Business Card Etiquette Tips

Business cards are an inexpensive, yet valuable way to introduce yourself and your business. Here are a few etiquette tips to keep in mind the next time you exchange business cards:

Be prepared by having business cards on you at all times, including weekends.

Never distribute tattered business cards that show wear from being stuffed in your wallet. Instead, use a hard business card case to keep your cards clean and crisp.

Offer your card during informal conversations if the person you're talking to expresses interest in your products or services.

Distribute only one card to each new contact (unless more are requested), rather than expecting them to distribute your cards for you.

Exchange cards at the beginning of meetings to have the names and titles/rank of everyone involved readily available.

Show respect when receiving a business card by briefly looking it over (front and back) and placing it in a portfolio, notebook, or card case. Never fold or crumple the card, and don't stuff it in your pocket or bag within eyesight of the card giver. Reading over or commenting on the card right away may also help you build a better association between the new contact's name and face for future reference.

Be aware that foreign countries have different business card customs. If doing business in a country that speaks another language, consider translating one side of your card into their language.

Let us know if we can help you print customized business cards that will make a lasting impression with every exchange.

Comments

5 Print Marketing Pieces that will Woo Your Corporate Clients

Some of the most effective ways of communicating value don’t require looking up a website or downloading a mobile device teaser program. In fact, non-digital marketing activities win over corporate clients regularly without ever needing to be plugged in. Here are five of them. 1. Business Cards Yes, those traditional business cards are still winners. Business cards provide critical contact information and enough detail on how to connect with an organization quickly. Whether by email, text, phone, or mail, the info on a business card is powerful. People love business cards because they are easy to transfer, pack, save, and reference. In the corporate world, business cards still resonate. 2. Letterheads and Stationary In a day and age when so much communication happens by email and texting, the traditional letter stands out, even in a mail pile full of folders and generic material. Best used when conveying a personal connection, professional letterhead is loved by co...

Share Your Brand Story to Create Distinct, Authentic Connections

In a noisy marketplace, businesses must work smarter to grab prospects and lock in loyalty. But the desire for relationship is mutual. According to Cheetah Mobile marketing director Josh Ong, customers don’t just want to buy, they want to buy into something: “Millennials are more likely than any other demographic to be brand loyal. But millennials don’t choose which brand to be loyal to at random, instead, they are highly attuned to the story that a brand tells, as well as the values that brand exhibits.” No one can resist a good story! Need proof? Here’s a fun brand story from eyewear retailer Warby Parker : Warby was founded as a rebellious upstart to tackle the problem of expensive eyewear because of a frustrating personal experience. During a backpacking trip, one of Warby’s founders lost his glasses. Since he was a broke grad student, he couldn’t afford to replace them, and he spent the rest of the semester squinting. By circumven...

Shout Your Brand Identity with Strategic, Clever Imagery

If a picture paints a thousand words, then brand imagery is one of the most dynamic means for communicating with your customers. From stained-glass church windows to the world-renowned Nike swoosh, images add immediacy, power, and clarity to your ideas, with a transformative effect on a brand’s overall impact. Colors and graphic metaphors have surprising staying power, so it’s important to consider every element you include in your brand imagery. Brand Identity vs. Brand Imagery So, what is the difference between brand identity and brand imagery? Brand identity is the image or character of your business as people relate to it. For example, the BMW image of elite luxury has grown naturally from customers’ repeated exposure to BMW’s ads, endorsements, and products. Brand imagery is the aesthetic appearance of your brand’s core identity and messaging. This is a result of all the visuals that represent your brand’s identity. These visuals may in...

Inside the Envelope

Search This Blog