Learn about the importance of business cards in the Japanese business world
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Intro |
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| Becky: Hello, and welcome to JapanesePod101.com. This is Introduction to Business Culture, Lesson 3, Business Cards. In this lesson, we’ll teach you about the use of business cards in Japan. I’m Becky. |
| Risa: ...and I’m Risa. |
| Becky: Business cards are indispensable in Japan. You’ll see them everywhere. Risa, what are they called in Japanese? |
| Risa: 名刺 (meishi). |
| Becky: Business starts only after exchanging cards with your partners. “Exchanging business cards” in Japanese is... |
| Risa: 名刺交換 (meishi kōkan). |
| Summary |
| Becky: Let's learn the meaning of business cards in Japanese business culture and also learn how to exchange these cards. |
Lesson focus |
| Becky: Japanese businessmen exchange cards when they meet for the first time. |
| Risa: We do this at the start of the meeting. |
| Becky: By exchanging business cards with your business partners or clients, you can learn about their personality based on the way they exchange their cards. |
| Risa: Business cards are very important. |
| Becky: Yeah, they’re so important that they can be seen as being a representation of the actual person. |
| Becky: Let’s see how to behave while exchanging business cards. Who has to give out their business card first? |
| Risa: The one who made the appointment. |
| Becky: So, it’s the one who wants to make a business transaction. What do we do if there are multiple people in the meeting? Who do we give our card to first? |
| Risa: Start with the person with the highest job title. |
| Becky: That’s true when giving business cards, too. The person with the highest position should give their business card first. So, if you’re with colleagues, the highest ranked person should go first. |
| Risa: There are also other rules. |
| Becky: For example, you carry business cards in a card holder. |
| Risa: Don’t put them in your pocket or in your wallet. |
| Becky: Please think of them as being important and as a representation of the person who gave you the card. So, it’s important to use a “business card holder,” which in Japanese is called... |
| Risa: 名刺入れ (meishi ire) |
| Becky: When you give your business card, hold the business card with both hands. |
| Risa: Also, hand out the business card to your partner, so that they can read it, too. |
| Becky: When you hold it out, introduce yourself and bow while handing them your card. |
| Becky: Now, let’s see what to do when you receive a business card. |
| Risa: When you receive a business card, take it with both hands. |
| Becky: Your line of sight should be pointing at the business card. Make it obvious that you’re looking at the card. What should you do with a card once you have it? |
| Risa: Put it on the table. |
| Becky: So don’t immediately put it away? |
| Risa: No. |
| Becky: If the cards are on the table, you can use them as references to remind yourself of everybody’s names. |
| Risa: It’s a good trick! |
| Becky: Can you write notes on the business cards? |
| Risa: No! Think of the card as being part of the other person. |
| Becky: And you’d never write on the actual person, so don’t write on the card! When the meeting is over, you can put the business card in the card holder. |
| Risa: Then, put the card holder in your pocket or bag. |
| Becky: But never put it in your back pocket. |
| Risa: Because if you sit down… |
| Becky: ..it will be like you are sitting on the other person. |
| Risa: That’s not good! |
Outro |
| Becky: Those are the key facts about handling business cards in Japan. If you want to find the related Japanese keywords, make sure to check out the lesson notes. |
| Becky:Okay, that’s all for this lesson. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time. |
| Risa: Bye! |
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