every ad you put out there should get your customer's Attention, cause her to have an Interest in your offering, and create a Desire to act upon your message. Ironically, many advertisers leave off the most important step in this acronym: ACTION. They forget to do the simple thing and just ASK their potential customer to do something.

So what do you want your potential customers to do? Your Business Cards should ask for some type of response just like any other ad you place.

Think carefully. It's best not to confuse people. Just ask for one thing at a time. You can follow up with other offers later!

Here are six sample action requests you might add to your business cards:

1. Visit our website at www.wearegreat.com! (See the demand for an action? It's more than just a listing of your website.)

2. Call us toll free at 1-800-BUY-STUF! (Say "call us" instead of just listing your phone number.)

3. Get a free catalog when you visit our shop! (This tells them to visit the store. It also gives them a reason to do so.)

4. Email me for free information! (Asks the recipient to email. Gives her an incentive for doing so.)

5. Buy Weight Loss Widgets at www.weightlosswidgets.com today! (Again, asks the reader to buy the product by visiting the website.)

6. Keep this magnet card on your fridge for easy ordering! (They most likely will put the card on the fridge, which is exactly where you want it!)

Sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how often there is no clear action requested of the person who gets your business card. Ironically, these little requests seem to act as subliminal messages. People are more likely to respond if there is an action request in your business card!

Remember, just one. Not two or three. Let's just get the customer in the front door so to speak, and then follow up with other requests later.