Business holiday card tips

A quick review of the tips from past years blog posts....

Watch for returns.

If a card comes back with an address correction, pull out another envelope and resend to the new address. If no address is provided, do some research and find the new address. If the card has been damaged, bent, torn or mangled in the first round, WRITE A NEW CARD! No one will believe it’s the Post Office's fault when the envelope arrives in perfect shape and the card inside is not.

Update your holiday card address database all year long.

In November, it’s too late to scramble for addresses, so maintain and update your holiday address list all year long.

If you sent a coupon or special offer, track the results.

Why send offers in your company Christmas card if you don't know what works? Keep track and use that info to improve future mailings.

Make your extra cards count.

If you have extra cards, send a greeting to a wounded soldier at a veteran’s hospital, brighten the holidays of a homeless family in a shelter with a card and gift certificate for a local store, or take the cards to an assisted living facility and give them out while visiting the residents.

Match the card to your company’s image.

By selecting a look that reflects your company’s values, you are saying "This is who and what we are, and we connect with who and what you are." Without shouting it, the message will get across.

Cards build customer loyalty.

Studies have shown that sending holiday cards is an extremely effective tool in establishing and supporting customer loyalty and reinforcing name recognition.

Holiday cards build team loyalty.

Receiving a signed holiday card from one’s employer has been shown to increase employee identification as "part of the team." Choose a card with a humorous or lighthearted image to reinforce a sense of belonging.

Holiday cards can reassure customers and clients in uncertain times.

An elegant, well-worded corporate holiday card can convey gratitude for past service or business, offer wishes for a prosperous New Year, and show recipients that your company is still successful.

Small tokens can mean a lot.

Enclosing a gift card for a local grocery store or gas station is a wonderful way to reward employees. It’s less expensive than a big holiday party, but still lets employees know you care.

...More coming next post!

Who gets a business holiday card?

Step one in the business holiday card process is to make a holiday card list. So who's on it? Who should be, who would be nice and who absolutely better be there?

Let's start with the who better be on the list.

1) Your employees.

Every last one of them, from the Board Members to the kid in the back who started last week as a floor sweeper.

Each and every person who works for you should get a card from you, come holidays, birthdays or employment anniversaries. It's a cheap but effective way to say that they matter, and as silly as a seems, it makes a big difference in a feeling of being part of the team.

Before customers or vendors or clients or prospects, make a card list that includes every employee, and then send a company Christmas card or holiday card to their home. Trust me on this. Yeah, I know it's easier to drop them on desks, but don't. I'll write a post soon on why this matters, but for now, just do it.

2) Your loyal customers.

It's often said that your most important prospects are the customers you already have. It's often said, but seldom followed, however.

But think about it...these are the people who have already handed over their precious dollars to you. They know you. You don't have to get them to come in -- they already do. You just need to get them to buy MORE. Much easier to do than to acquire and convert a new customer. So put these people on your must-send list.

3) Your vendors and suppliers.

How far would your manufacturing line get without raw materials? Or your restaurant without food or beverages? A hotel lacking linens would be in a terrible mess. Imagine a law firm without paper or a hospital without medication. It's your vendors and suppliers who get you the things you need to turn your business into...well...a business.

Make sure each and every vendor and supplier gets a company holiday card thanking them for all they contribute to your business. Even if you've had problems with them...or especially if you've had problems with them...send them a nice card, on time.

TOMORROW,the "should send" list....

So what's it gonna be? Thanksgiving, Christmas, Happy Holidays or all Three?

It's almost time to pick out your company's holiday cards.

Oh, don't give me that look! Yes, I know it's June and it's 90 degrees outside. But I'm serious! The holidays are 6 months away (or less, if you include Thanksgiving) and it's time to get cranking on those company Christmas cards...or whatever kind you're sending this year.

So in honor of it being THAT time of year (again, with the looks?!), here are some links to the info you need to get started on your holiday card season:

What holiday to choose?

Sign them or print them?

Making a business holiday card list

Why the cards you choose matter

Employee holiday cards

When to send them out

Fa-la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la...making my list, checking it twice....

Last minute ideas for your company Christmas card

If you waited until the last minute to send your company Christmas cards, here are some tips to get them in the mail and to the right people on time:

1) Have a card writing dinner at work. Enlist the help of a few people with good hand-writing, and a few others to get those cards written, addressed, stamped and out the door. Let those with elegant writing sign and address, while the rest insert the cards into envelopes, seal and stamp them. Treat all participants to dinner before or after the process...not during unless you want spaghetti sauce spots next to your signature!

2) Make sure the right cards go into the right envelopes! This may seem obvious, but it happens, and it does not reflect well on your company. Have everyone double check as they insert the card!

