Tag Archives: holiday cards

The Holiday Card – A Victim of Procrastination

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Lydia Ramsey

Do you tend to leave things until the last minute? Sadly, most of us do. There is always more time, right? One of the victims of procrastination is the holiday card. It is almost September, and I am already talking about the holidays. It’s not too early, believe me.

In your business and your personal life, if you wait too long to start the process—like after Thanksgiving—sending your cards may become more of a chore than a pleasure. If you delay, your clients and colleagues may already have left the office for the holidays and your friends may be too swamped at that point to notice your thoughtfulness.

Here are some tips to ease the chore and to make your best impression:

Purchase a quality card. It is not necessary to spend a fortune, but good quality says you value your clients, colleagues and friends enough to “send the very best.”
Order your cards while there is time to have your name or the company printed on them. You want them to have a professional look.
Send your greetings early. Have them in the mail the first week in December if you want them to be noticed and appreciated.
Plan to sign your name and write a brief message. The holiday card that comes without a personal signature and a note seems more obligatory than celebratory. It does not matter that your name is already printed on the card. Give it that handwritten touch.
Address the envelopes by hand. While it is easier and faster to print address labels, you lose the personal touch. Consider hiring someone to do this if you do not have the time to do it yourself.
Use titles when addressing your cards. The envelope should be addressed to “Mr. John Smith” not “John Smith” or “Ms. Mary Brown” not “Mary Brown.” By the way, “Ms.” is the correct title to use in business.
Invest in holiday stamps and avoid the postage meter. That is just one more personal touch—and a festive one at that.
Email greeting cards may be tempting because they require less time and trouble. It is not totally in bad taste these days to e-mail your holiday wishes, but it is impersonal and not the most impressive way to do it. Your clever electronic message with singing Santas and dancing trees is a fleeting greeting. The recipient will click on the URL, download the card, open it, read it, smile, close it, and, in all probability, hit “delete”. Chances are good that your physical card will have a longer lifespan. Most people save greeting cards throughout the holiday season, and many display them around their office or home.
One final tip: Address your envelopes as soon as you receive your cards. Once you get that step out of the way, you can sit back and relax while you write your personal message on each greeting card.

Holiday Business Etiquette Q & A

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Lydia Ramsey

It’s holiday time again, and as always, there are the usual confusing situations that present themselves. We spend a significant amount of this hectic time worrying about the details. I have gathered a number of the most frequently asked questions that I receive during the holidays from friends, family, clients and media. Prepare to find your issue (s) in the following holiday business etiquette Q & A.

Q: I spend enough time with my colleagues and boss at work. Do I really have to go to the office holiday party?

A: That is an unequivocal “yes.”. Attendance is mandatory. Don’t even consider not going unless you have a justifiable conflict. Show up, even if the thought of spending your precious off hours with co-workers and colleagues is less than appealing. The office party is part of your job. Its purpose is to bring together co-workers for a bit of camaraderie. If this is not your idea of a great time, then just consider it work, put on your best attitude and go.

Q: Is this a good time to ask the boss for a raise?

A: That is an unequivocal “no.” Speak to your boss when you arrive and when you leave making sure that your manners and your presence are noted. This, however, is not the time to talk about business.

Q: Business-related gift-giving is so confusing. I never know what to give and to whom.

A: It is not always easy to come up with the perfect present while following holiday business etiquette. Here are some tips:

—Follow corporate guidelines. Some companies have strict policies about what kinds of gifts, if any, their employees may receive. If you have any doubt, ask your clients or check with their personnel department.

—Consider your client’s interests. Perhaps your client has a favorite food or beverage. If you can’t determine this on your own, contact an assistant or associate.

—Be appropriate. Sometimes a gift can be taken the wrong way. Avoid anything that is even slightly intimate when giving to members of the opposite sex. A bottle of wine or liquor won’t be appreciated by a teetotaler or a country ham by a vegetarian. Also, keep in mind that what seems funny to one person could be insulting to another.

Q: What if I want to give special gifts to just a few close colleagues in my office and not others?

A: Give your gift at a time and place away from the office and your other co-workers.

Q: Do I have to give the boss a gift?

A: My answer to that is another unequivocal no. The boss, whose salary no doubt exceeds yours, should give gifts to his or her staff, but not the other way around. Often members of a department will contribute to a pool for the boss’s gift. As a result, the boss ends up with the most elaborate or expensive gift of all.

Q: Should I send holiday greeting cards to business contacts?

