Have you ever thought about sending holiday or birthday cards to clients or prospective customers? If you’re struggling to decide whether it’s a good idea, the answer is yes, it is. Holiday and birthday cards are a simple way to show your customers that you care about them and that you appreciate their business. It’s an easy way to set you apart from other businesses, and therefore, reign in more prospective sales and success for your company.
Thinking cards may be a waste of money? In this economy, and with many businesses approaching year-end budgets around the holidays, it may seem like just an extra expense. However, cards can actually help you boost sales.
“I know one client who bases next year’s training dollars on the particular training company that acknowledges them during the holidays,” says etiquette expert Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas. “People want to do business with people that value them and make them feel important during the holidays and throughout the year.”
All in all, cards will bring your business to the forefront of your customer’s mind, and will therefore provide positive long-lasting effects. So if you’re onboard, here’s how to go about sending holiday and birthday cards to customers:
Send them snail mail style
Avoid the spam-type e-mails and send an actual paper card via mail. E-mails are more likely to get deleted without a customer reading it, and a real card in the mail comprises a more personal feel to it.
“Email greetings are not as effective. They can be deleted by mistake or can wind up in the spam filter,” explains Jacqueline Whitmore, author of “-Poised for Success: Mastering the Four Qualities That Distinguish Outstanding Individuals.”- “Cards leave a lasting impression and let others know you’re thinking about them.”
Make it personal
Sending pre-printed holiday or birthday cards can sometimes feel a bit impersonal to customers or clients. Instead of simply signing the card at the dotted line and sealing up the envelopes, add a message at the bottom with something specific to each recipient. It sounds daunting, but a one-sentence message won’t take up much of your time and will give the card a little something extra that could keep your clients coming back again and again.
Keep it tasteful
While you can send a snarky or humorous holiday or birthday card to your friends and family, business holiday cards are a little different. You want to avoid offending your receivers at all costs.
“Opt for a secular design as opposed to a religious one. Avoid anything with humor that you think might be misconstrued. And please, nothing cheesy. To paraphrase Anchorman’s Ron Burgundy, keep it classy,” says manners expert Thomas P. Farley, who pens the etiquette website http://whatmattersmost.com.
Keep business out of it
Try to resist the temptation of enclosing a business card in the holiday card.
“It sends the message that the holiday card is just another form of marketing instead of a friendly holiday gesture,” Gottsman explains. Going the extra mile to send a holiday card will work to keep the success of your business alive and make an impact on your customers, without having to throw in a business card to remind them. Plus, your company name and contact information will be printed on the envelope, so you need not throw in another means of information.
Send them early
If you do decide to send holiday or birthday cards, don’t wait to start creating them until the last minute. Specifically for holiday cards, according to Farley.
“Ideally, they should go in the mail stream by the second week of December. Many companies close down for part of the holiday, and you want to make sure your cards are received before vacations begin,” says Farley.
