Impress Your Clients With Personalized Greeting Cards

By: John Oberhauser


With the holidays quickly approaching, many businesses decide to use boxed greeting cards as a way to impress their clients. Choosing the perfect card, compiling a mailing list, and then getting the cards mailed might be viewed as an overwhelming chore. Cure this dilemma by applying some foresight and a dose of good sense. You can make a lasting impression on your clients if you add that extra personal touch. Your mailing for the holidays can be a success if you utilize these this advice.

Allow yourself time to finish the task without becoming rushed, by selecting a mailing date, and then working backwards. Plan to send your cards out directly after the Thanksgiving Holiday. Most people expect to start getting cards in the mail just after Thanksgiving. Wouldn't it be super to have your card displayed on a client's wall even longer than you anticipated? Remember, the point is to get your name out to the public.

Purchase Quality Cards! We can't stress this enough. Inexpensive cards will look cheap. You will convey that you hold your client and his business in esteem if you send a well made, quality card. Numerous cards are available that are a step above the usual four color, flat print cards. Many cards have die-cut shapes or foil accents. You want you greeting to draw attention and distinguish itself from the other cards.

Do not send an inappropriate card. Respect your client's beliefs and select a card with an appropriate theme. You'll have to spend a little time and effort choosing and mailing the card, but it's worth it to prove to your client that you care about them as an individual. Boxed sets of holiday cards are available for all types of religious denominations, so purchase a few sets to express good wishes in different religious traditions. Remember, not everyone celebrates or even believes in Christmas. Don't offend client's who celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other of the many religious traditions by sending them a holiday greeting that is geared toward Christianity. A safe alternative is to pick a neutral card with a general winter image and a greeting of Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings.

Personalize the card to make it more effective. Some extra personal touches can create a positive influence. Taking the time and putting the effort into your greeting makes the recipient feel so much more appreciated. People appreciate your gesture of sending a card, even though they know that you'll be sending them to all of your clients. Here are some suggestions to get your imagination working:

- Handwrite the name of the recipient inside the card.

- Inscribe a short sentiment that sends them friendly wishes or tells them that you appreciate their business.

- Although your name may be already printed on the card, sign it anyway.

- The address needs to be written by hand. This seems far more personal than a computer generated label. You don't want your greeting to look like a mass mailing.

Utilize your common sense. Your greeting needs to perform, just like everything else you do in business. If your advertisement is shoddy and ignored, it was a waste of time and money. In order to be effective, your greeting card needs to be acknowledged and appreciated. Here's a handful of simple ideas to improve the desired effect of your greeting cards and make sending them less stressful on you:

- Update your mailing list often, reviewing it to ascertain that all names and addresses are current and correct. If you do this all year, you'll have less work to do later on. Open a new database only for greeting cards. All year long, place new contacts in this database. Make address changes as soon as you receive them.

- Give yourself plenty of time. Signing, addressing, and delivering the cards to the post office may take longer than you expect. Ask others to assist you, giving them specific assignments to complete, so that accomplishing the larger goal isn't such an overwhelming task. Keep in mind that you will feel far less stressed if you avoid the last minute post office rush.

- Be aware a of varying traditions. With today's emphasis on PC, it seems like almost anything can be interpreted as an insult. Show that you value cultural differences by doing some research, or choosing a design that appeals to everyone.

- Make them personal. Personal attention tells others that you care. As the old saying goes, "A little effort, can go a long way."


John Oberhauser runs The Image Shop which has over 650 designs of boxed holiday and Christmas cards to choose from. The Image Shop also carries printable designer invitation paper and letterhead stationery for quickly creating a professional custom look at less cost.