I sat down at a networking event and found a business card lying on my place setting.  As I looked down the table, I realized this same card was resting on every place setting.  No handshake.  No introduction, no opportunity to converse.  Just the card.   As I bent the card in half in preparation of throwing it away, I realized how much of an impression your business card and your card etiquette can make in 2010.

Your business card should be part of you.  You should really be fond of your card.  You should enjoy the design, the look and the feel of it.  You should be proud of your card.  It is representing you when you are not present.

We toss around our business cards without much thought.  We zip them across the table, pile them on information counters and fold them in our wallets.  We take pride in our reputation, our integrity, and our professionalism, but the item that we have selected to represent us is treated quite poorly. 

During a visit to China, I was surprised and interested to find that the business professionals feel that their business card is a piece of them.  It is an honor to receive a card and a formal interaction to exchange cards.  When business cards are presented, the owner of the card holds the card out with both hands, with the card facing the recipient.  The card owner bows and waits for the receiver to look at the card and then look at the owners face.  This action imprints the memory of the card with the card owner.  Chinese professionals respect the significance of the card. 

When you cannot be at hand, does your card represent you well?