Business card presentaion
 

I recently spent a weekend looking for a used car. I went to about 15 stealerships and used car lots and ended up with a pile of cards. But one salesman stands out in my memory strictly because of his business card presentation. Most salesmen/women just handed me thier cards without much attention to how they did it but one guy "presented" his card to me. He handed it to me held by both hands with his index fingers and thumbs touching the card just enough to hold the card. He held it out squarely in front of himself with the face showing so that when I took it from him I could not miss seing his name. It was done with some thought to what he was doing which made it stand out from all the rest. I got thinking on my way home in the car I didn't buy from him (he didn't have what I wanted) that I'm going to "present" my cards from now on.

How do you distribute your cards when you meet someone?

Hmm, I never really presented my cards to anyone. At work, I usually have a pile that people takes from when they come to see me. There were maybe 4 or 5 times where I actually placed them in another person's hands but that was a while ago and not much thoughts were put into it. Plus, I'm a pharmacist, I don't need to have a fancy way to present my business cards. :-p For a sales person, their job depends on their appeal and their presentation. They need to make an impression, so taking the time out to stand out while handing someone a card would have to be close to perfection. Hmm, I shall pay more attention from now on, I never really noticed the ways people would present their cards. :-)

Asian culture has lots of this type of action which I learned when living in Singapore.

one presnets the card, the receiver should also no just tuck it away but pause and read it at that moment.

I always hand my card to someone casually in casual atmospheres, but when I'm in business mode... it's always presented, and anyone who hands me one, I pause and read it right then and there. Sometimes, I'll even comment on the card itself from job title, card stock, color, font, etc.

Yes, was the guy asian?

I think the very fact that you're pointing it out to us highlights something we can all learn from if we want to be more successful at presenting ourselves and getting people to receive us.

He wasn't asian. I'm pretty bad with determining where someone's ansestral origins are from thier appearance. I'd say he was from Canada but his parents came from the middle east or Africa or Europe.... (fuct if I know).

I have noticed Japanese present thier cards often with a little bow when both presenting and recieving. I spent a couple months in China working and never noticed much ceremony in the presentation of cards. I did howver notice a voracious appetite for foriegn business cards. I took a box of 200 on a cowerkers suggestion and arrived home with one, the one in my luggage tag.

I also heard about that Asian presenting thing. I guess I even saw a picture of how it follows some rules. I like it and as you said, this dealer stood out from the masses.

I present mine ninja star style aimed at the forehead, trust me my card is one they remember

I just found this article:

and

I deal with Asians all the time... and can attest to Cynthetiq's notes above.

My Japanese clients almost as a rule are very formal with their cards, as are many of my Chinese clients.

NEVER take a card and put it in your wallet and then put your wallet back in your pants pocket. The best place to put it in a case in your inside jacket pocket (next to your heart) or in your portfolio... and don't write on the card or staple it to something... (until they are out of sight anyway).

I had never read that it is good from to put the card on the table in order of the way people sit... I just do this because I am bad with names and it allows me to reference their names as the meeting progresses.

Damn. Who knew? Mine just sit in a little holder, on my desk. People, prospective vendors mostly, just take them as they need/want them. No ceremony involved.

How is pharmacy as a career? is it interesting/lucrative? are you your own business person?

I do that too for the same reason.

I usually shout over the sound of machinery, "HERE'S MY CARD" as I pull out my card-case. This inspires everybody to dig into their pockets and produce cards of their own. I put their cards into my case. They put my card wherever. Usually at least one card has oil and/or ink on it, so my card case keeps the mess contained.