Turn your business Christmas greeting card into a powerful sales and marketing tool
The holiday season is a perfect time to nurture business relationships: express appreciation to existing customers, reconnect with old customers, and reach out to potential customers. Your greeting card, if sent thoughtfully, can be a subtle yet effective marketing tool for your organization, and can tell your contacts how much your company values your relationship with them. Below are some general business etiquette rules to consider.
Send your holiday cards as soon as possible after Thanksgiving.
The first cards your customers receive are often the ones they remember the most, and they show up the longest! Sending your holiday cards early also ensures that your well wishes arrive before the recipients take time off for the holidays or the business closes for the holidays.
Send a Christmas card to all the key people in your contact list!
Your vacation business card is a great way to 1) keep your company top of mind and 2) let your contacts know you’ve thought of them over the holidays. Your company may not be doing business with you today, but may need your services in the future, or this contact may refer you to a colleague. And don’t forget — your contact’s administrative assistant should be a key person on your list.
Send holiday cards that communicate appreciation, well wishes, and prosperity.
A safe bet is to stick with the “Happy Holidays” or “Happy Holidays” themes. Send a card that reflects religious or cultural themes (Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa) only if you are absolutely sure that the recipient of the card observes the holiday.
Address your greeting cards appropriately.
Always use titles on the envelope (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., etc.). For business associates, the standard title used in the US is “Mrs.”, unless the recipient has a professional title (Dr, Senator, etc.) or indicates a preference for “Miss.” or “Mrs.”
Make sure your contact name and company address are up to date.
If the card is mailed to the business address, mail it only to your business contact (unless the spouse also works there).
If the card is mailed home, add a personal touch by addressing the family (“Mr. and Mrs. John Smith” or “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and family”).
Stay on top of any changes (marriage, divorce, death) that may affect how your card is sent.
Customize, customize, customize!
1. Sign each card. Even if the card is pre-printed, it’s a smart move to write your signature and a short note on the card. A simple handwritten note like “Thanks for your business this year! Sam” goes a long way in telling the customer that you really value the relationship.
Assume that the card will be shown and read by others in the organization; therefore, keep your note professional and brief. Sign with your name only (include your spouse’s name only if you met your business associate).
If different departments send greeting cards, order your printed greeting cards in smaller batches, each batch printed with the personalized greetings and signature of the person (or department) sending it.
2. Use hand-addressed and stamped envelopes. Use hand-applied stamps instead of metered stamps to reduce the appearance of “mass mailing.” It is also more personal to address the envelopes by hand. If you have too many to write the addresses by hand, use the fancy script-style fonts on the computer or use clear address labels instead of the opaque labels.
3. Differentiate your company! Attach a photo of team members who worked at your client’s business. This is often used on photo cards. However, enclosing a photo inside a regular Christmas greeting card will leave a lasting impression on your customer.
