Tips and Etiquette for Business Holiday Cards

We’ve approached the holiday season which means it is time to start thinking about sending holiday cards to your clients and colleagues. Sending holiday greetings is a great way to show that you appreciate the people you do business with. Here are some quick tips and some etiquette to keep in mind.

• Mail your cards as early as possible, but not more than a week before Thanksgiving. Ideally, you want your cards to arrive in early or mid December. While sending them too early is not the best scenario, keep in mind that the post office is extremely busy this time of year and you don’t want your cards to arrive after Christmas day.

• Some people prefer to send out generic “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” cards to everyone on their lists, but sending out cards that are more personalized is also nice. If your family celebrates Christmas, by all means send Christmas cards. But make sure that Christmas cards don’t get sent to people who don’t celebrate it. Keep each card appropriate to the recipient.

• If you have the time, use your own handwriting wherever possible, on the outside of the envelopes and signatures inside the cards. This will give your cards a personal touch and show that you care enough to take a few minutes and give each card some attention. If you have a few more minutes, handwrite a short note on the inside of the card.

• Include your return address on all cards. The return address serves many purposes. First, the recipient will know who the card is from right away. Also, it ensures that they have your current address every year and they can use it to send a card back to you if they haven’t already.

• Don’t send e-cards as a substitute for real cards. A Christmas card should be an act of generosity with a personal touch. If all you have to do was click a link to send a card out, it no longer evokes the feeling of traditional holiday cheer. It’s easy to get affordable Christmas cards printed these days (ASK US, WE CAN HELP YOU).

• When sending Christmas cards to business associates, send it to their offices unless you also know them socially. If you haven’t been introduced to their families, keep the cards professional. Sign the cards with a note from you personally, but reserve the family photo cards for your friends and relatives.

• When sending cards to co-workers, mail the cards to their homes rather than handing them out in the office. This is more personal, and avoids conflict in case you don’t have cards for everyone. It also has a more traditional feel when your card arrives along with everyone else’s in an addressed envelope

  Right now is the perfect time to order your cards, especially if you plan to include customization, branding or special designs. With D4 you can create a very unique and memorable card that doesn’t have to break your budget. Below are some examples: