Business Card Etiquette…The Rules

There are rules to everything…thats right, even handling business cards. Have you ever been at a networking event and exchanged business cards with people you’ve met. Well there is a right and a wrong way to do it. Here’s a few ‘rules’ of the b-card game….

General Business Card Etiquette

• Place the card you receive in a planner, notebook or business card case. Never place the card in a wallet that will be put in your back pocket. Doing so shows disrespect and an all around lack of organization on your part.
• Business cards are an internationally accepted means of presenting personal contact details, so ensure you use trusted business card printers, and have an abundant supply always on hand.
• Demonstrating good corporate etiquette is merely a means of presenting yourself as well as possible. Using professional business card printers helps you look your best.
• Make sure they are clean and crisp with no frayed edges or pen marks. The best method of keeping your cards in neat form is a business card case. With designs ranging from techie to artsy to formal, you are bound to find one that fits your style and personality.
• Business cards are normally exchanged at the beginning or end of a meeting.
• Good business etiquette requires you offer the card so that the business card content is face up and towards the recipient.
• When you first meet someone, it’s ok to request a business card from them. However, If the person is of a higher position than yourself, you should wait for them to offer their card to you first. Remember if they want you to have a card, they will give you one!
• Make a point of studying any business card you receive, commenting on it and clarifying information before putting it away.
• It doesn’t take a large convention to bring customers and business owners together. Informal meetings are one of the best times to network and exchange business cards. If the person you are speaking with seems interested in your product or service you represent, offer that person a business card.
• Only give one business card to your new contact. Leaving two or three may give the signal that you want them to make contacts for you which is tacky and unprofessional. Unless a prior agreement is made to exchange more than one card, keep the focus on person-to-person contact.
• During a meeting, place the business cards on the table in front of you in the order people are seated.

**info is taken from various sources online and interviews.

In The Meantime, Between Time…Client Contact

Phones. Email. Letters… Smoke Signals.

What happens, in business, once the requested quote is sent, the initial contract is signed, and the work is initiated? Today, a common mistake I have noticed in small businesses is that once the ball is rolling on the money flow, or the task list, the business doesn’t make it a priority to keep the client abreast of the status of the work being done. Even worst, clients have to contact the business regarding services that they are paying, or have paid, for.

A big part of building and running a professional business is appearance, whether that’s the physical appearance of your business, how your business appears in the eyes of the consumer, and in this case, keeping an appearance in front of your client at all times. No one wants to throw their money at your promise and be left uninformed of the status of your fulfillment.

As business owners, create a schedule, or incorporate it into your current project schedule for each client, to make regular contact with the key person you are working with. Set a specific time, day, and communication means (email, phone call, etc.) that you will spend time relationship-building (because that’s truly what it is) by providing a status update to your client. This gives your client the ease of knowing when to expect to hear from you without having to play the guessing game about whether you are working on their project or not. Like any other relationship, no one wants to get a call or email only when there is a problem or money requested.

In business, there are many things available to us to “worry about”. As vendors of services and products, let’s not make it harder on our clients by adding to that list.

Pick up the phone.

Send that email.

Keep in touch.

Your business reputation with this client and the one he or she will or will not refer to you depends on it.

In Your Business,
The Studio Diva