When you have possibility to touch Japanese style business such as working in a Japanese based company or doing business with Japanese companies, you might be wondering how Japanese people do business.
Especially, when first encountering with Japanese customer/business partner, you possibly need to exchange business card with them with distinctive etiquette.
If you don’t know the etiquette in Japan, you could possibly be thought to be impolite, be impressed negatively or end up failing working with them.
In this article, I’d like to explain how you should exchange business cards with Japanese customer/business partner and how you should treat the cards until the end of this meeting.
Then, you can possibly get good impression from them and it could be important good start to do business with them.
Let me introduce about myself.
I am Hiro from Tokyo, Japan, born and raised here.
I have working experience in Japanese companies (logistics and manufacturing) as an international sales for almost 10 years, so I well understand Japanese people’s work practice.
Business cards exchange etiquette
We Japanese people have distinctive etiquette of exchanging business cards, because it reflects hierarchical society in Japan
and we regard the cards as identity of card owner, so we should never treat the cards roughly.
If we start to play with received business cards such as bending or twisting, the business card owner may think his/her identity is defamed and feel uncomfortable.
I’d like to explain how to give, receive and put the business cards on table until the end if counterpart is Japanese.
How to give business card
When giving business card to Japanese customer/business partner, firstly you need to stand up (if you are seated), and move to in front of them (not giving across the table) and pass by using both hands.
There are below several points not to be rude.
1. If you have seat and give business cards, Japanese people consider it is impolite. During the ceremony of business cards exchange between two companies, it is better you keep standing up.
2. Giving business card across the table is also impolite. When giving business card you need to go walk to customer’s table side and give the card in front of your customer/business partner.
3. Giving business card by one hand is also impolite. When giving the cards, you should pass by both hands.
If passing and receiving cards at the same time and it is impossible to give by both hands, it is okay to give it by one hand.
4. When giving your card, it is necessary to tell your information (your name, belonging department, etc.) and tell “Yoroshiku Onegai Itashimasu (Polite way of saying nice to meet you.)”
How to receive business card
When receiving business card from Japanese customer/business partner, you must again stand up and use both hands to receive.
If it is impossible to receive it by both hands because giving and receiving are done at the same time, you may receive it by one hand, but after exchanging it you should keep holding by both hands until having a seat.
You need to stand up when receiving the cards, or else Japanese consider it is rude.
When receiving it you can also tell “Arigato gozaimasu (Thank you)” or “chodai itashimasu (Polite way of saying I received)”.
How to deal with the received cards during the meeting
After receiving cards and having a seat, you put the cards on the table but line them up in front of you such as below way.
It is better if you put the customer/business partner supervisor’s name card on business card case. (Never mind if you don’t have business card case)
If possible, you may buy business card case if you get along with a lot of Japanese business partners in the future.
It helps preserve their business cards and you are regarded that you cherish their cards (their identities).
Please line up the cards on the table according to where A person, B person and C person are sitting such as above photo.
Please do not cover any documents or equipment on the business cards during the meeting, otherwise, the cards owners think the cards are treated badly.
When should we remove the cards from the table?
Please keep putting the cards on the table during whole meeting. When wrap up the meeting, finally you can remove them putting inside business card holder.
However, if person you are discussing is your customer, please do not remove the cards before they do, because it shows that you wish to quickly finish this meeting and your customer might feel uncomfortable.
Also, please don’t forget the cards to remove from the table, otherwise the business card owners think the cards are disregarded.
Other etiquette of exchanging business cards
There are more matters to keep in mind when exchanging business cards.
Lower position company person give the cards first
If you are sales and visit to customer’s company, you need to give business cards to your customer first.
The person who give the business cards first are thought to be lower position company in Japanese practice. (Usually customer is in a higher position in Japan.)
The culture deciding higher position or lower position is part of Japanese hierarchical society.
Supervisor exchange the cards first
Also if you accompany with your supervisor, let supervisor give name cards to customer/business partner first and then you follow giving cards to him/her later.
In Japanese business practice, we consider supervisors should be firstly introduced, so passing business cards should be done by supervisor first as well.
Conclusion
In this article, I introduced how you should exchange business cards with Japanese business partners and you possibly found that it is too complicated.
But you don’t need to take it too seriously if you are not Japanese, because Japanese people also know foreigners don’t well understand Japanese people’s distinctive exchanging name cards style and they never mind even if you make mistake and defame them.
Gradually you can learn how Japanese people exchange business cards.
Thank you for reading my article till the end.
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