In our current world climate of uncertain economic stability, it is an extra good time to make sure we do everything in our power, and our budget, to, first—keep happy the loyal customers we have, and second—entice potential new customers to help grow our business. Corporate Christmas and holiday cards are a great way to promote our company and show gratitude to those that have stuck by us and watched us grow throughout the previous year. Yet despite the likely generation of good cheer, it’s important to keep in mind that the simple act of sending a greeting during the holidays also has the potential to cause damage if attention isn’t paid to crucial points of etiquette.
Proper corporate Christmas card etiquette isn’t difficult to follow if one keeps some simple rules at the forefront. Always remember that whatever card[s] you send out represent your company as much as if you were standing there in person, card in hand. One criterion to use when selecting what sort of greeting you want to share—make sure it expresses the formality, or the down-to-earth, personality of your company or organization. Your company or organization has a public image. Make sure your cards clearly mirror that image.
The recipients of the cards you send may celebrate a religious Christmas, or they may follow a generic symbol of caring and giving without the spiritual connections. They may observe Hanukkah, or Ramadan, or other festive and sacred holidays which stem from national and, these days, international calendars. By selecting an all- encompassing greeting, you recognize everyone while in no way offending anyone’s cultural or religious differences. This is of special importance in today’s international business environment, where you will likely be sending cards around the world, as well as around the block.
Once you have ensured that your corporate holiday card will be the best overall for your particular clientele and that it well-represents your professional face, make certain the list to which you send is as inclusive as possible, allowing for your widest network of associates and potential new businesses. This is a good practice to show the overall connected business community how friendly, festive, and business-savvy you are.
You will likely design and order your personalized corporate Christmas and holiday cards from a stationery and/or print company, possibly even one online. Make sure you put in your order as soon as possible. Most professional printers are set up to take holiday card orders months ahead of when the season actually officially gets under way. The earlier you can contact your printer and make your final selection and payment, the better off you will be. This is only the first step in a multi-step process, and getting a leg up on the effort will put you in front of the curve. There is so much to do during the holidays, and whittling down that task list helps you hold onto your sanity just a bit longer.
In preparing the cards to be sent, you want to ensure that they are addressed properly, including correct titles, names spelled without error, and mailing addresses verified. It is considered a top-of-the-line classy business which includes a personalized signature inside the card, and has the outside of the envelope hand-addressed. Don’t forget to use nicely-done return company address labels (get these from your printer, too). This shows your recipients that you care enough to take those extra special steps to show them how much you value their time and their association, and that you look forward to doing business with them throughout the new year ahead.
At all costs, avoid the last minute holiday post office rush, making sure your cards are in the mail, at the very latest, not after December 15th. However, for business purposes, it is best to have them on their way in early December since once the cards reach their destination, there may be a mail room to circumvent them before they arrive on the desk of your clients and potential business partners.
With just a bit of preparation and common sense, you can utilize the age-old practice of sending corporate Christmas cards and holiday cards to cement good relationships, relationships which may actually benefit you not only in the boardroom, but also in the business community to which you belong.