Smart business card ideas go beyond a hot design or quality printing; it’s also about understanding your customer. For international business travelers, that’s where localization comes in. Instead of grabbing a stack of your English-language, American cards, you should bring along business cards designed specifically for the culture and language of your potential customers and the area where you’re headed.
Here are some design ideas and tips to make your next international business introduction go just a little bit easier.
Consider phonetic name spelling
If you have a difficult to pronounce name or frequently travel to areas that use different character sets, then you may want to consider including a phonetic pronunciation of your name using either the Roman alphabet or the alphabet of the region where you’re traveling. Most Asian languages have a special phonetic script that can be used for this purpose.
Include your country code
If you travel out of the country a lot, then include your country code with your phone number. For the United States and Canada, it’s an easy “1,” but remember to include the correct country code if you use an international cell phone or business line while abroad.
Different countries, different cards
It may be worth it to simply print up different business card ideas for different countries. With runs starting at ridiculously low prices, you can easily afford to create multiple variations of the same card for different languages and cultures.
Finally, remember that translation isn’t always easy. Names and job titles might be simple, but company slogans can often get tricky. Consider hiring a translator before you start printing up all of your international business card ideas only to find out they’re grammatically incorrect or potentially embarrassing.
What do you do when you travel to a non-English speaking country?
[...] Include all your information. Think about what type of business you’re in and which contact information is the most important. If your company is a brick-and-mortar one, definitely include your address prominently. But if customers don’t come to your office, think about including your physical address on the back of the card and list your other contact information – phone number, e-mail, website – on the front. Do you have a blog, Twitter account or Facebook page? Consider adding those to your card. Do you have international clients? Consider ordering an extra set that includes your country code and phonetic name spelling. [...]