One of the most common business holiday card etiquette questions I've heard is whether each and every one needs to be signed, or if having the company name and perhaps sender's name imprinted is sufficient. After all, signing hundreds of cards seems overwhelming. And if no one really cares either way....
Sorry folks, but recipients do care. It's not so much that they'll hate your company if you just go for the imprint. Truth is, they probably won't notice. That means they won't notice your card very much.
It's a version of what those in the psychology business refer to as a hygiene factor...it blends into the background. (Think of a waste basket...few people notice it when it's empty. It's nearly invisible. But most people will notice it when it's full! In this case, the imprinted only card is like the empty waste basket...expected and unnoticed.)
BUT....if you take the time to sign each card, by hand, (or even better, write a short note in each card), it moves from a hygiene factor to a motivator! In the case of the waste basket, papers spilling over the top motivate someone to empty it. In the case of the card, a note and signature motivate a recipient to read the card.
These small things take it out of the invisible. And that is the point of sending a company holiday card! You want people to stop and read your card, to notice your company, to think about your services.
Go ahead and have your company name imprinted on your cards. It looks professional. But then add a personal signature. And a note, even if it's just one line. If there are too many cards for one person to sign, recruit other members of your organization to help. Just make sure everyone has good handwriting, and that the gender of the alleged signature matches that of the person signing.
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