We often hear that a good impression counts. It is especially important in business contacts. If we want to be perceived as professional and trustworthy, this should be evidenced by our behavior, clothing and also the business cards we use.
A business card, also known as a business ticket, is an integral element of business etiquette. It fulfills several basic functions: it introduces us, provides information on the easiest way to contact us, and can also help us remember our name during a conversation.
Let’s imagine two situations. In the first one, you are at a business meeting, you meet a person who would like to cooperate with you and asks you for a business card. It turns out you don’t have business cards. How will you feel then?
Most often, you start desperately searching for a piece of paper to write down your phone number or email address. However, we will still feel that we have not demonstrated professionalism in this area. Additionally, there will be a fear of losing the piece of paper. It would be much easier to have a stack of your own elegant business cards.
In the second situation, put yourself on the opposite side. At a business meeting, you meet the person you want to cooperate with and now you ask for a business card. You receive a thin, creased and dirty business card ticket. What will you think?
You can say that maybe someone had the last business card, but you may also think that this person is incompetent if they can’t take care of their own image.
Therefore, we should make sure that our business cards are professional, i.e. printed on good quality paper, not smudged, not dirty or creased and, most importantly, that they contain current contact details.
It is also important that business cards are legible and elegant. The more interesting the business cards, the greater the chance that we will be remembered. More on the rules for preparing professional business cards in the next entry.
