Get Personal During the Upcoming Holiday Season

Make the effort.  The investment is not substantial, the rewards are significant and you’re doing a good deed.

It’s holiday time; time to set aside some of the work and get personal, with family, friends, business colleagues and clients.  For the latter two, business colleagues and clients, now is the time to formally extend warm wishes for the holiday season.  How you perform this annual ritual can make all the difference in the world.

The typical holiday greeting these days is an electronic card or paper snail-mail card.  The vast majority of the time there is no real message, just a holiday greeting and a name.  I’ve received many of these cards and while they are appreciated, they do not adequately convey the holiday spirit nor do they convey any sense of personal well wishes.  I can see the author going through a box of cards, signing his/her name, and a secretary putting them in a pre-addressed envelope and mailing them.  Or for the electronic cards, copy in the bulk address file and send away, all the same.

Do it the right way.  If you want to be politically correct and say Happy Holidays, that’s fine, but get personal.  Let your client know that you have taken the time and thought to not just say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or Happy Holidays, but that you are putting forth the extra effort to add a few personal comments.  Perhaps the comments pertain to a common event, past or forthcoming, or a mention of family members, and surely a season greeting.  Anything to show your appreciation for the relationship and that you’ve done more than sign your name.

Most of the mailed paper holiday cards will end up on a credenza or file cabinet, on full display by others.  That’s a good thing.  It doesn’t hurt to add the name of your company after your name.  Your colleague or friend may know your company but those that view the credenza display may not.

Make the effort soon as the holiday season is upon us.