How obligated are you to make sure all information on any business card you share is up-to-date?
Some people using business cards have shifted to a digital business card where users can share information electronically. Information on these cards can be updated relatively swiftly, making it simple for users to keep their information up to date.
But millions of paper business cards are still printed and in circulation. Updating a paper business card takes a bit more effort than updating a digital business card app.
Some users changing jobs or titles might not have a printed business card in hand soon enough to share at an upcoming sales call, marketing event or other encounter that seems to call for a business card. If the phone number, email address and company affiliation are all still accurate, is it dishonest to use an old business card that contains other information that is no longer factually correct?
It might seem like it’s no big deal to go ahead and share. What’s the big deal? Often, it might not be a big deal and any change might mean little to anyone other than the card holder and his or her or their colleagues. But this is not always the case.
If, for example, someone had been the head of a department or the director of a program, but no longer held that role, then sharing a business card with that title on it would be misleading. It would suggest to a recipient that the card sharer held a position of authority at a company they didn’t really hold. The recipient might not care, but that doesn’t erase the fact that the information on the business card does not accurately reflect the role of the person doling it out.
The right thing is not to use a business card with information on it that is not accurate. But if someone is sold on wanting to share a business card, there are honest options from which to choose as the new business cards are being printed.
One is to simply tell the recipient that new business cards are being printed and offer to tell the person any contact information, which they can record. Another inelegant solution is to cross out anything inaccurate on the existing card and leave the contact information. Or even users sold on continuing to use printed business cards can make use of a digital business card to hold them over. While some digital business cards charge a fee, there are some free apps available. In such cases, it seems wise to clear the use of digital business cards with your employer who may or may not recommend using such services.
While there are numbers floating around about how many millions of business cards are printed every day, it’s hard to quantify how many of those actually get used. It’s more than likely that the vast majority of business cards shared don’t make it far beyond the closest wastebasket.
Perhaps it’s wise to figure out if a business card serves any real purpose before you have a few hundred printed up. It may be hard to turn the offer of a business card down without appearing rude, but perhaps letting someone know you’d rather just put their contact information in your phone might be welcomed.
Jeffrey L. Seglin, author of "The Simple Art of Business Etiquette: How to Rise to the Top by Playing Nice," is a senior lecturer in public policy, emeritus, at Harvard's Kennedy School. He is also the administrator of www.jeffreyseglin.com, a blog focused on ethical issues.
Do you have ethical questions that you need to have answered? Send them to jeffreyseglin@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @jseglin
(c) 2024 JEFFREY L. SEGLIN. Distributed by TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
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