3) Consider offering a last minute savings opportunity. A discount, special offer or other incentive could boost your year end bottom line by inspiring those who are on the fence to shop/buy. This time of year, many consumers are willing to spend more than originally planned for holiday gifts, and business buyers may be in a "use it or lose it" budget situation. Either way, your company could be the big winner.

4) Go with a known quantity. This late in the game is NOT the time to save a few bucks by going with a cheap new printer or the one you got in your spam box. Choose a professional business holiday card supplier like G.Neil or HR Direct. It may cost a few extra dollars, but if the cards arrive late or with mistakes, your so-called savings will evaporate instantly!

Don't wait until the last minute!

It's December 20th. The business holiday cards you ordered three days ago in a last minute panic have arrived. You tear though the pricey overnight rush delivery package you had to pay extra for. You open the box and there you see hundreds of lovely cards with an idyllic rural winter scene -- and your company's name misspelled on each and every one.

What are you going to do with 600 pretty Christmas cards that proudly call your business "Shakespeare's Booksnore." It's 5 days until Christmas, Hanukkah has already started, and the New Year is almost here. It's too late to send them back, wait for a reprint, and then sign and send 600 cards.

Don't let this happen to your company! Mistakes can and do happen, and any good greeting card printer will replace the misprinted or otherwise unacceptable cards at no charge. But that won't help you when the cards arrive too late for a fix.

Today is October 24th. Two months from today is Christmas Eve. Have you ordered your company holiday cards yet?

G.Neil, my personal fave for company greeting cards, has some great specials right now. And they really do a nice printing job too. Very clean, no smears or stray ink spots (I am a fanatic about clean printing!) But wherever you order, order NOW! It's almost Halloween! Can Hanukkah and Christmas be far behind?

Keeping your holiday card list affordable

Once you've decided to send out company Christmas cards, you need to decide who will receive them. It's tempting to try and include everyone. After all, when you compare it to other types of marketing, business holiday cards are very affordable.

But even with the relatively low cost of sending business Christmas cards, it's wise to carefully review your holiday card list before you place your order.

• Start with the names you know best: your best customers, your favorite vendors, the big potential client you've been courting. Make sure you have their names spelled correctly, their addresses up to date, and their titles, if any, correctly entered on your list. If you know that any of them celebrate specific religious holidays, consider a special card to acknowledge that, rather than a more generic Seasons Greetings card. Remember, these are the names you know best, so the extra effort will pay off.
  
  
• Add your current customer and vendor lists. Again, take the time to double check spelling, look for duplicate listings and make sure the addresses are current.
  
  
• Decide on your target criterion for prospectives. Pick those groups who are most likely to respond to your business. If yours is a local service, like a dry cleaner or restaurant, invest in a demographic survey to pinpoint those neighborhoods or streets most likely to shop for your type of product at your price point. If your services are not geographically limited, choose your mailing list carefully. Make sure the people you are contacting are likely to be in the market for your specific services or products.
  
  
• If you decide to prospect beyond your target demographic, you may wish to choose smaller or more affordable holiday cards. After all, this is your high risk group, so you are better off focusing the bulk of your expense in a demographic with an expected higher ROI. A word of caution: affordable should not mean cheap! Make sure you select quality cards for all recipients!
  
  
• Add your employees. With this group, you have the option of in house or mailed to home cards. If you mail them to employees' homes, be sure you include spouses or domestic partners in the address. If you are in doubt about surnames or titles for partners, ask before sending. That little extra attention to detail will go far towards creating good feelings.

Mr. Postman, wait and see...(Or when should these cards go in the mail?)

You found the perfect business holiday cards...just right for your business. And they've just arrived from the printer. Now when should you mail them?

Ah, yes...another "It depends." But the fact is, it does! Here so factors that will determine when your company Christmas cards should hit the post....

1) What message is on them? Is it Merry Christmas or is the image clearly "Christmas-y?" If so, you'll probably want to send them out to arrive about a week before December 25th. If the message is for a Happy New Year, shoot for an arrival on or around December 26th through 30th. If there's a weekend in there, send them out a bit sooner. Finally, if it's a generic holiday season wish, send them out to arrive on or about December 1st. Not only will you beat the last minute card crunch, you'll probably hit Chanukah, as well as Christmas and the New Year.

2)How far are they going? If your business holiday cards are just going around the corner or across town, you can probably send them out two or three days before the target date, and have them there on time. Cards criss-crossing the country, or heading overseas need much longer lead times. Check with your local post office for suggested mailing times for the company Christmas cards that will be heading far from home.

3)Is there time-sensitive material enclosed? Many businesses use their company Christmas cards as a way to send out discount coupons, employee gift cards or discount offers. If you are planning on enclosing something within the card, make sure the recipients have enough time to use it before the expiration date. Willingness to spend is often much higher in December than in January, so sending out your coupons earlier might increase holiday sales.