When you enter the workforce and start working for a company, especially if you work in sales, you start carrying around business cards.
A business card is both a company's signboard and a tool for introducing yourself.
When exchanging business cards, it is important to take them out of your business card holder and hand them to the other person, rather than keeping them in a diary or notebook.
It is important to choose a high-quality business card holder, but there is no need to suddenly have an expensive or brand-name item.
As a matter of business etiquette, if you choose and use an inappropriate business card holder, it could damage the reputation of the company you are doing business with and lower your own reputation.
That's how important a business card holder is to working adults.
This time, we will introduce what criteria beginners should use when choosing a business card holder, as well as business card holders that are not suitable for business situations.
1.What is a business card holder?
2. Professional Selection! How to Choose a Business Card Holder
3. Useless business card holders
A business card holder is something you use to store your business card cleanly and safely when you enter the workforce and receive it from your employer.
The role of a business card holder is to store business cards neatly and carry them around without getting them dirty, so it is not just about carrying business cards.
Functionality is also important when using the wallet, such as whether it can hold an appropriate number of business cards and whether the cards inside are easy to remove.
I'm sure that many working adults have seen business cards being exchanged in business situations.
At that time, almost everyone would be carrying a business card holder.
Therefore, it has now become common business etiquette to carry your business cards neatly stored in a business card holder.
If you don't carry a business card holder and instead carry your business cards without a holder or store them clipped to something, there is a higher risk that your business cards will get dirty or bent.
Furthermore, if a business partner or someone you are meeting with finds out that you do not have a business card holder, it will immediately lower the opinion of that company or the person you are exchanging business cards with.
Furthermore, exchanging business cards often occurs when two people meet for the first time, which can lead to a very bad first impression.
First impressions are so important that it is no exaggeration to say that the first impression you make on someone can affect your future relationships.
It can be difficult for someone who has just started working to suddenly choose an appropriate business card holder.
This is because there are some things that are considered bad business etiquette, and company rules and regulations dictate what is acceptable to use.
Even if you choose a business card holder that is not offensive to your business partners or the people you will be meeting, if, for example, a new employee suddenly has an expensive brand-name item, they may be seen as insolent, as they will have something that costs more than their seniors or superiors at work.
In this way, even if there is no problem with the business partner or the other party, you may not be well-received by the people at your own company.
If you are a beginner or new to the workforce purchasing a business card holder for the first time, it is best not to buy one in a very flashy color.
In business, it's more important to be able to do your job than to look fashionable.
Therefore, once you have gained some experience in your work, it's a good idea to choose a business card holder in a bright, flashy color that is stylish.
In particular, it is safer for beginners and newcomers to the workforce to choose black.
Salesmen have many opportunities to exchange business cards, as they generally leave their company and visit various client companies or negotiate business with customers at their offices.
There will be rainy days, cold days, and sunny, warm days when you go out making business calls, so you basically need to choose a business card holder that can be used in any business situation and that looks good.
Considering this, there is a risk that the business card holder may become deformed or scratched if it is made of plastic or aluminum.
Therefore, if you want a durable business card holder that can be used in any business situation, one made of leather would be ideal.
If you are a businessperson, you will have many opportunities to exchange business cards at work, but you may also have the opportunity to go to inter-industry networking events or business parties.
Therefore, it is better for your business card holder to have a certain amount of storage capacity.
As a guideline for storing business cards, you'll want a wallet that can hold around 20 to 30 business cards.
Also, for working professionals who frequently exchange business cards, the trick is to choose a business card holder that can store around 50 cards so that you don't lose them.
Even just looking at business card holders, there are many different types and they all vary in functionality.
Exchanging business cards does not just mean handing your business card to a business partner or business negotiator, but also receiving a business card from them.
Therefore, you will need to store your recipient's business cards in a business card holder.
If you put the other person's business card in a holder full of your own business cards, there is a risk that you will mistakenly give it to someone from another business partner later.
But that's not all.
If the other person sees you shoving a business card you receive into a business card holder full of your own, they may think that you are handling their business cards carelessly, which could lead to a very bad impression.
Therefore, when choosing a business card holder, it is important to look for something that is functional, with dividers and ample depth.
New employees do not need to choose an expensive brand name business card holder right away.
As I mentioned earlier, opportunities to exchange business cards often occur when people meet for the first time.
Therefore, if a new entrant in the workforce has an expensive brand name item or a flashy business card holder, they may be seen as presumptuous or may give the wrong impression to others that they are more concerned with their own fashion sense than with being good at their job.
Therefore, I don't recommend buying branded items right from the start, but if you really want to own some, I recommend Paul Smith, as they have many items with simple designs and understated brand logos.
・Business card etiquette is nonsense for young people! Does it apply overseas? Why is Japan so strict?
In particular, it would be better for new business people to focus on producing results at work rather than worrying about their fashion at work.
A company runs on the back of employees' work and the results they produce are rewarded with a salary.
Therefore, we do not recommend carrying a business card holder that may come across as insolent in business situations.
For example, if a salesperson coming to sell a product is carrying a brightly colored business card holder from a luxury brand, the other person may think that he is "arrogant, frivolous, and doesn't take his work seriously," giving a negative impression to the other person.
It's not that having a flashy business card holder is bad, but having a business card holder with a simple design tends to make a better impression when you meet someone for the first time.
When it comes to business card holders, it's best not to choose ones that are too flashy, but on the other hand, ones that look too cheap are also a no-no.
It's best to get something of reasonably good quality and not too cheap.
Also, if your business card holder is dirty, your business cards will get dirty and you will leave a bad impression on others, so always keep your business card holder clean.
Don't just think of a business card holder as a place to store your business cards; you should be careful as some are inappropriate in terms of business etiquette.
Your business card is your face and an important representative of the company you work for, so you need to be careful how you handle your business cards and business card holders.
If you are a beginner or a newcomer to the workforce looking to buy a business card holder, there is no need to jump right in and choose an expensive brand name or one in a flashy color.
In business situations, be careful not to use or buy poor quality business card holders, and become a capable businessman.
