“Little things don’t mean a lot. Little things mean everything.”

That’s according to Harvey Mackay, author of Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in The Door, who knows a thing or two about success.

Watch this one-minute video interview of Harvey explaining his “space age” aluminum business card and why it was so effective after he started using it circa 1970.

Would an aluminum business card cause a stir today? Maybe. Maybe not. I certainly think it’s smart.

But, although smart tactics may change, smart strategies don’t.

A tactic is something you do or use to achieve a goal. Tactics include applying for advertised jobs, networking, and business cards (aluminum or otherwise).

A strategy is your plan for achieving a goal. Your strategy could be as simple as this: Identify 10 target employers, meet with hiring managers at each, and convince at least one to offer you a job.

Let your strategy determine the tactics you use.

Would emailing your resume to 500 employers be a good tactic for meeting with your 10 most-wanted hiring managers? Probably not.

Would asking your network for a connection to someone who may know your 10 most-wanted hiring managers be an effective tactic? Probably yes.

Back to Mackay’s Moral, which is this: Little things don’t mean a lot. Little things mean everything.

If you were to put as much thought and effort into designing a “little” business card as you do, say, in planning a vacation, do you think you might get better results in your job search?

Of course you would. So what’s stopping you?

Google the phrase “most creative business cards” and get busy. Wait. I did it for you — click here.

If little things — like business cards — mean everything in your job search, make sure that yours stands out.