Business Christmas Cards :
Today greeting cards for any and every occasion can be sent in nanoseconds
at the click of a mouse. However, when it comes to sending a
Christmas card to your business associates and clients, you
need to connect in a more personal way. Sending a business Christmas
card via postal mail or having it delivered by courier is a
stepping-stone to developing a good business relationship. It
is a warm handshake with a person whose association you value
greatly. The recipient will appreciate your gesture and keep
that relationship growing.
However, it is not merely a question of simply dropping in at your local card store or logging on the World Wide Web to select a Christmas card. There are some basic points to keep in mind while selecting and sending a business Christmas card.
Guidelines for Selection of Business Christmas Cards
:
• Select cards of good quality paper. • Select cards with good artwork and designs. • Select cards that have non-flashy colors. • Select cards that are not very large. • Select cards that have appropriate matching envelopes.
• Select a variety of cards. You need not send the exact
same card to all your associates.
Guidelines for Buying of Business Christmas Cards
:
• Buy cards well in advance of the Christmas season.
In fact, some experts advise buying a year in advance! That
way, you will get at much-reduced rates and will save many dollars.
• You will also save dollars by placing bulk orders.
Of course, this is fine only if you are actually sending to
a really large group of people. Dont buy in bulk simply because
you will be paying less. You will end up with boxes of cards
stacked up in your basement! • Place a request to have a free sample sent to you.
You can view samples of a card online, but there is nothing
like seeing the actual card in hand.
• Find out if you can return the cards at no extra charge,
if you are not fully satisfied.
Guidelines for Sending Business Christmas Cards :
• The Recipients: Do not send business Christmas cards
to every Tom, Dick and Jane in your Rolodex. Send only to those
persons with whom you already have a good relationship and who
are aware of exactly who you are. Remember to send cards to
all your team members too! • Religion: It is absurd to send a Merry Christmas
card to a business associate who does not celebrate the Christmas
festival. To such an associate, it would be more appropriate
to send a general type of card, such as one which coveys wishes
for the New Year or for the holiday season.
• General Tone of the Card: NEVER ever use vulgar pictures
or offensive words. You may have a wacky sense of humor and
select a card, which, for example, shows Santa in his sleigh
with a scantily dressed woman. You add the message, Enjoy the
Holiday season in great company. Youve just slammed the door
on a business relationship. You will never hear from the recipient
again.
• Personal Message: Make the greeting more warm and
personal by writing in your own hand a short and simple message
inside. Do keep in mind that it is highly likely that other
people will read the card. So do not get too personal!
• The Signature: A personal signature (not a printed
one) conveys the fact that you value the relationship and that
the recipient means a lot to you. You can add the name of your
company below the signature either have it printed or put
a stamp.
• The Address: It is always best to send a business
Christmas card to the recipients place of work. If you have
established a really close and excellent relationship with the
associate or client and are on quite friendly terms, then only
you should send it to the residential address. In that case,
do remember to add the name of the spouse.
• The Envelope: ALWAYS write by hand the address on
the envelope. It is very cheap to simply stick on printed address
labels. Double check that the address is correct. Also, dont
goof up on the spelling of the recipients name!
• Your Business Card: Most of the time, a business card
simply falls out of the envelope when the Christmas card is
removed. If you havent put your company name/stamp below your
signature (which in a majority of cases is indecipherable!)
the recipient will not even know who has sent it. What you could
do is have your name and company name and address printed on
the inside part of the envelopes flap.
• The Timing: Better late than never this phrase
is inapplicable with regard to sending a business Christmas
card. During the Christmas season, you may feel that the season
is still ongoing and it is never too late to send a card. However,
it is likely that the card will reach the recipient much later,
well after even the New Year. It would be like telling the recipient
that you remembered him or her in a sudden flash of late intuition!
Hence, make sure all your cards are on their destined routes
no later than the second week of December. If you are sending
cards to overseas clients or business associates, do so well
in advance of the local cards.
Inside the Card
You can write a personal message, Warm Holiday Wishes to you and your family, Alfred or Wishing You and Your Family a Wonderful Year Ahead, Alfred.
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