QUESTION: At the last store I worked in, all of the salespeople had business cards printed with their own names. The owner where I am currently working doesn't think this is necessary. He has business cards for the store and we have to write in our names. What is your opinion?

ANSWER: Well, I don't think business cards are as important to making sales as some people do. Certainly there will be times when it will be necessary and/or appropriate for you to hand over a business card to a customer who is about to leave without buying anything, but what I find is that salespeople have a tendency to give their cards to everyone. Customers are being handed hundreds of business cards a year. What do they do with them? Usually, they throw them away. The only business cards that are kept are the cards of the people that the customer doesn't want to forget, and for a very good reason: they made a tremendous impression. The deciding factor is usually the outstanding customer service offered by the salesperson in the first place. And, in reality, those salespeople were going to be remembered with or without the business card.

You may say, "But customers always ask if I have a card before they leave." Although some customers may be asking very sincerely, because they are very close to making a decision and would like to talk with you again, many are fooling you with this request. Customers say things like, "This is the first place I've been. I really need to shop around a little more, but I do love this." Some are sincere, but many say things like this to get away from you without hurting your feelings. It makes them feel better to give you false hope and then leave. Asking you for a business card is no different. It makes you feel like you've got a better shot at them coming back, and it also gives them an easier way of getting out of the store.

The business card becomes a last ditch effort to ingrain the store's name and the salesperson's name in the customer's memory, in hopes that the customer will come back. I would much rather see you use a sample order form or selection form to write up the details of the potential order, and then sign your name to that piece of paper. Your name on a business card, printed or not printed, may be easily forgotten. The name on an order will not. In fact, I sometimes feel like the best salespeople in a store are those who give out the fewest business cards. That doesn't mean I don't think you should have them. In answer to your question about having the name printed or handwritten, there are two ways of looking at it.

On one hand, a name printed on the business card makes it a very official looking piece of paper. It tends to make the salesperson look more important. However, does the salesperson look more important to the customer or to the salesperson themselves. I tend to believe that the customer doesn't care one way or the other. Having your name printed on a business card is more of a confidence crutch for the salesperson than a way of impressing the customer.

On the other hand, if you hand write your name on the business card, it may give the customer the impression that you don't throw business cards around to just anyone. I have always advocated that personal thank yous be handwritten to customers so it looks like the salesperson did it for that customer only. I even go so far as putting the store's name and return address on with a rubber stamp instead of having it printed on beautiful postcards or envelopes, anything to make it look like the salesperson went out of their way to do this. The same concept may apply with writing your name on a business card personally. It's very hard to say.

So, in the final analysis, I think business cards have an important place in a retail store if they are used appropriately. But, I do not think having your name printed or handwritten on each is a significant consideration.

QUESTION: I recently attended a speech you gave at a trade show, and you touched on the fact that you don't believe shaking the customer's hand is a good idea. I've been doing it for years and don't want to quit. I'd really like to hear more about why you dislike it.

ANSWER: You may be one of those rare individuals that customers feel comfortable with instantly due to many factors: the way you look, the words you use, the tone of your voice, etc. You've been shaking the hands of customers as a means of introducing yourself and finding out their names for a very long time now. Customers may always shake your hand if you extend yours to them first. What else can they do? They don't want to be rude to you. So even if it makes them feel uncomfortable, they'll do it anyway. I think you'll find that they very seldom volunteer their name to you, even when you offer yours first. You generally have to ask for their names. These two deductions lead me to believe that the customer finds the whole situation uncomfortable.

So you may contend that even if the salesperson has to make the first move by extending their hand and asking the customer for his/her name, the salesperson wins. Why? Well, number one, the salesperson was successful in finding out the customer's name, and that may be valuable for follow-up. And, number two, it makes the salesperson appear to be very polite and professional.

Here's my opinion. You don't have to introduce yourself and shake someone's hand to appear polite and professional. Do your job well by opening the sale effectively, probing effectively and demonstrating effectively, and you will be perceived as polite and professional, with or without the handshake. I would much rather see a handshake, if any, at the end of a presentation as a thank you for allowing you to either sell to the customer or spend time talking with the customer.

I also think that asking the customer for their name so early in the game is perceived by the customer more often than not as a ploy to win the customer over. If your presentation isn't first rate, their name will be useless to you anyway. The best way to get the customer's name is to have a reason to get the customer's name. And the best reason is because you need it to write up a sale! The next best reason is because you didn't make the sale, but left the door open far enough that follow-up is possible.

Many customers have tremendous difficulty feeling comfortable with strangers at first meeting. They are cautious even when meeting a new face at a party, let alone a salesperson who they feel is going to try and sell them something whether they want it or not. They don't know you, and you must respect their personal space until they give you a sign that you have been accepted. You must earn the right to get that close.

So you may have done well by shaking hands and exchanging names in the past, but you'll never know how many "be backs" never came back because they felt uncomfortable with you right off the bat. If you stop your usual introductory routine, I'm confident you won't lose any customers who you're winning with now. Therefore your chances can only be greater.