Don't discount affordable business cards as a powerful marketing tool

It's almost Thanksgiving and the business forecasts are abysmal. Sales are down, defaults and foreclosures are up, credit is non-existent. The New Year is looking grim.

So what can you do? If you're in a business that has competition in the same area -- like a dry cleaner, restaurant, insurance agency or computer repair shop -- one powerful and inexpensive tool is the company Christmas card. That small token of seasonal good cheer can mean the difference between being just another store in the strip mall and becoming a destination.

Best of all, affordable business holiday cards are still available, even this late in November. A smaller format company holiday card can carry all the punch of a larger card, but at a much lower price per card.

Creating your business holiday message

Before you select your company's holiday greeting cards, and certainly before you begin to pen a message inside, take some time to think about what your business holiday message should be. What do you want to convey, besides Happy Holidays, to those who will read your card? Here are some things to think about:

What is the core value of your company? Is it service? Reliable tradition? Something to make life more fun? Offering cutting-edge technology and gadgets?

Who are your customers? Can you identify a key demographic? Are they older, well-educated professionals? Young, liberal people just starting out in their lives or professions? Families? Sports and/or outdoors enthusiasts? Corporate employees?

Just brainstorm the answers to those two keep questions. Ask others in your organization for their first thoughts. Use the information to create a picture of who you are and who your customers are, painting both with broad strokes rather than specifics like age or annual income.

Now use this information to select a card that will convey a holiday message that reflects your company and your customers.

Start with the picture on the front of the card. For example, if your company stands for environmentally friendly or nature oriented values, an image if pristine snow in a wooded setting would be a better choice than one of a city street crowded with shoppers and decorations. Companies who want to convey a message of friendly, non-traditional service to a younger or more active audience might want to select an image with playful penguins or polar bears instead of a Thomas Kincaid-like scene of a cottage in the countryside.

There is important psychology in action here. By matching the image on the card to the image you see for your customers and your company, you are saying "Hey this is who and what we are, and we connect with who and what you are." Without shouting it, the message will get across.

Tomorrow, I'll talk about what the holiday message inside says about your company. Believe it or not, even the font counts!

It's not too late to get your business holiday cards -- but it will be soon!

It's just over a month until Hanukkah and Christmas, and you're still on the fence about ordering company Christmas cards? The economy is in the toilet, your customer base is hanging on to their dollars like they're the last flotation device on the ship, and your employees are spending more energy focusing on how they can afford to fill their grocery cart than on that new project.

And you're waiting? Considering NOT ordering cards?

Studies have shown that sending holiday cards works well to establish and support customer loyalty and name recognition. Other studies have found a link between little things like company holiday cards and employee identification as "part of the team."

And yet, you might pass up this inexpensive and powerful tool, saving maybe a few hundred dollars and missing out on many times that in loyalty and impact!

If the budget is so tight it squeaks, (and whose isn't?), choose more affordable business holiday cards. Skip the foil lined envelopes and oversized format in favor of a more modest silhouette and regular envelopes.

The impact isn't in the size of the card, or the suede finish paper...it's in the name at the bottom, and the personal notes and signature you add. It's in the hand-addressed envelope instead of a computer printed label. It's in the thoughtful verse, and the timely delivery -- all the things we've talked about in this blog.

Make the most of the holidays for your company. A card is best way to let them all know you care.

Give employees a treat with gas cards in their Christmas cards

The good news is, gas prices have fallen over 40% since the highs of last summer. The bad news is everything else is up...food, clothing and rent have risen sharply. And that means your employees are hurting.

This year, add something thoughtful to your employees' business Christmas cards. A $25 gas card is a nice way to say you care about employees, even when raises and promotions just aren't in the budget.

Or consider a grocery gift card from your town's most popular grocery chain. Avoid choosing a specialty market -- food needs vary, and a smaller market may not offer the vegetarian, Kosher, Halal or other foods some employees require. A specific food like a turkey or ham is a bad idea for the same reason.

Some malls also offer gift cards good in any mall store. Adding these to employee Christmas cards is another nice way to remember employees during the holidays.

No matter which option you choose, in the midst of this year's economic stresses, adding a little something extra to your company Christmas card will make a Happier New Year for everyone.

No Christmas party at work? Holiday cards just became more important for employees and clients

According to an Associated Press article from yesterday, many companies are scaling back or even canceling this year's company Christmas party. Even heavy hitters like Viacom have nixed the traditional Yuletide gathering, offering employees two paid days off instead.

If the annual gathering is not to be, it's even more essential to send business holiday cards to those who would ordinarily be a part of the festivities. While it can't take the place of a face-to-face gathering, a beautiful company Christmas card or New Year's greeting can provide an essential point of contact in this troubled economic climate.

An elegant, well-worded corporate holiday card can convey gratitude for past service or business, offer wishes for a prosperous New Year, and perhaps even reassure business recipients that a trusted company is still around.

According to the AP article, many companies are sending out a message that the party has been canceled out of consideration for those who are facing such troubled times...a lavish party following layoffs, foreclosures and other financial troubles would not be in good taste. Whether or not the sentiment is sincere, it does offer a palatable explanation that seems more considerate than desperate, and might reassure some clients and customers.

For employees, a card with a custom sentiment that expresses gratitude and a sense of understanding, especially if layoffs have occurred or are a possibility, can go a long way towards showing an employee that the company does understand. Enclosing a gift card for a local grocery store or gas station is a wonderful idea -- far less expensive than a party, it will go a long way towards helping employees feel heard.

Wish your clients and employees a Happy New Year, with a twist

This year, instead of trying to figure out who celebrates which winter religious holiday, consider sending your customers and employees a Happy New Year card.

New Year greetings can be personalized to match your business. For instance, a medical practice could write:

Wishing you and your loved ones a healthy New Year

A car dealership could write:

A wish for many happy journeys in the New Year

The subtle connection to your product or service reminds the recipient what you do, without coming across as too pushy.

So what's the twist?

For customers:

Use the records you have of customer purchases and orders to create a customized "Wish List" for the New Year. Print them like a To-Do list and enclose them in each card. So the buyer of Mustang parts would receive a 2009 To-Do list including things like "Replace struts with Ford OEM high impact struts and shocks" or "Protect upholstery with aftermarket made-to-fit Mustang seat covers." Just a few custom suggestions with lines left at the bottom of the list to add their own "to'do's" could spark unexpected sales as the New Year unfolds.

For employees:

Make a "To-Do" list with events and sites from your company's city. Work/life balance is critical to employee (and company) success, so give your employees the gift of

• Recognizing that they have an off-work life
  
• recognizing the value of their "real" life

Consider enclosing some* free tickets or passes to one or two events in their card. This small but unexpected treat can do wonders for employee morale.

*Try to enclose the right number of passes for the employee's family size. There's nothing worse than getting 2 tickets when you have a three person family. Either the tickets go unused, another ticket must be purchased (often impossible), or someone is left out. Make sure single employees without children receive at least two tickets, four if possible.

Don't miss the chance to connect with business holiday cards

It's November.

Do you know where your company's holiday cards are?

It's not too late to order holiday cards for your business! Here are some important deadlines you might want to keep in mind to make sure your company Christmas card gets to its destination on time.

Christmas: Thursday, December 25th
Hanukkah (First night): Sunday, December 21st
New Years Eve: Wednesday, December 31st

The USPS sets up mailing deadlines for holiday cards and packages to make sure items arrive on time. For Christmas delivery, the 2008 schedule is available online. The new schedule includes military and international deliveries..

Remember, the dates shown are the deadlines. Since late is far worse than earlier, time your mailings well in advance of the date on the chart.