Whether you own a sole proprietorship or are the CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation, sending business Christmas cards can serve to boost your customer relations and ultimately improve your bottom line. About half of all businesses send holiday cards - sometimes with unintended negative consequences. Here are some guidelines to ensure that your thoughtful gesture will be interpreted in the best possible light.
Selecting the Right Card
Every business has an image it portrays, whether through its logo, its branding efforts, or its marketing plan. The design of business holiday cards you select should reinforce that image. If, for example, you are a stockbroker, a Wall Street winter scene might be appropriate. On the other hand, if you are a pediatric dentist, more whimsical greeting cards are in order. For most businesses, and elegant and tasteful card is always appropriate.
When it comes to choosing a greeting card company, there are many online sources for business Christmas cards. Make sure to choose one that is well established and has a track record of satisfying customers. The best online greeting card companies will send you sample cards upon request, and offer personalization, free coordinating foil-lined envelopes, and printed envelopes.
When ordering business holiday cards, keep in mind that not everyone celebrates Christmas. A card expressing "season's greetings" or "warm holiday wishes" will prevent you from unintentionally offending those who aren't of the Christian faith.
Sending Your Cards
In business, timing is everything. Although you have some leeway in sending business holiday cards, the rule of thumb is to send them between December 1 and December 15. If you're a business-to-business company, keep in mind that many businesses close or have reduced hours during the holiday season, so make sure that your card arrives in advance of the holidays.
In order to send your holiday cards out in a timely fashion, make sure to order them early. Personalized business Christmas cards can take a few weeks to produce, so try and place your order by mid-October.
The Personalized Touch
The purpose of sending business greeting cards is to engender warm feelings in the recipient. That won't happen if your Christmas cards have address labels and are run through a postage meter. Expend the extra effort and have someone on your staff (who has nice handwriting) address the envelopes by hand. In addition, use a postage stamp instead of a meter when applying postage.
In the same vein, although you should have your cards printed with the company's name, the cards should also be signed by hand. The best approach is to have those who most closely work with the recipient sign the card by hand. If yours is a small enterprise, have a card signing party one afternoon, and have each person on your staff sign each card. This will go a long way towards making a positive impression on the recipient.
Be a Gracious Recipient
There's little doubt that your company will also receive business holiday cards from your vendors and associates. Be a gracious recipient and display the cards in your workplace. It will not only bring a bit of holiday cheer to your office, but it will also please those who have a sent a card to you and see it displayed.
Sending Christmas cards is now a fairly old tradition, a tradition that everyone appreciates and enjoys. The joy of receiving Christmas cards, especially when they are from someone whom you least expected to send you a card, is a part of the Christmas magic. Not everyone may enjoy sending Christmas cards, but when it comes to getting them, all of us like that. Some people send Christmas cards out of sheer pleasure or love for other people. Others send them because they feel the need to further their relationships with other people. No matter what category you are part of, you should keep in mind that Christmas cards are a nice gesture that everyone should take the time to do, especially since it's only once a year.
When it comes to making a business relationship stronger, sending business Christmas cards is an important step in that direction. As true as it may be that some people take them for granted, you should also keep in mind that, although they might not think too much of it, they are very likely to be offended if you fail to send them some business Christmas cards. Or, on the other hand, your business partners or employees may not even expect this gesture from you, which means they will certainly be delighted, or at least taken by surprise. The bottom line is that Christmas means different things to different people, and their interpretation of receiving business Christmas cards depends a lot on how they feel about sending and receiving cards in general. But I don't think there's anyone out there who does not appreciate it when others think of him/her.
Now that you know you must send business Christmas cards, there are some important aspects that you must not overlook. For instance, as you certainly know, any present that you make or card that you send reflects on you as the sender. Therefore, if the business Christmas cards you send are cheap, that's the way you will seem too, cheap. On the other hand, if you choose carefully and opt for high quality cards designed by professionals, you will certainly make a good impression, which will then reflect positively on your image in the eyes of your business partners. Moreover, sending nothing but tasteful business Christmas cards is a must, because a business relationship should not be tested with Christmas cards. This is not certainly the occasion to test whether your business partners or clients have a sense of humor. There are many beautiful business Christmas cards with traditional themes that you can send.
You can order business Christmas cards online, and have them personalized by imprinting them, which is also possible online. If your personalization does not exceed four lines, it will also be free, and you can even opt for personalized envelopes. All business Christmas cards will be shipped to you in no more than three business days, and if you decide to order early, you may even benefit from a substantial discount.
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