The holidays are coming up soon, and businesses will use greeting cards to impress their clients. For many people, picking out the perfect design, creating the mailing list, and finding time to get them mailed can be overwhelming. The way to make this task manageable is to apply forethought, and follow it up with planning. Extra personal touches will impress your customers. Here are some simple guidelines to follow that will make your holiday mailing successful this year.

Decide on a mailing date. After you have decided on the mailing date for your holiday greeting cards, working backwards will allow you to finish the job with as little stress as possible. An ideal time to aim for is soon after the Thanksgiving Holiday. Most people expect to get cards right after Thanksgiving because the holiday season is now lengthier. We often display the best cards we get, so why shouldn't it be your card hanging on your client's wall? You need to make your name known- that's the bottom line.

Only quality cards must be purchased! This point bears repeating at length. Poor quality cards look cheap, and will quickly wind up in the trash. A well made card can show that you value your client. There are many alternatives to those traditional, run-of-the-mill, four color cards. Many greeting cards now sport die-cut shapes or foil accents. Being different, makes it easier for your card to be noticed.

Try to make it appropriate. Show that you value your client's beliefs by choosing an appropriate card with a suitable theme While it take a bit more effort to personalize a card, the effort you show will be remembered by your clients. Boxed holiday cards are sold in small increments, so try to get different designs that will represent different customs. If you are unsure what holiday the recipient celebrates, select a neutral card with a winter image and greeting of "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings."

Make the cards feel personal. The impact of extra personal touches is invaluable. The recipient will feel much more valued, when it shows that you put extra time and effort into your greeting. The following few small tips can help you accomplish your goal of making the client feel special, and allow your card to stand out from other cards received. A few suggestions are listed here, but don't let that stop you from being creative and coming up with ideas of your own:

- On the inside of the card, handwrite the recipient's name.

- Thank them for their business with a short note.

- A personal signature is an absolute must, even on preprinted cards.

- Instead of typing or utilizing a printer, write out the address by hand. Stay away from labels that look automatically generated. They give the appearance of a mass mailing.

Use your good judgment. Your greetings have to stand out, like every other aspect of your business. An advertising piece that is poorly made gets tossed right away and is a complete waste of money. To be effective, your greeting card needs to be recognized and appreciated. A few common sense ideas to help your greeting card create an impression and to lessen your own stress:

- Keep an updated mailing list with correct names and addresses. Update the list all year so that it takes less effort during the holidays. Use a separate database specifically for greeting cards. Over the year, regularly add the new contacts. Input address changes as you get them.

- Make sure you allow for plenty of time to get cards filled out and delivered to the post office. To make things less stressful for everyone, you should enlist the help of others and delegate tasks. This ensures that no single person carries the bulk of the burden. Don't be caught in the last moment rush at the post office.

- Be aware of traditions your client honors. Nowadays, it's more difficult not to offend someone because of the emphasis on political correctness. Research or choosing a neutral design shows them that you are culturally sensitive.

- Put a personal touch on it. The surest way to show the that you care is to extend personal attention. You customers will thank you for it.