Tag: Holiday Greetings

10 Holiday Greetings for Business

Posted on by Linda Anger

Here we go again – the “Holiday Season” – no other time of celebration brings such anguish along with it, from what to buy to what to say. I can’t help you with the what to buy part, but can offer help in what to say in your greeting cards, or in everyday conversation.

When you live and work in the multi-cultural worlds of most major cities in America, the chances are pretty good that you have colleagues, neighbors, clients, and friends whose faith or culture is different from yours.

I’m a big believer in the sentiment that floats around Facebook every December that says:

Say What Has Meaning for You

We have no right to demand that others go along with our beliefs or behaviors. We do have, if we truly subscribe to any one of the major religions, a moral obligation to treat each other as we would want to be treated. Here are ten statements you can put in the cards you send  either personally or for business, adding or omitting the names of your holiday or the one of the person to whom the card is addressed:

  • May your holidays and New Year be filled with laughter, good food, and good friends.
  • Warm wishes we send to you, for happy holidays, and in the new year, too!
  • Enjoy the sweet moments this holiday season can bring.
  • Make memories that last through the new year, give thanks, give love, and be of good cheer!
  • Amazing people like you make the world brighter for people like us. Thank you, and Happy Holidays!
  • There’s no better time to tell you just how much your business means to us throughout the whole year. Happy Holidays!
  • Remembering you with warm wishes for a happy and peaceful holiday season.
  • Wishing you joy at the holidays and in the coming year.
  • May your holidays be merry, may it fill your hearts with cheer, and may all of you be happy throughout the bright new year!
  • Sending you warm wishes of gratitude this holiday season for your business, support, and referrals. Happy Holidays!

An added, personal message such as, “Dear Pete & Judy, hope your ski trip is great!” is a great way to let your contacts know they are special. One last tip: Hand address the envelopes. Yes, it takes a lot more time than printing and slapping on a label, but handwriting also tells the receiver you were thinking of them. Address a few at a time while you veg in front of the TV at night. If your penmanship is hard to read, hire one of your staff members or a friend to write them for you – and don’t forget to give them a bonus check!

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Greetings that Make a Difference

Posted on by Linda Anger

You’re seeing it already: the arrival of “Happy Holidays” messages filling your email box, each with some variation of the same message:

Sincerest wishes for hope, happiness and peace during this Holiday Season and throughout the coming year.

It’s canned, it’s boring, and it rarely feels “sincere,” especially when you know it has come to you via an email distribution service, and that you’ve received it only because your email address has been added to a list.

How to Make a Difference

    • Buy a box of holiday cards that fit your business style, to be sent to people on your “A” list.  HAND WRITE a personal message inside: “Dear Joe & Joan: hope your annual ski trip takes you to new heights!” or “Dear Mark: Saw the photo of your new son on Facebook. Congratulations!”
    • HAND ADDRESS the envelopes. Yes, you do have time. Write and address a few cards each day. No one said it has to be done all at once.
    • For the “B” list, buy more cards. Have your administrative assistant create mailing labels. Sign the cards. Really, just do it – you can sign your name to a few at a time when you take a five-minute break from a project, or while you’re watching TV.
    • For the “C” list, write a generic – but not sterile – message, and send it via whatever mail delivery service you use – Constant Contact, iContact, and MailChimp are three options. Just make sure you remove the “A” and “B” list people from this group before you hit “send.”

The Results

If your relationship with your clients is like mine, your phone will ring, or you will find personal “thank you” messages in your email box. Either is an opportunity for a brief, personal conversation that people will remember long after the eggnog is gone and the tree lights stowed in the garage.

Give your greetings the personal touch this year, and carry the practice into the new year.

It will make a difference in your business.