Hey everyone,

With Christmas coming up I was wondering if any of you send out cards to customers and if so what do you usually say or send? I thought about doing it last year but never did and think it might be a good way to build relationships. Thanks and Hope you all have a great Christmas season.

CCP, having no idea what your area is like, I can only suggest what I feel for our area. Christmas is usually a time of the year for Christians to gather in praise to their Lord and to celebrate with family. It is also the time of severe depression and suicide. ( I am not making this up )

So, unless you are sure that your customers are not Christian or are part of your family, I would save my advertising for something like Groundhogs Day. If anyone has any contradictory experiences, I am all ears. ( I just never felt Christmas was the time to advertise ) But if I'm wrong, let me know!

I was not trying to disrespect anyone or the true meaning of Christmas, being a Christian myself I celebrate with my family and friends as well. I never really thought that it might bother people, just a way to wish them a Merry Christmas and helping to grow realtionships would also be a benifiet. Thanks for you reply and I will put more thought into.

As a Christian owned business I send out cards at Christmas to the majority of my customers. I pretty much know who NOT to send a card to but those number less than 10 or 20. I have even shared testimonies and prayer with many of my customers while standing in their front yard. I think this has created bonds and friendships that the competetion will never take away.

Okay Mike, that's cheating. We send Christmas cards to the many customers and friends of the several different congregations that my family and employees belong to. I am glad you posted. It's a great reminder that many of our customers share the same beliefs, as do yours.

I was thinking about this. If I got a Christmas card from, let's just say, the guys that pulled my well pump, I would scream at the top of my lungs, "I bet you are having a merry Christmas you jerks with $$$.$$ of my hard earned money, my kids are going to get jack squat because of you!" Not that I was displeased with their work, it's nice to be able to take a shower, but I would rather not be reminded of it. Not in a joyous festive season kind of way. Maybe if you had a lasting personal connection that transcended your professional relationship it would be OK.

I think the groundhogs day card is an excellent idea, if you are going to do it to maximize your customer contact presence.

This leads me to a story. Up until this year I had offered a 10% tithe back to a customer's church in lieu of other discounts that I offered at that time. I had two people get upset and made comments along the line of "So I don't get a discount because I don't go to church?". I don't know of what religion they were, if any, so I stopped offering this discount earlier this year to keep from offending anyone else. However, I had many that loved the discount and I was blessed with lots of referrals and very kind letters from the churches which far outweighed those two. I am considering offering this again in 2013.

...it's even nicer when the customer sends YOU a card.

I think this is like many discussions or ideas, if it works for you and you get good feedback or feel good about it, then do it, if you get negative feedback or feel it is a waste of money and time or worse, don't do it.

I know that is overly simple but it is how it shakes out.

We send an annual card, it is somewhat seasonal but doesn't speak to a particular holiday just to the fact that we appreciated their business, hope they are doing well and that we are always here for them. I personalize each card to what we did, who they are, some might be one sentence, others a short paragraph if warranted.

My grandparents ran a boarding kennel that was after the first year, referral only and raised their whole family on it. Each year multiple times a year folks sent them cards, I've received quite a few cards in our first two years and agree, getting a card is awesome!

However, I try to build in each customer who seems to want it, a relationship that shows them I not only care about the job I'm doing for them, but I do care about them as people. Not fictitious, I do and it is part of what I love about running my own shop!

Some folks we know don't care to be bothered, just hire you for the job and don't visit with you for more than the time it takes to pay you or hire you, but the bulk of my clients 99.9% love to talk about wildlife and their families and such and I love that!

Happy holidays!



Or bah humbug, whichever suits ya!

Justin

Ha ha, Justin!
We send cards to those who we have established relations with; the really dependable customers recieve a small gift. We just do it in thanks for their referrals/business, and wish them a prosperous new year.
...and yes, it is Merry Christmas from us!

Bah Bah Bah stand for what you believe or make an excuse to adjust.

Merry CHRIST mas,

Hate me if you want to. Love you anyway.

Good discssion!

I very seldom send out Christmas cards ... I have often thought I should ...just never make time for it

But a point has been made to keep relationships alive .. and fresh ... and is that not what business is all about.. the relationship between you and your customer?

If you would have ever had the chance to see Zig Ziggler speak when he was alive... he was all about relationships ... a very sucessful man too..

Of course there is the religious aspect of it too... you are promoting the birth of Christ and what that meant to man kind ... and that is not a bad thing either

I suspect if a guy would send out 300 cards, it would cost less then 200 bucks to do it and the results very well might be priceless

Dave, for the "dependable" folks, those we receive lots of referrals through from various sources actually get home made cookies that are so good that every time I see these folks someone in their offices wants the recipes and all of them think they are store bought from pro bakers! Maybe I should change businesses!

This year for a bat working group meeting we made a batch with bat cookie cutters, out of 100+ cookies within the meeting of only 12 people there were maybe 3 left in the box afterward!

Our clients that get them, get a nice message about something to keep them warm during the cold winter months, again we don't make this about the holiday in our case, it is just an annual reminder that they are important to us and our success.

At our "newbie" age in this industry literally each and every client means a great deal to us, whether the $200.00 client or the $2,000.00 client.

Life to me is about relationships, with family, with friends and yes with clients!



Justin

Gifts that help brand you and give the customers a chuckle are great; we're doing a little of that this year.

Justin, if there are any dark chocolate chips involved in those homemade cookies, I could become a customer real quick!

My local ADC competotors (friends all) get one of these this year. It is a knife a trapper can love. Tim Caven has them.

Victorinox Victorinox 3 1/4-inch Wavy Paring knife Black Fibrox Handle 47602

The knife part is believable but Phil having friends? Come on. ( I just keep rolling along )