Four Must-Know Points About the Business Card
by Phyllis Davis

1.         People are protective of their email addresses and other contact information. It is considered poor form to ask someone for their card without giving a specific reason for requesting it. After telling someone why you want their card, they may or may not provide it.

2.         It is awkward to ask someone for a business card and then watch them “pat down” a shirt, back pocket, or purse and say, “I don’t have one with me.” They may have one, but they do not want you to have it. Therefore, it is far better to tell someone your reason for wanting a card before asking for it. They may still refuse you the card, but it is less awkward, and you will know why. For example, if you explain you’d like to call them about your product, they may tell you, “I’m not the person to contact. I suggest you call Joe Smith in our purchasing department.”

3.         The hierarchy for initiating a handshake with a senior executive is, “A senior executive always initiates a handshake.” The exact hierarchy exists for the business card; do not ask a senior executive for a business card. Senior executives who want you to have their card will generally have a specific reason for giving it to you unless you “make your case” and establish a sufficient reason for them to ask you for your card.

4.         Your card is personal; avoid passing it out randomly or forcing it on anyone who does not want it.

Phyllis Davis, Author of Navigating Virtue: Ethics and Etiquette in the American Business Landscape©. book launches May 2024. Phyllis is also the Founder and Director of the American Business Ethics and Etiquette Trainers Association (ABEETA), which certifies Ethics and Etiquette Experts in American Business.

For questions, please contact me: 804-467-3752 EDT or pdavis@ethics-etiquette.com