'Tis the season for good feelings
Small business marketing series
Originally published in Small Business Charleston, November 2008
By Tiffany Jonas
Here are four ideas to nurture relationships during the holidays with the wonderful clients, colleagues, and contacts who have made your business possible throughout the year.
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With such lovely Charleston weather, it might feel like summer just ended, but in reality, the holidays are already almost upon us! For small Lowcountry businesses, the holidays present an opportunity that is quintessentially Charlestonian but welcome everywhere: nurturing relationships with the wonderful clients, colleagues, and contacts who have helped you and made life a joy (and your business itself possible) throughout the year.
Every November and December, cards and small gifts of chocolate and flavored popcorn begin flowing in the doors of companies around the nation, but in Charleston's cozy small-town atmosphere, these tokens of caring and warm thanks are especially appreciated. At nearly every business I visit, each card that arrives is carefully added to a festive display of colorful good wishes near the front door.
Now's the time to plan! Your choices are rich and varied, but no matter what, it's the thought expressed that really does count. Here's a list of ideas from the simple to the elaborate.
1 } Holiday cards. From simple cards signed by every member of your staff to upscale letterpress cards printed on fine paper, the most important considerations are a tight fit with your firm's brand image and a personal message. If you sell fair trade goods, your choice of cards will be far different than for an upscale architectural firm, for instance. A personal message is always appreciated, but no matter what, there's no substitute for a signature in your own hand. Use a pen with a thick, dark ink, and resist the temptation to have your signature pre-printed or signed by your secretary; this is all too often obvious (e.g. an executive's name signed in large, loopy script) and can send a message that's the opposite of what you intend. Another note: for business, consider a neutral holiday message. Though many feel the holidays have merged into a more general American holiday "season" and Christmas messages are no longer as offensive to those of other faiths as they might have once been, neutral colors (think of blues and whites, or silvers and golds), images, and greetings are still a professional choice.
2 } Takeaways. Practical items like calendars can be used and appreciated throughout the entire year, keeping your good wishes on display in recipients' offices and homes across the city. An all-in-one calendar, printed with all the months on a single sheet, is easy to post on a bulletin board as a handy reference, while a monthly calendar allows twelve fresh images and messages throughout the year. In the latter case, it's often best to keep it small, though; a smaller size is more versatile for the recipient and allows him or her to display it where it's handiest for her. Real estate agents are often excellent about sending out small monthly calendars attached to a magnet; you can always find at least one on my refrigerator! Charleston's Knight Press produces clever calendars that fit inside a CD case yet can look marvelously upscale. (That's our own choice this year.)
3 } Gifts. Some of Charleston's smartest and most upscale companies keep track of favorite customers who have loyally and cheerfully patronized them throughout the year, making each encounter a delight. The holidays are a perfect time to recognize these gems, whether it's through special gifts like elaborate spreads for the entire staff, generous gift cards for free products or services, gorgeous floral displays, or the like. If you're instituting a new product or service, consider giving your firm's favorite customers first dibs on a complimentary basis! They'll appreciate the offer, and if the product or service is well received, they may even become ambassadors for you, telling others about the new pedicure they enjoyed courtesy of your salon or showing off the new scarf they received from your shop.
4 } Choose a different holiday. Celebrating Thanksgiving or the New Year can be a smart choice: in both cases, you'll stand out from the pack. And in many ways, Thanksgiving seems tailor-made to show your appreciation for the business you've received and the relationships you've enjoyed through the year. A card sent at Thanksgiving time with a simple but heartfelt message of thanks handwritten inside can generate warm feelings all around, and because of the proximity to the December holidays, your card will likely be one of the first in the lobby display of cards, where it will remain into the early days of January. If your industry is one that benefits from the idea of a fresh start, hope, or New Year's resolutions, meanwhile, a fresh, bright card heralding the New Year, full of wishes for future success, can cheer your recipients as they contemplate knuckling down in their efforts to achieve ever greater goals.
About the author
Aio Design founder Tiffany Jonas graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Journalism degree in advertising from the Missouri School of Journalism, a top journalism school. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and has taken coursework toward an MBA. She’s a member of Mensa, an organization for those who have tested in the top two percent of the population on a standardized intelligence test. She has been the two-time recipient of an 11-state award for design, honored at the Chicago Book & Media Show and was chosen as one of the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s 2008 Forty Under 40, honoring those who have achieved professional success while contributing to the community.
