Sending Christmas cards to customers has become a matter of course for many companies. After all, you want to thank our loyal customers and partners for the good year and at the same time remain in their memory. But not all communication sent during the holiday season is appreciated by your customers. Many companies miss the mark.
Holiday greetings are a popular way in Switzerland to look back on the past year and extend the professional partnership into the next year. Of course, this festive time is also a good opportunity for gentle advertising messages.
ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH
Maybe you don’t know all your customers personally. However, if everyone is to receive a letter, it’s important to be personal while maintaining some distance at the same time. This can be achieved by using a casual address but not mentioning internal details, for example. Perhaps the customer only ordered from you once, wasn’t completely satisfied or ordered on someone else’s behalf.
Addressing your products, the team and your own feelings can be the wrong way to go in this case. Instead, give customers the feeling that you know them – not they you. If you’re sending a Christmas card to customers you’ve personally met at a trade show, for example, you should of course slip in this reference to refresh their memory.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS INSTEAD OF MERRY CHRISTMAS
But not everyone in Switzerland celebrates Christmas. Your Christmas mail sent between the beginning of Advent and New Year should therefore refrain from referring to the holiday itself if possible. For decades, it has been considered polite in the U.S. to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” This way, you also address those customers who don’t celebrate any particular festival this time of year but simply enjoy a few days off with their families.
Do you want to impress your customers with special holiday mail? Then why not send them something handwritten?
Both the actual print product and the envelopes can be beautifully and individually designed with our signature service by Sophie. She and her team write Christmas cards, New Year’s cards and mailing addresses in 15 handwriting styles or in your personal handwriting as if by hand.
KEEP IT SHORT!
There’s one thing your Christmas letter to your customers should never be – long. The letter neither represents actual personal correspondence between you and the recipient, nor should it bombard the reader with company news, sales or new products. The holidays are just around the corner. Respect that the customer would probably prefer to spend this time largely free of advertising.
SEND GOODIES OR CATALOGS?
Is the Christmas letter to customers a way to distribute advertising material? No. You’re writing to the customer without his or her consent, and the letter itself already has an advertising effect. Leave it at that. Catalogs, offers and sales announcements can be sent separately. The addition of promotional material causes frustration, clogs the mailboxes of those who are already on vacation and makes the letter unsympathetic. You can include small seasonal goodies that aren’t purely promotional as long as the letter can still be sent in the usual format.
CHRISTMAS LETTER TO CUSTOMERS – YES PLEASE, BUT FRIENDLY
In general, it’s much easier to ruin your good reputation with your customers through intrusive, unsolicited mailings than by writing a cordial letter. Have different people read your completed Christmas letter and weigh in on whether they would be happy to receive the letter or card in this form. Only then can you be sure you’re sending a holiday greeting that will spread cheer and keep you in your customers’ good graces.
