Should your company send Thanksgiving cards this year?

The experts agree - sending business holiday cards improves customer perception of a company, increases the likelihood that a given customer will select your company over a non card-sending competitor and reduces the likelihood that your company will be seen as financially unstable, even in troubled economic times.

Okay, so we know that sending a business holiday card is good. Now the question is, what kind? A traditional company Christmas card with a wintery view? A modern Season's Greetings or Happy Holidays? Maybe a New Year's card with a calendar?

What about a Thanksgiving card?

A Thanksgiving card offers several advantages:

1) It gives your company a head start on competitors who send out their cards only in December

2) It allows you to sidestep the "which holiday" issue associated with the winter celebrations

3) The holiday naturally lends itself to expressing gratitude, which is a perfect message for customers and employees alike

4) You can still send company Christmas cards or other holiday cards in mid December, for a double-dose of contact and name recognition.

It's not too late to add a Thanksgiving card to your company's holiday marketing plan. And the results may leave you expressing thanks of your own.

Business holiday cards are critical this year!

A few organizations are claiming that the recession is over and recovery is right around the corner.

I would love to believe them. But the fact is, none of us really knows when the day will come when we can all take a collect sigh of relief and go on with our businesses and lives without worrying about the rising foreclosure rates or the latest round of layoffs.

So until we know for sure that all is well, companies cannot afford to neglect the little things that keep their name in front of customers.

Business holiday cards, company Christmas cards or whatever you want to call them, are one of those things companies cannot afford to let slide. For very little cost (around $1-2 each), business holiday cards make a major impact on customer perceptions about your business.

Studies have shown that the majority of customers feel more positively about businesses which send holiday cards. They are perceived as more stable, more reliable and more accessible.

Always sent company Christmas cards in the past, but thinking of cutting back this year? Thank again! Another researcher found that companies who stopped sending cards were perceived as less financially successful and less of a safe place to shop, because they may not be around down the road.

Is that really the message you want to send?

Time to pull out that holiday card list! Winter is almost here!

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.

Don't fence yourself in with holiday cards

If yours is like most U.S. businesses, times are rough. Customers are hard to come by, and harder to keep. Sales are down and costs are up. The last thing you want is to spend more money!

But before you deep six your traditional business holiday cards, spend some time brainstorming about all the ways those little messengers of holiday cheer could help your business thrive in the coming year. Step out of the box and soar into the wide open spaces of new possibilities. (Thus the lovely video today!)

Here are a couple of ideas to get you started on new ways to use your company Christmas cards to generate business.

Run a contest. The entries are your company holiday cards "remade" into something else. It could become anything...a gift box, a fan, a hat or a paper airplane (reason number two for my film choice!) Give prizes for the most original, funniest, etc., and make the day of judging a party.

Glue "golden tickets" or other prize certificates into the cards. Make it clear that the reveal has to happen in the store to qualify (that gets them in the door!) Add another layer by making the tickets 3-D so shoppers must don paper glasses in the store to see their prizes.

Send cards that do not match your region and then give away a trip as a prize. If your business is in a sunny warm clime, choose cards with icy, snowy images. Those in the north would send cards with scenes of tropical beaches. Customers can bring in their cards as an entry into the drawing for a trip. Floridians might win a trip to Minnesota, while those in New England would find themselves relaxing on a beach.

Ready to come up with your own? Who says a business holiday card is limited to putting it in the envelope and mailing it?

Saying it with chocolate

There are a few of them out there...people who don't like chocolate.

But for most of us, the rich flavor of a good chocolate makes any occasion better. Odds are, most of your employees and customers feel that way, too. So it only makes sense to treat them to the sweet stuff whenever you want to send a special message.

As a confirmed and unrepentant chocoholic, I am here to offer you some tips for slipping some chocolates into your thanks, congrats or invitations.

A gift of chocolate is perfect for:

• Saying thanks for a job well done
  
• Welcoming a new employee or team member
  
• Reminding employees about special events, such as Safety Month or a Customer Service initiative
  
• Rewarding new customers for their business
  
• Creating a memorable token for attendees to take home from conventions, meetings, grand openings or other significant events

In these days of tight budgets and vanishing perks, the sweet taste of a chocolate candy bar might be the sweetest way to tell employees or customers they matter to your business.

