Spread Some Cheer with Holiday Cards
The holidays present a great opportunity to strengthen business relationships: it’s a time of year where it’s acceptable, and expected, to send something nice to your clients. Sometimes that may be a small gift, but thoughtful holiday cards are also a great way to let your clients know you value them. Here are four simple tips to make sure your holiday cards are well received this year:
1. Choose Snail Mail – Even though there are some really fun ecards available and email is super convenient, the holidays are the time to go traditional. A card that’s hand written and hand delivered just has a certain nostalgic magic to it. A traditional card is a more genuine and thoughtful gesture, and will be much more impactful and memorable to your clients. An ecard just doesn’t have the same personal touch and there’s a good chance it will end up in your client’s spam folder. An added benefit of sending a traditional holiday card is that it is more likely to be kept and displayed which can serve as a reminder of you and your brand.
2. Make it Personal – Don’t let the standard message on the inside of the card do the talking. Make sure to handwrite the recipient’s name and a short message. Including a personal detail like “Wishing you and Marie a Merry Christmas” is much more meaningful than the standard “Happy Holidays”. Handwrite the address of the recipient on the card’s envelope (or ask your assistant to). Putting a computer-generated label on a beautiful holiday card is tacky and makes it look like part of a mass mail out.
3. Keep it Non-Denominational and Professional – Be sure to purchase a generic card that doesn’t mention any specific holiday or religion. You don’t want to offend your client with a Christmas themed card if they do not celebrate the holiday. The same goes for humorous cards. You may think the card with the drunk reindeer is hilarious, but now’s not the time to find out whether your client shares your sense of humour.
4. Choose a Quality Card – Your holiday card is a representation of you and your brand. Do not buy the 50-pack of bulk holiday cards and expect them to convey a message of quality. Cheap cards are very obvious and sending them makes you look cheap in the eyes of your client.
Following these four tips can make sure that your holiday cards make a lasting impression on your clients this holiday season. When you’re investing the time and money to send out a great holiday card, don’t forget to plan ahead. A holiday card that doesn’t arrive until the beginning of January will be a dud – make sure to get your cards in the mail by December 10th to ensure they make it in time.
