Exchanging business cards that make a difference.

There is a saying: 'The more the rice ripens, the lower it bows its head.'

It is a masterpiece of a proverb that uses rice ears to teach us that the higher one's social status becomes, the more humble one must be. I do not know who originally said it.

When I think about it, the older people I consider trustworthy are the ones who treat me with the most respect. They speak to me using proper honorifics and listen carefully to what I have to say.

When I was 26, I had the opportunity to speak with the founder and president of a large company. This is the 'refined president' I wrote about a long time ago. I believe he was in his 60s.

[Related] It's already been 11 months since that article! Time flies!

I was so nervous that from the moment we exchanged business cards, I felt overwhelmed by his aura. I was anxious, wondering if someone like me could possibly be of any use to such an important person.

Today, I would like to talk about that business card exchange.

An episode about exchanging business cards with a refined president

If you have been in the workforce for some time, you have likely exchanged business cards many times. That ritual where you face each other and present your cards.

If the other person is of higher status, you present your card from below, saying something like, 'I am Ito from Company X.'

Let me write down the general flow of a business card exchange.

I assume this is how it goes, right?
Since exchanging business cards is just a ritual, this is it, isn't it?

That president was different.

We faced each other.
As pleasantly as possible.
Trying to hide our nervousness.

Then, I stated my company name and my own name, and handed over my business card.

Usually, that would be the end of it.

We would sit down, and the conversation would begin.

However, that president was different.

When I said, "Nice to meet you, I'm Ito from XX Co., Ltd." and handed him my card, he said this to me.

"Yes, Mr. Ito, it's a pleasure to meet you. How should I remember your name?"

The president shifted his gaze from the card in his hand to my eyes and said that with a smile. It was the first time anyone had ever said that to me.

While thinking, "Oh my, oh my, oh my,"
I gave him a quick explanation of how to remember my name.

Then the president said, "I understand, it's a pleasure to work with you," and sat down.

Let me write honestly about what I felt at that moment.

"Whoa, I'm actually
being recognized by this person!"

I felt like I was being recognized as a human being.

The subsequent business meeting went well, as they listened properly and things wrapped up nicely. It reminded me of the proverb, 'The boughs that bear most hang lowest.'

What was the intention behind that business card exchange?

On the way home, while remembering the moment of the card exchange, I thought, "That president must do that with everyone," and "He probably asks questions like that to younger people, and different questions to older people."

In other words, it means showing interest in the other person and asking them something at the moment of exchanging business cards.

Just by doing this, the invisible wall between you both crumbles silently and beautifully.

So, I decided to copy it starting the next day.

When I did this, people who weren't used to it would sometimes react in a flustered way, and I could see their expressions soften.

I'm sure I had the same look on my face when I was exchanging cards with that president.

Of course, this might only work because Sapporo is a regional city.

In business cities like Tokyo or Osaka, there seem to be many emotionless cyborgs who would say, "Shut up, get to the point already, you idiot, I'll blow you away," and it might actually be disliked.

The point is, it's all about how you use it.

So, let's organize our thoughts on exchanging business cards.

God is in the details, so by having some kind of commitment and consideration even in trivial rituals, you can differentiate yourself.

Please try it out with courage.

[Announcement] Shigeru Yoshida appears in Jamumu's Japanese History!

[Related] I talk about today's topic in the 40 Work Techniques series!