| Christmas is a time for giving. It's the season for | | | | should be used to add a more personal touch to the |
| sharing, and becoming enthusiastic about a new year. It | | | | card. Sign off with your name. You may also consider |
| is also a great time for businesses to reach out to their | | | | including your staff in the sign-off e.g. Greetings from |
| loyal customers and give a little back to them. A | | | | John Basil and my team. |
| classic way to do this is with a Christmas greeting | | | | 8. To avoid a situation where the personalized card is |
| card. In a time when everyone is too busy to write a | | | | sent to the incorrect customer, the next task should be |
| simple, personal message of goodwill in a card, | | | | done immediately. Hand-write the customer's address |
| businesses which put in the effort to do this leave a | | | | on the envelope and insert the card into the envelope. |
| positive mark on their customers. A generic printed | | | | Delete this customer from your list so you don't |
| card is better than none, but there are ways to use | | | | accidentally send two cards to the same person. It is |
| this opportunity of sharing to make an even greater | | | | tempting to use printed address labels, but this step, |
| impact on the customer. | | | | albeit tedious, is a critical part of the investment you |
| | | | are making in your customers. A hand-written |
| 1. Order cards with your business information printed | | | | envelope shows personal effort and tells a customer |
| on the back so the customer can easily show their | | | | you are treating him or her as an individual. A |
| appreciation by calling or visiting your business. | | | | hand-written envelope is also unlikely to end up, |
| Customized cards may be purchased from your local | | | | unopened, in the trash with the other seasonal junk |
| printer, or ordered online. | | | | mail. Seal the envelope, add a festive return address |
| 2. Compile a list of your customers' names and postal | | | | label and a postage stamp. |
| addresses. If your budget for postage is restricted, you | | | | 9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until all cards have been |
| may want to trim the length of this list and retain the | | | | written, and the envelopes are ready to be dropped in |
| details of customers who have been loyal to your | | | | the mail. |
| business the longest. | | | | 10. Take a trip to your local post office, and dispatch |
| 3. Purchase sufficient stamps for the number of | | | | your cards. |
| customers on your list. | | | | Hints: |
| 4. If you budget allows, order festive return address | | | | To avoid your hard work ending up in the trash with |
| labels with your business postal address. | | | | the other holiday junk mail, try one or more of the |
| 5. Write a selection of 3-5 different personal | | | | following hints: |
| messages on a sheet of paper. Vary the messages | | | | - Use cards with square envelopes that look |
| from religiously neutral to blatantly Christian, if you | | | | significantly different from standard sized envelopes. |
| know the religious persuasions of your customers. If | | | | - Use brightly coloured or patterned envelopes that will |
| you do not, then write 3-5 positive and encouraging | | | | attract attention. |
| messages that have no religious bias. Having a variety | | | | - Use postage stamps and avoid franking the |
| of different personal messages allows you more | | | | envelopes (franking will detract from the personal |
| space to express yourself, and lessens the chance of | | | | appearance of the envelope). |
| two customers comparing cards and concluding that | | | | - If your postal system allows this, decorate the |
| the messages were not as personal as they originally | | | | envelopes with festive stickers (which can be |
| thought. | | | | attached when the stamps are attached). |
| 6. If you have staff to help you, split the writing tasks | | | | Every small business, even those with very tight |
| between the available staff members. If you do not | | | | marketing budgeting, can use the simple tradition of |
| have assistance, consider employing the assistance of | | | | sending Christmas cards to reward customer loyalty |
| an office-assistance company which offers a | | | | and encourage customers to return in the new year. |
| card-writing service. | | | | Write the cards yourself or get some help, but don't |
| 7. The first writing task involves transcribing one | | | | miss the opportunity to send the message that your |
| personal message per card. Reference the name list | | | | business cares about its customers. |
| for first and last names, and start the message with | | | | (c) Copyright - Sharon Krantz. All Rights Reserved |
| the customer's name. If first names are known, these | | | | Worldwide. |