It's trivial ... really!

Not all holiday trivia is created equal. This summer, a series of holiday catalogs will feature a collection of questions that you won't necessarily find in your local paper or on the back of a cereal box. Questions like:

"What does the name "Max" have to do with the holidays?"
and
"When did Santa make his debut in advertising and what was he selling?"

The holidays should be fun and interjecting useless trivia when socializing with colleagues, clients and/or friends is all about fun.

P.S. - If you can't figure out the answers to these questions, keep checking back. The answers will be posted later this summer.

Business holiday card tips, Part II

And some more bits of wisdom and etiquette from previous posts....

Match your message to your business.

When deciding on your signature line, consider matching the message to the services you offer. For instance, an insurance agent could wish clients a “Happy and safe New Year,” while a medical practice might elect to offer wishes for a “Healthy and happy holiday season.” Those greetings work as mini-marketing messages, reminding recipients about the services you offer.

Not sure who celebrates which holidays?

Go with a Thanksgiving or New Year’s card. You can convey the same message without worrying about religious issues.

Hand signed cards work twice as well.

Have a signature line professionally imprinted for a crisp, business look. But add a personal signature to each card to double the impact. Hand-signed cards are twice as likely to result in a sale as cards with only an imprint.

Never use printed address labels on holiday cards.

Printed labels are great for catalogs and invoices, but when it comes to holiday cards, those with a handwritten address are far more likely to be opened and read.

Go for quality when choosing holiday cards.

Saving a few pennies per card by choosing a cheaper cardstock or lower quality printing reflects badly on your company’s image. Let your clients and customers know that you value quality in everything you do, including your choice of holiday cards.

Check with the post office for mailing deadlines.

Make sure your business holiday cards are in the mail well before the post office deadlines, especially if some of your cards are being sent to military or overseas recipients, or are oddly shaped and require special handling.

Consider ordering different cards for different people.

Selecting one design for employees, one for existing clients and one for prospectives allows you to customize the look and the message for maximum impact.

Include a personal message if possible.

Taking the time to add a line or two to each card can significantly improve business relationships. Letting star performers or valued customers know that they’re important to your business can yield great results in the coming year.

Mail employees’ cards to their homes.

Simply dropping cards on desks isn’t nearly as meaningful as receiving a card in the mail. As simple as it seems, that little extra effort tells employees a lot about their value to the company.

And the countdown begins

Well, it's official now. I went into my neighborhood Target and there were Christmas decorations on the shelves. Yup, there amid the Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving table cloths were the first of this year's Christmas decorations.

The holiday season has arrived! So now it's time to decide...Thanksgiving cards for your employees and customers? A good way to jump-start seasonal sales, and remind people of what you have to offer before their shopping is done. A good way to get your name in front of potential customers before your competitors send out their business holiday cards...

Hmmmmm... Not a bad idea, right? And a pretty card with a colorful autumn scene...I can tell you I would welcome it, especially since Florida for all its charms, lacks autumn colors. Ditto for much of California, the southwest, and Hawaii. And by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, the north will have left autumn colors in the past...you could give them one last look at nature's finest display -- and get your name out there!! Clearly a win-win!

Other reasons for sending a Thanksgiving card?

It avoids the whole Christmas versus Hanukkah versus Winter Solstice versus Diwali etc. dilemma...it's a national holiday!

How about this...Thanksgiving cards first, to remind customers how much you have to offer them, and to say thanks to overstressed and overtired employees who really need acknowledgment. And then a Christmas or holiday company card in December to follow up. That double dose of holiday greetings will go far towards reminding customers exactly who you are and what you represent.

Good marketing, cheap marketing, effective marketing!

The Halloween stuff is in the stores...time to buy Thanksgiving holiday cards!

I always know when it's time to pick out our company Thanksgiving cards.

The day I see the Halloween stuff on the shelves at my local Target (pronounced Tar je', of course!) is the day I need to get my act together and pick out some Thanksgiving cards to send to clients, customers, vendors and employees.

Why do I start so soon? After all, Thanksgiving is still a couple of months away. I start now, because between now and early November when I mail the cards out, I have to:

• Pick out a card
  
• Double check our address lists
  
• Come up with a total for the number of cards to order (and the extras to order for all those last minute changes and additions to the list!)
  
• Deal with employee schedule changes because of kids going back to school
  
• Decide on the signature for the cards
  
• Decide on the changed signature for the cards (no, these things never get done in one step...you know it's true!)
  
• Continue to do my regular job here at work
  
• Order the cards
  
• Pick out Halloween costumes for the kids (work/life balance, remember?)
  
• Address all the cards
  
• Make sure everyone's annual performance evaluations are on schedule (life at work goes on!)
  
• Add personal signatures to most of the cards (remember, signing by hand makes a big difference, especially to customers!)
  
• Mail the cards
  
• Deal with any card returns, including looking up new addresses and send out a fresh card (no re-sends, people!)
  
• Plan a Thanksgiving feast for 20 picky relatives (back to that work/life balance issue -- one brain, lots of tasks!)
  
• Send out the three or four dozen last minute Thanksgiving cards managers, salespeople and others forgot to request.

And all of this has to be done by a week before Thanksgiving AT THE LATEST!! Doesn't seem too early to start now, does it?

Gobble, gobble! Off to get started!

Thanksgiving cards can help you beat the Christmas rush

Before you know it, the holiday season will be here. You're already feeling rushed. But I'm going to suggest you start even sooner!

What?! Sooner??

In fact almost a month sooner. Because I'm going to suggest you start the holiday season with business Thanksgiving cards. Cards of thanks. Cards of gratitude for business transacted or hard work performed. Cards that do not require thoughts about religious differences or who celebrates which holidays when.

Cards that will catch your clients' or employees' attention before the holiday rush officially begins.

More and more companies are offering business focused Thanksgiving cards, along with their traditional business holiday cards for Christmas and the New Year. But fortunately for you, few businesses are taking advantage of this other opportunity to acknowledge the people who keep your business running. And in business.

So what are the rules for sending business Thanksgiving cards? They are exactly the same as for Christmas cards. Hand sign each one, adding a personal note if possible. Hand address them. Get the titles and names and addresses right.

And if you send a Thanksgiving card, consider skipping the Christmas/Hanukkah card and sending a Happy New Year card instead. It's another less cluttered holiday, where your cards stand a better chance of standing out and getting noticed.

The right business holiday cards at the right holidays can be golden for your business. Ready. Set. Go. The holidays are almost here!