Business Greeting Cards as a Tool

Sending your clients a business greeting card can reduce the "touchless" factor of online communications. Read on for more tips to use them to your advantage.

With e-mail and instant messaging becoming the norm in business today, professional communication becomes increasingly impersonal. Now, business greeting cards, such as business thank you cards, business birthday cards and business sympathy cards, employing the power of greeting cards are available to overcome this challenge and help companies strengthen business relationships.

“When it comes to business communication, personalized greeting cards designed specifically for businesses go a long way in a world filled with e-mail, phone calls and text messages,” said Marc Wagenheim, product marketing director of Hallmark Business Expressions. “There are daily opportunities in which you can let the people who matter most to your business know they are important with these personalized business greeting cards.”

To help you know when and how to send thank you cards and other business greetings cards designed to strengthen customer relationships, Wagenheim offers the following tips:

Say “Thank You” Often.

Do you have great customers? Then be sure to thank them. Sending business thank you cards to express how much their time, a referral or their loyalty means to you and your business, will definitely keep you top-of-mind.

Follow Up with Prospects.

Attracting new business means making a lasting, favorable impression with your key prospects. Review your business contact list and make sure you include key decision makers. A well-placed, “I hope we can meet again soon to continue our discussion…” puts the ball in the recipient's court without being too pushy. Also, be careful not to say or offer anything you can't deliver.

Make Special Occasions Special Again.

Everyone appreciates having a special day acknowledged. Beyond sending business thank you cards, remember specific days and events throughout the year, such as work anniversaries or milestones, birthdays and holidays with business greetings. Or, send business congratulations cards for achievements such as a promotion or a big sale, or life events such as a marriage or the birth of a baby.

Keep in Touch Regularly.

It doesn't have to be a holiday or special occasion for you to recognize how much a customer means to your business. Send a personalized business greeting card to stay top-of-mind with customers and prospects. Maintaining positive business relationships means keeping in touch regularly, even if there's nothing urgent to discuss. “There's never a bad time to send a business greeting card to build or strengthen a relationship with a customer,” said Wagenheim.

Offer an Incentive.

Business greeting cards are a great vehicle for delivering a special offer or incentive to your customers. Thank your customers and re-engage and retain them with Hallmark Business Expressions greeting cards and include a special offer or invitation to try a new product or service, attend an open house or seminar, or visit a Web site.

Keep It Professional.

Business rules are less forgiving than social ones when it comes to card sending. The three-day rule strongly applies, so send your business greetings within three days of an event or meeting. Your card should reflect your business relationship. Remember to use the appropriate level of formality — only use first names when you are 100 percent confident the recipient will be comfortable with it. When in doubt, use Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., or the appropriate formal or professional title. And always, always spell the recipient's name correctly.

Add a Personal Touch.

Make an extra effort to personalize your business greeting cards. If you are able to sign each card personally — even if your name is preprinted on the greeting card — your customers will feel valued. Even better, write a personal note if you have the opportunity. Your customers will appreciate the extra time you took. Personalized business greeting cards done right, and sent at the right time, can make a lasting impression and strengthen your relationships with customers.