A two-minute read
I usually send Christmas cards to clients and business contacts.
This year I’ve knocked that idea on the head.
Why?
Instead of giving a printer and the Royal Mail £250 I’ve donated the money to a local Girls’ football team in the town where I live.
Now I know this kind of move isn’t a first. I’ve seen some of my suppliers do it in the past.
But for me, it felt the right thing to do.
It also allows me to tell a story rather than just heading to the Post Office with a bundle of cards, which is something all agents need to get their heads around this year.
It’s my belief (and the general feeling in the marketing world) that the agencies/brands that tell the best, most compelling stories will win.
Don’t get me wrong though, I still think there’s a place for Christmas Cards. On a mantelpiece boom boom.
There is a way to do it well, but also a way to avoid it like the M25 Junctions 10-14 anytime between 8-9 am on a weekday (Trust me on this one).
The Bad Way.
Send out a Christmas card with a generic, forgettable festive scene and just your company logo inside it. No names. Nothing else. Nada. And the response you’re getting, which thankfully you’re not seeing, is that of the recipient thinking; ‘they couldn’t even be arsed to write my name in it.’
An own goal and waste of time, money and effort.
The Good Way.
I got a card last year from one of my clients complete with a picture of the team in Christmas jumpers raising a glass of bubbly (it was probably Appletise, but you get the gist) and all looking full of Bonhomie.
But the icing on the Christmas Pudding was the handwritten note thanking me for my help over the year.
They didn’t have to. I’m not a volunteer, but it made me feel good and moved me to show Mrs L and inspire this section of this article. I get this card every year from them, but with a different photo and a different message and it works every time.
So, this Christmas ask your team how you’re going to communicate with your Christmas ghosts of Clients past, present and future.
Consider doing something different enough to get noticed and personal enough to make the recipient smile. Think about what stories you can create.
Amen
Father Jerry Michael Lyons
The church of estateagentcontent.co.uk