Business Holiday Greeting Cards

Sending those Christmas greeting cards.

And it's the one task that can't be left until the last minute.

And for busy managers, it's even worse – they need to order those holiday greeting cards not only for their family and friends – but also their entire office staff.  It's enough to turn the kindest, happiest manager into the office Grinch.

Luckily, PrintPelican.com, a full service greeting card printer, has created some time saving alternatives to make the company holiday card tasks just a little less daunting.   Here's how:  Customers can either upload their predesigned holiday cards, personalized with their pictures and messages, or choose from one of PrintPelican's existing greeting card templates, ordering as many or as few as they need.  They can even order several different holiday greeting cards at once – ordering one set for family and friends, another set for office workers, and a third set for clients.  Using predesigned holiday cards has the advantage of allowing companies to use their own logo and pictures, building their brand recognition. Using an existing greeting card template, of course, saves managers what they need most – time.

But wait, I hear you saying.  Clients?  Aren't my clients already overwhelmed with seasonal sales pitches? 

Certainly but this is where savvy companies – and top marketers – stand out from the crowd.  A company holiday card provides the perfect opportunity for a company to thank clients, offer seasonal cheer, and make a perfect impression. It may not generate immediate sales, but it can certainly pay off in the long term.  Avoiding a sales pitch, but showing your clients consideration and recognition, is one of the best ways to build up a long term relationship with your best clients. A few things to keep in mind:

Consider your market:  Companies specifically targeting the burgeoning Christian market should certainly use company Christmas cards.  But if your company has a more secular market or customer base, avoid using any words that might potentially offend a client.  Safe greetings include "Seasons Greetings,"  "Happy New Year," "May the happiness of the holidays be with you," and so on. 

Consider your pictures carefully as well. It's usually best to go with a more neutral picture.  One idea: consider using a picture of your employees on the inside or the outside of the company holiday card, or use a peaceful landscape picture.

Avoid sending e-cards to clients.  E-cards have gained popularity in recent years, but they still shriek of informality – and some of your clients might be offended to think that they aren't worth the trouble of a printed company holiday card, or believe that an e-card is just too casual.  Also, keep in mind that most e-card companies allow you to send only a few e-cards in each batch.  You can actually save time and effort by printing labels from your corporate database and sending out a large group of company holiday cards.

Take a moment to personalize your company holiday cards.  A personal signature – and perhaps a few words indicating your friendly relationship with the client – can go a long way to establishing a long term relationship.

Take a few seasonal cards to holiday parties.  And take more than one. If you've been invited to a holiday party of a client or a supplier, take along company holiday cards and hand them to the hosts.  You'll find that this makes for a memorable touch.

Avoid a sales pitch:  Think of the company holiday card as a thank you card to employees and clients. Be careful, however:  a holiday greeting card is probably not the best place to make your sales pitch. Rather, consider this your opportunity to thank your clients for their business, and wish them joy in the season. Who knows?  Seeing your company holiday card on their desk might just remind them to give you a call in January – and that can help you feel a bit of holiday cheer in the New Year, too.