Hitting the target: know your audience before you send

You've decided to try using business greeting cards as a way to keep in touch with your customers, contact prospects or motivate your employees. That's awesome!

But before you send a single card...before you sign them, address them or even buy them. take time to consider your audience. Who will read these cards? What are their ages, occupations, interests? How are they connected to your business? What do you know about them? Have they shopped with you or used your services? Or are they employees with company histories? Or are they just people or businesses you're targeting based on mailing lists, geography or industry?

Before you send out your business holiday cards or thank you cards or welcome cards, take a few minutes and list everything you know about your target audience. You may find you have more than one. They could be segregated by location, previous contact with the business, age, gender, lifestyle, marital status, etc. Whatever differences seem important to you, in terms of your business, are the demographics you should examine.

Once you have your groups (and most businesses find they have between three and six distinct groups), select a greeting card for each group. Or choose the same card, but use different sentiments in each group's cards.

Order cards that match each group. Here are some things to consider:

• Images -- if there are people in the card's image, do they match the demographics of your target audience? Images of young families may not resonate with senior citizens. Also consider what the image says about your company. A serious law firm may not be best represented by something too cartoon-y or informal.
  
  
• Message/sentiment -- Make sure the words you choose to have printed in your cards convey the right image for your company. Tailor your message to your industry. For example, a medical practice might wish their recipients good health, while a car dealership might offer their prospects a message of safety or adventure on the road.
  
  
• Holidays -- If you're using holiday greeting cards, make sure the holiday they mention is one your target audience celebrates. Remember, this isn't about what you or the people you work with celebrate -- it's all about the recipient.
  
  Once you've selected your cards, it's a good idea to also keep an assortment of all-occasion cards on hand, too. That way if an unexpected event comes up, you're ready to send a card out on the spot.

Using greeting cards to retain customers

There are two ways to build your business:

• Find new customers to buy your products
  
  
• Retain your customers and increase their level of buying

Most business owners lean toward the first, and pour all of their efforts and advertising dollars into finding new customers. Unfortunately, that's probably not your best use of money.

Existing customers can be a goldmine, but one that most businesses ignore! Why? They are viewed as "already on-board." And now it's time to get some more. But in reality, the existing customer is your best resource for new business, especially in tight economic times. Again, why?

1. Existing customers know you and your business. You are a known quantity.
   
   
2. Existing customers are interested in what you sell or offer. The proof? They've already bought some of it!
   
   
3. Existing customers have a history. That means you can look at past sales, buying patterns and product groups. You can also review complaints and returns to see where your existing customers may be having issues with your products or services.

Using existing buyer info to increase sales

Review their buying patterns. Look for seasonal trends, recent increases, decreases or changes in buying. Look for ways to promote add-ons or related products, or to reinforce a positive trends. Look over sales for ways to correct a negative trend. Are they overdue for a tire change or a financial review? Do they always buy travel gear at a certain time of the year, but not related items or services?

Have they had problems with your services or products? Have those issues been resolved to the customer's satisfaction? If not, can you address that now? If yes, can you communicate your appreciation for their loyalty and patience?

Is there an upcoming event or season that fits in with their buying interests? Can you tie a product or service to that event or time period?

Once you've gathered all that information, it's time to use a very simple tool to communicate with these customers...send them a card already!

A simple, inexpensive but well made card. A thank you card. An apology. Or even, if you have the data, a birthday card. Printed with your company's name. But with a handwritten note inside reinforcing the message.

"Sorry about the problems you had with the washer. I'm so glad we were able to fix it for you."

"We're glad to have Fido as part of our pet patient family. Hope to see him in our new state-of-the-art pet spa sometime soon!"

Include a custom advertisement just for them. If your customer has a Ford Mustang, don't send a sale flyer for Chevy Truck parts. Existing customers are people who know you and your business -- and they expect that you know them. Show them they're right with targeted messages.

These customers can be the key to not only staying afloat, but riding on a bigger yacht. Show them you notice them, appreciate them.