Business Card Etiquette

I truly believe that there are etiquette rules to be followed when one passes out their business card. After all, the point of this exchange is to provoke action on the prospect's part. If I had out my card in an obnoxious manner, who's going to call me?

Unfortunately, I think today I was borderline obnoxious. Who knows if this will generate any business for me. But, I thought to myself, I'll regret it more if I don't speak up about what I do than if I say something. So, here's the story. I was at this cute little gift shop in downtown Hudson. It's very kitschy and retro and they're such a unique store. I love it. I was grabbing a few early Christmas gifts and saw their logo on the window and thought, "That's not bad. I wonder who does their design work."

Of course, the wheels won't stop turning. I'm then thinking, do they have good looking business cards? Who's doing their website? Do they even have a website? I grab my final items and go to the register to pay. The woman at the till seemed to have a little more authority than your average worker. So I asked, "Do you guys have a website? You know, so that people out of town can order your items online?" She says, "No, but it's a great idea. It's something we've wanted to do for a while but just haven't gotten around to. I have a friend who does websites though. Maybe after the holiday rush slows down."

I wasn't sure how to proceed. She said she has a friend who can build one. But what if her friend won't want to? Hmmm... My mind is reeling as I pay for my items, not knowing whether to throw her my card or not. Finally, I thought, go for it. "You know what?" I said. "I'm just going to give this to you. You can toss it if you're not interested, but I actually do websites. Give me a call if you want to move forward. Again, feel free to throw it out if you're not into it though." I said it. She looked at me and goes, "Hey, thanks!" Hmmm...

I'm usually a pretty good analyst when it comes to reading these types of reactions, but not this time. Bummer. I paid for my items, she was nice, and of course, I continued to try to stay light hearted. After something like that it's hard to keep the conversation at a light tone. I just solicited, didn't I?

So, that's about as obnoxious as I get... I think. If you want to make a good impression, the tone you create while handing out your card is so important. I think the way you give it to someone, not just them having it in the first place, is what could make or break the deal. We'll see what happens.