Who should receive a business holiday card from our company

Once you've decided to send out company holiday cards, you need to decide who will receive them.

With the relatively low cost of sending business holiday cards, it’s easy to include almost everyone. After all, when you compare it to other types of marketing, business holiday cards are very affordable.

Before you place your order, it's wise to review your holiday card list carefully to make sure none of your important business contacts have been left off. Here are a few groups every business owner or manager should include:

• Start with the names you know best. Give first priority to your best customers, most reliable vendors and any big potential clients you've been courting.
  
  Make sure you have all names spelled correctly, addresses up to date, and titles, if any, correctly entered on your list.
  
  If you know that any of them do not celebrate Christmas, consider a non-religious Seasons Greetings card for those business associates rather than a traditional Christmas card. Select a card featuring a beautiful winter scene or a global wish for peace and add a hand-written note with a message of Happy Hanukkah, Prosperous New Year, or wishes for a warm and wonderful season.
  
  Remember, these are the customers and vendors who bring the greatest value to your business. A little extra effort may pay off in stronger relationships – and bigger sales – in the coming year.
• Add your complete customer and vendor lists. In addition to current customers, include any customers who have not done business with you recently and you would like to gain back. Again, take the time to double-check spelling, look for duplicate listings and make sure the addresses are current.
• Decide on your target criteria for including prospective customers. If yours is a local service, like a dry cleaner or restaurant, target the homes in your same ZIP code plus adjacent ZIP codes that are within a reasonable driving distance. If your services are not geographically limited, invest in lists that let you select specific demographic data (for consumer lists) or firm demographic data (for business lists) to identify the best prospects for your business.
• Add your employees. No matter how tight budgets may be, your employees deserve a holiday card. That simple gesture can work wonders with employee morale and company loyalty. With this group, you have the option of in-house delivery or mailing the cards to employees’ homes. If you mail them to employees' homes, be sure you include spouses or domestic partners in the address. If you are in doubt about surnames or titles for partners, ask before sending. That little extra attention to detail will go far towards creating good feelings, and promoting a sense of belonging to a company that cares.