Business cards in Japan or as we say in Japanese, めいし are not as simple as just handing it over and placing it in your pocket. I made this mistake when I first arrived here and believe me, I didn’t make the same mistakes again. It lost me a job I went for. Honestly, I was rejected because of my business card manner.
So here are some business card (めいし) manners
- You should bow at a 45-degree angle.
- When handing your card over, make sure you use both hands with the text facing the other person.
- Offer your card with your right hand and take their card with your left hand.
- Your feet should be together with your toes facing opposite angles.
- If your counterpart is a higher position than you, you should hold your card lower than him before handing over.
- If you are not at a meeting, you should hold the card on top of your card holder or wallet and not just place it inside straight away.
· Have a nice, clean card holder
· You should take time to read it
· If at a meeting you should leave it on the table next to you but be aware to put it away just before the meeting ends.
Here are some things NOT TO DO
- Never write on a business card someone just gave you
- Do not play around with a business card
- Do not put it in your pocket
- Using the card as a fan
- No matter what you do, do not ever use the card as origami
- NEVER leave the other persons card behind
This may seem easy, but in practise it is not. Try it at home with a friend or partner. Believe me I wish I knew these things when I first arrived! I hope you enjoyed this part 2 on Japanese manners