Business etiquette: business cards

A business card is a traditional carriercontact information about a person or organization. The business card shows the owner's name, company name and contact details, such as phone number, postal and / or e-mail address, and more recently also the address of a personal or corporate website.

Business cards can be divided into personal, corporate and business cards. Personal business cards are used mainly in a friendly,informal communication, as well as popular among freelancers. Such business cards usually contain only the name, surname and phone number of the owner. Form personal business cards in any style.

Corporate business cards contain information about the company, but do not contain anynames, no names. Such business cards are usually used at exhibitions, conferences. Corporate business cards are made in the corporate style of the company.

Business card - the most "strict". It is used at official meetings, at negotiations, is given to future clients for familiarization. On such business cards are required the name, surname and title of the owner, the name of the company and the type of its activities. The business card is also issued in accordance with the corporate style of the company, but does not allow for various "excesses" in the design.

A number of requirements are imposed on a business card:

• card sizes: 5x9 cm (standard format in Russia and CIS countries);


• paper: thin white matte cardboard;


• font: black, clear, legible;


• full name and surname, company name without abbreviations;


• the title of the position and the type of activity;


• address of the company and contact numbers;


• The company logo or logo is optional.

Business cards are made not onlyin their native language, but also in the language of the business partner to whom the business card will be awarded. It is advisable to make separate "foreign" business cards, but in some cases it is possible to place information in a foreign language on the reverse side of the business card.

Business etiquette prescribes a special "ceremonial" for exchange business cards. So, a business card can not be imposed - it should behand in when there was an interest in continuing acquaintance. Also, you should give a business card in return, even if the subsequent contacts are undesirable. In this case, you can use a special representative business card. There is no phone number or address on this card.

Exchange business cards should be in accordance with thea seniority in etiquette. Those. in the first place, the business card is given to the senior in the rank, and if the ranks are equal, age or gender is taken into account.

Handing a business card, it is necessary to turn it "face" torecipient so that he can immediately read the information. If the business card is given to partners from Asia, then it is served with two hands, with a bow. Representatives of the Near East need to give a business card only with their right hand, because according to local custom the left hand is considered "unclean".

Business card can not be handed, taking it out of pockets of pants, chest or inner pocket of a jacket. You can not give a business card during a feast, except for a business dinner or lunch in a restaurant.

When you give a business card to a foreigner you can clearly and slowly enter your name so that the recipient knows how to correctly pronounce the name and surname of the business card holder.

When making business visits, the business card is first handed over by the owners, and not by the visitors.

Get a business card you must also be able to correctly. The recipient should carefully, but not for long, review the card and pronounce aloud the name and surname of the presenter. Usually use polite phrases, such as: "Thank you, [name last name]" or "Very nice, [name last name]", "I am glad to meet you, [name last name]", etc.

Of course, many of these rules are consideredoptional at the "household" level and are usually omitted. But at official receptions, in the circle of high-ranking people, ignorance of the elementary rules of business etiquette can show the company in a disadvantageous light.