Your Trusty Business Card
The business card of today
- Invites a new business acquaintance to get in touch with you
- Defines your position and responsibilities (e.g., Vice-President, Sales)
- Provides a number of ways to reach you: mailing address, business telephone, cell phone, email address, and sometimes your assistant's telephone number
How to hand out business cards, and to whom?
- If you're reasonably sure you'll be dealing with someone in the future, offer your card and ask for one in return. Probably the one exception is when you encounter a top executive who clearly outranks you; if a senior person wants your card, she will ask for it, or she will give you her card if she wants you to have it.
- When given a card, don't just snatch it and jam it into your pocket. Take a moment to look at it, perhaps complimenting its design. Then slip it into your wallet, card case, or date book.
- When giving cards to more than one person, offer each person a card rather than presenting a fistful.
- Offering your card privately to someone at a social event is perfectly fine—but hold off on detailed business talk until another day. Don't pop out your card in the middle of a dinner that has nothing to do with business; if you want to present your card, wait until you've left the table and are saying your good-byes.