Tips- Business cards and etiquette

I have been into reading articles about social graces and etiquette, industry and trade ventures and social gatherings, though I am mostly not into social functions lately. I came across with an article about executive cocktail parties and some sort of corporate gatherings and I had the thought of how important a business card is to that certain community. I remembered an article about a feng shui expert discussing how to make a calling card work in our advantage so I decided to share some of it hence if we get to try them, I guess we have nothing to loose.
Although just a small piece of paper, a business card can be a powerful marketing and communication tool. If it is properly designed according to the principles of feng shui, you can obtain positive energies from it.

Shape
A rectangular card may look old-fashioned and ordinary but this shape is the most ideal because the rectangle, specifically the horizontal one indicates strength and stability. Avoid using odd shaped like triangles and diamonds.

Colors
Keeping it neat and simple already makes your card auspicious. An off-white background with black type not only looks elegant, it also projects an aura of luck. You may also have the black portion of the card printed with bright colors that appeal to you. This indirectly provides solid support to your company or career.

Layout
Ideally, your name should be at the center of your card, and nothing else would be directly above it including the company or business logo. Otherwise whatever is placed above your name will symbolically weigh you down and hamper your success.

Your title or position and the company name, address, and other information should be neatly positioned under your name to provide you with a strong foundation and support.

If there is a need for you to include a list of products or services you offer, print them at the back or inside if the card is folded.

Folds
Accordion folds in calling cards are not advisable. Neither is double door- like flaps that open in the middle. Accordion folds seem to convey that you and your career or business are in a tight squeeze or will eventually have to fold up. By virtue of the way the twin flaps are opened, which is towards the client or reader, that type of fold implies that prospective clients are being pushed away.

Logos
Logos and insignias must be enclosed only by round, square; diamond shaped or pyramid shaped borders. Do not use inverted triangular, irregular and double lined borders. The first two suggest instability and irregularity; the latter, lack of dynamism.

Font
In choosing font or type of lettering for your name, go for the longhand or printed block types. A font that is upright or leaning slightly to the right speaks of progress and continuous movement towards good fortune in the near future. An upward tail-like stroke at the end of the letter of your name implies success in the future.The font size of your name on the business card must be bigger that that of your title or position, but a bit smaller that your company or business name. This creates visual balance and adheres to the correct hierarchy in the universe.


Storage
Cards should be kept in a holder inside your wallet, separate from your money and your bills. If the cards are stored in one of those handy cards cases, keep the case in an easily accessible pocket or compartment of your bag. Carry a few more cards than you need. It is better to have extras than to have none at all when a great opportunity presents itself. The ideal numbers of cards you may have with you are nine(9), ten(10), fourteen(14), seventeen(17), and twenty one(21).

Presenting
With two hands, offer your card front side up and upright, facing the client. Your left hand should have a firmer hold on the card than your right hand to transfer positive energy from your pulse to the card and then to the receiver, thus ensuring a positive transaction or communication.

Finally, carrying your business cards with pride and honor generates positive chi. Therefore, be happy and confident every time you give it away.
------------
• I have learned that an internationally accepted way of presenting your calling card is by handing it facing upward with your name facing the recipient.

• When receiving a calling card, you must read it and must not keep the card immediately upon receiving it or upon reading it.

• For as long as you are in conversation with the person who gave it, the card should remain visible, face up and only kept once the conversation has ended.

• Always keep your calling cards in a card case. This saves you the ineptness of having to pull your wallet and find your card amidst your money and other papers.