Call Me Card

Hello to you, you and you,

As maitre d'affaires at my event management business, I had the pleasure of working on a seminar recently for a new client and I found inspiration to write this piece just from sitting at the registration desk. 

CALL ME CARD, is just meant to draw our attention to a few business etiquette rules about the very popular "status symbol", the call card or business card if you will. 

At this function, under review, I noticed that only 20%(or less) of our high end corporate people turned up at the seminar with their call cards. About 5% had either ran out of them or had designation changes that had to be indicated on new cards.

Very unfortunately, the remaining 75% either left them in their cars and were too tired to go back, or ACTUALLY said to us "I DON"T CARRY THEM AROUND" Of course the curious frequency of this sent me thinking about call card etiquette. 

Like most things now a days (sounding old and matronly right?) the culture and appropriate use of the calling card has moved into docks. So here I go again with a few notes of loving reminders

1. Ideally for every time you sit with/ meet a new set of people, especially in a business environment, business cards should be exchanged right after pleasantries.

2. For you gentlemen, the inside breast pocket of your jacket (which every one of the 75% of my guests were wearing)  or the breast pocket of your shirt, is functionally for carrying your cards and handkerchiefs. 

3. Not carrying or refusing to give out your call cards at a meeting  of new people, basically implies, I DO NOT WANT TO SEE OR BE CONTACTED BY YOU AGAIN! 

4. Always remember to have enough cards to give to everyone sitting at your table at least. Leaving out any new person in a group could also mean " I DON'T MIND THEM CALLING ME, BUT I DO YOU"

That said, dear sirs, next time you step up to my registration desk or any other, please  please be sure to have a card. For want of any benefits to count, you can be sure that it will at least make the event managers life easier. No need to employ that extra usherette to write your names and go through the embarrassing task of asking a few too many people to spell their names.

You can be sure as always that was written with more than a little of my all my love

YSO