Holiday Cards: Find out why YOU should be sending them!
Every year, for the last six, I’ve sent out Holiday cards from my remodeling business.
Receiving mail is still a THRILL!
Every customer we’ve ever interacted with gets one.
Not only are they a way to spread Holiday cheer but they’re also a great reminder of your business’ existence.
It’s an opportunity to remind your former clients that you’re still available to fulfill their needs.
Every year that I’ve sent out Holiday cards, I’ve gotten at least one project from a past customer.
So, my $200 investment for 100 cards, stamps, envelopes and return address stamps…always pays off with new business from a former client.
We know for a fact our former customers are an untapped resource, so every year this is the way I remind them that we are still in business and we still want to work for them.
My original customers have six versions of our Holiday card! What a FLEX. It’s a FLEX because it shows my business STABILITY and STAYING POWER.
“Wow, these are really solid guys!”
Yeah! The fly by night, man and a truck isn’t sending out Christmas cards!
Every year I send one out to the builder we worked for long ago who let us go because we wanted more than he was willing to offer. I love the idea of this guy opening the card and seeing that we’re still out there, doing good business! HAHA.
Holidays should be seen as an OPPORTUNITY.
Only savvy business people take it!
Just like the Holidays are an excuse to contact that family member you haven’t in a while, it’s the same with your former customers. Holidays are a good reason to say “hello!”
Here’s the step by step on how to easily get this done:
Around Thanksgiving I will find a picture of my partner and I from the previous year. I use VistaPrint.com’s very easy Holiday card ordering site. I chose something that I like—- you’ll have to decide if you want to do “Christmas” or “Holiday…I usually do “Holiday” just in case it doesn’t make it by Christmas and also because you never know what your homeowner thinks of Christmas. “Holiday” is certainly more homogenous.
Order the cards for everyone you’ve ever worked for. All your suppliers…People that you want to work for…let’s say, 50 card, 50 envelopes.
Order return labels with your logo on them.
I order Avery 18262 labels and use the Avery 5162 word template…on that template I type in all of my customer addresses. Save this in a file on your computer for future usage and add to the label files every year, all your new customers.
Get 50 (or however many you need) Christmas themed stamps.
Put the Christmas cards in the envelopes, personalizing them with written thanks and messages (if you want) seal the envelope, put your return address on it…your printed customer address and your stamp.
This usually takes me about 2 hours every year for 100.
The first week in December, I go to the post office and put these cards in the outbound box.
I’ll tell you guys, this is usually my PROUDEST MOMENT of the year!
My company made it ANOTHER YEAR! We are still here!
I know 5% of remodeling businesses are doing stuff like this. It shows appreciation for the support of my customers…it shows them that we are DIFFERENT and that we CARE.
Even if they don’t bring us on for more work…It humanizes me and let’s them know that their support is APPRECIATED.
I recommend that you guys send out Holiday cards---I do Christmas, end of the year cards…Maybe try THANKSGIVING! That would be an UNCOMMON card to receive in the mail! Receiving physical mail is still exciting and nostalgic for people and I personally still get excited to receive mail.
Yup, some of these cards will go straight in the trash. Facts. BUT a couple of them will remind your past customer that they’ve been thinking about needing some painting, or drywall, or siding, or tile…
On top of that…it may just put a smile on your customer’s face that they made the right decision in hiring you all those years ago!