A: Yes, and for four obvious reasons:
1. To enhance your current business relationships
2. To attract new customers
3. To remind previous clients that you exist
4. To show appreciation to those who are faithful supporters of you and your business

Q: Is it OK to send business contacts an electronic card?

A: It is not inappropriate to send e-cards, but they are not as effective as those sent by old-fashioned snail mail. The recipient will click on the URL, download the e-card, read it, smile and in all probability delete it. Consider, too, that your electronic card may never make it through the client’s spam filter

For more in-depth information about holiday business etiquette, order a copy of my e-book Business Etiquette for the Holidays – Building Relationships Amid the Perils of the Season.

Happy Holidays!

Lydia

Photo from Savannah magazine

Hire Lydia to work with your staff to improve customer service and employee relations through the use of those priceless and often over-looked soft skills called manners. Lydia is the “unstuffy” business etiquette expert who helps individuals and organizations add the polish that builds profits. We’re talking about your bottom line here.

Since 1996, countless people have benefited from her wisdom through keynotes, seminars and conference breakout sessions. Her Southern charm and sense of humor have made her a sought-after speaker and consultant.

Based in Savannah, Georgia, Lydia is available for national, regional and local speaking and training engagements. She has suitcase; will travel.

Contact her via email at lydia@lydiaramsey.com or call 912-604-0080. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter and visit her website, lydiaramsey.com

Business Etiquette For The Holidays

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Lydia Ramsey

The pumpkins are gone, and the goblins and ghosts have all disappeared. With Halloween behind us, we know what lies ahead—the joyful but often frenetic holiday season. It is a time of celebration for many religions. It is a time to share our joy and generosity with family and friends. But it is a complex season filled with traditions.

For business people it can be particularly challenging knowing appropriate ways to recognize colleagues and co-workers and where to draw the line between business and personal.

For that reason I have spent the last few weeks revising my eBook on business etiquette and protocol for the holiday season. I tried to anticipate as many of the situations that business people find confusing and challenging when I wrote Business Etiquette For The Holidays.

Have you ever asked yourself any of the following holiday business etiquette questions?

Is it necessary to sign your holiday cards when your name is already printed on them?
Is it acceptable to email your holiday greetings?
Is the holiday office party mandatory?
What are some of the most common mistakes people make at the office party?
How can you tell which fork to use at the business dinner?
How do you remove unwanted food from your mouth?
Do you have to write thank notes by hand or can you simply send an email?
How can you decide whom to tip and how much, especially in tough times?

Photo from Savannah magazine

Based in Savannah, Georgia, Lydia is available for national, regional and local speaking and training engagements. She has suitcase; will travel.

Contact her via email at lydia@lydiaramsey.com or call 912-604-0080. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter and visit her website, lydiaramsey.com.

Holiday Greeting Cards: It’s That Time of the Year Again

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Lydia Ramsey

When it comes to holiday business cards, to send or not to send is not the question. If you want to enhance your current business relationships, attract new customers, remind old clients that you exist and show appreciation to those who have faithfully supported you during the year, prepare to mail. However, proceed with caution and follow the rules of business etiquette. What is intended as a well-meaning gesture can actually offend when it is not done properly.

Start with a good quality card to show that you value your clients and colleagues. Skimping on your selection may be taken as a sign that your business is suffering or that your clients aren’t worth the extra investment.

Make sure your list is up-to-date with correct names and addresses. If you do this on a regular basis, it does not become a dreaded holiday chore.

Sign each card personally. Even if you have preprinted information on the card such as your name and that of your company, add a handwritten signature. The most elegant cards need your personal touch.

Take the time to hand write the address as well. Don’t use computer-generated labels. They are impersonal and make your holiday wishes look like a mass mailing. You may save time and even money, but turn off a client or a business associate in the process.

You may mail your greeting to the home if you know the business person socially. Include the spouse’s name. The card is not sent to both husband and wife at the business address unless they both work there. Whether you are addressing the envelope to an individual or a couple, titles should always be used. It’s “Mr. John Doe,” not “John Doe,” or “Mr. and Mrs. John Doe, rather than “John and Mary Doe.”

Be sensitive to the religious or cultural beliefs of the people to whom you are sending your cards. Make sure your message is appropriate for each individual.

Mail your greetings for a timely arrival. If you find yourself addressing the envelopes on Super Bowl Sunday, keep the cards until next year and send out a high-quality note instead thanking people for their business during the previous year.

The best way to avoid the last minute greeting card rush is to have all your envelopes addressed before Thanksgiving. If you start now, you can relieve some of the usual holiday stress and can rest assured that you have taken one more step towards growing your business and building relationships.

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