11 Tips For Your 2009 Holiday Cards

Sending holiday cards sounds easy. Order cards, stick them in the envelopes, get addresses, and send off. It actually can be exactly that easy, but there are still a few tips that I think everyone should know about. Because your holiday cards are essentially an investment in your relationships and you want to get the most bang for your buck, here!

1. Be the early bird. One of the best ways to get attention is to be first to send your business holiday cards. Consider mailing cards just before Thanksgiving to ensure your good wishes are delivered before the recipients take time off or the company closes for the holidays.

2. Choose carefully. Your holiday cards should reflect your company's image and values. Choose a message that sounds like something you'd say to your customers, but keep messages brief and secular unless you are certain of the recipient's religious faith. Remember, your card may be displayed in the office, so it needs to be appropriate for others to see.

3. First class all the way. Mail business holiday cards first class to ensure cards are delivered or forwarded to the correct location. And use real postage stamps. This will prevent your card from looking like it was part of a mass mailing.

4. Send to individuals. In addition to sending one greeting card to an entire company, consider sending business greeting cards to the individuals you work with directly. This lets each person you work with know you value him or her as an individual.

5. Business or personal? If you are sending holiday wishes to business associates, it is most appropriate to mail corporate holiday cards to a business address. However, if you are friends socially or have met the recipient's spouse or significant other, you can send the card to his or her home.

6. First impressions count. Make sure you spell the recipient's name and company correctly. Always use titles, such as Mr., Mrs. and Dr. For female business associates, the standard title used is “Ms.” unless the recipient has a professional title or indicates another preference.

7. Put your pen’s ink to use! Even if your name is preprinted on your business holiday cards, make sure to sign your name in ink. If several members of your team work with the recipient, have them sign the card as well.

8. Make it personal. The goal is to make the business greeting cards personal, so if you can add a simple handwritten message, such as “We appreciate your business,” you'll let the customer know how much you value the relationship. It sends the message that you took the extra time to write something because that person is important to you and your business.

9. Hand-address the envelope. Computer-generated labels are impersonal and make your business holiday cards look like a mass mailing. If you don’t like your handwriting, ask someone with nice handwriting to address them or if you have a lot of cards to send consider a hand-addressing service.

10. Return the gesture. If you receive a holiday card, follow up by sending a holiday card, writing a note or giving the sender a quick phone call. This is another opportunity to let the customer know you appreciated the card and appreciate his or her business.

11. It's never too late. Even though you get bonus points for sending the first card of the season, there's never a bad time to send a greeting card to a customer. And if you aren't able to send business holiday cards for the December holiday season, don't worry. New Year’s is another perfect opportunity to thank customers for their business and wish them a successful new year. Being consistent is most important here: if you’ve been sending a particular customer a card for many years, make sure to send them a card this year, too!