Sending cards for the holidays to business associates is always good practice. It’s how you send them that will make you stand out . . . whether in a good, or a less-than-positive light. It’s up to you. When you send a Business Christmas card to clients and associates, it indicates that you are thinking of them and they mean enough to you at this busy time of year to pause and thank them for being a part of your world.
On a merely practical level, utilizing personalized Christmas cards as a networking tool will undoubtedly boost your customer relations persona and improve your bottom line. Businesses are made up of people, and even professionals have feelings. Think of others, and they’ll think of you. Consider the return on investment of sending out business Christmas cards. If you have two companies who do quality work, neither any better than the other insofar as their product is concerned, which company would you choose to do more business with after the holidays - the company that sent you a thoughtfully-done holiday card, or the company you hear from only when it’s time to reorder . . . or collect payment due? Hmmm. . . . Worth some thought. When you mesh the logic of a good business head and the heart of a caring individual . . . you know you are doing the right thing.
Once you’ve decided to send out business Christmas cards, there is etiquette involved in how you do so:
Think quality. It’s October and if you haven’t started shopping yet for cards, you’d probably do best to immediately contact a few online printing companies – turnaround time is usually better, and quality these days is on par with in-house printers. Make sure to get a few samples before making a purchase. Any company can fax you stats on what sort of stock they use, ink colors, etc. The better ones will overnight you a sample. They want your business and know that simple overnight cost will be made up in the order you put in with them.
Once you choose your printer, your card stock and a tasteful design, ink and fonts, go the extra mile and have them engrave the inside with your company name. It looks classy, and your corporate impression immediately goes up in the eyes of the card’s recipients. Also get a proof before the full order is printed. Remember . . . chose only a design that is tasteful and mindful of diverse belief backgrounds.
To make this all work once you’ve authorized the final product, you’ll need to hand-sign those cards – or have someone on your executive staff with a nice handwriting sign the cards, and make sure there’s a brief personal message included. If, and when, your card is separated from its envelope, it will still retain your stamp . . . and everyone who looks at it will recognize your high business ethics simply because there is not only the company name listed, but also a heartfelt note.
While the selection process is ongoing, office personnel should be preparing the final mailing list. Use something like Microsoft Excel to ensure you haven’t missed anyone, and have every name and address checked for accuracy before you spend time and money to send out a card to an address that’s no longer valid. Also have them verify titles . . . it can be embarrassing to call Dr. Smith by the wrong address, especially if you’ve written something on the card that indicates you know her well.
Always a good idea once the card is properly signed but before the envelope is sealed – include a business card inside. That simply tells the receiver that you’re aware of the importance of your professional relationship with them, and value it.
Chances are you’ll have someone in your office address all those cards, since it’s a daunting task that will take up a considerable amount of time. Do not allow your business Christmas cards to be put in the mail with computerized pre-printed labels on them! This can ruin all the hard work that’s already gone into make sure your mailings make those who receive them feel as if you know each one personally. Computerized mailing labels scream “automation!” You do not want this.
Again, get someone with a nice handwriting to take that extra time to address each and every envelope. Proper titles should have been secured along with all the correct addresses and the extra work that’s put into this will come back to you time and time again over the coming year. People remember these things.
So, it’s finally time to get those cards in the mail. One last point of personalization . . . do not use a postage meter to stamp your cards. Again, a bit of extra time and person-power used to put a hand stamp on each and every one is simply another bonus point.
The process from beginning to end—assuming you started no later than late October—should take no more than 4 to 5 weeks, leaving enough time to insure that your business Christmas cards are received between December 1st and December 15th. With the added burden on the postal system at this time of year, figuring your mailing time into the overall effort should be something that’s not overlooked.
This is a tradition, a right of passage for not only friends and family, but those with whom we do business every year. Your company will likely receive many cards from others who consider your business with them just as important as you feel theirs is for you. When you get their personalized Christmas card in the mail, make sure you display it prominently in a special area . . . where it can be “ooh’d” and “aah’d” over, amidst all the other cards you’ve received throughout the season. Your care and concern for other’s efforts will not go unnoticed, and yet another year’s worth of good cheer will make every bit of the time, work, and cost worthwhile.
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