My opinion (and what I’ve seen work successfully) is that in addition to your contact info, you should also list something about your current or desired industry/position. If you have any exclusive certifications, those also should be added.

I’ve also advised my clients that if they have room, include a sentence or two from a testimonial or recommendation. For example, one of my clients had a supervisor write in her recommendation letter: “If I were starting a company today, Jane is the first person I would bring with me.” We added that to her business card and she reports that everyone asks or comments about it, making her extremely memorable.

I recommend leaving the back of the card blank, for notes. Try this: during the conversation, write a note on the back of your OWN business card before handing it to the other person. Even writing “We met at the Tuesday BNC networking event” in your own handwriting will spark their memory days later.