Client Appreciation During The Holidays
The festive season is fast approaching, and while you might think it’s too early to start hearing holiday music (it may be too early to wish for a white Christmas halfway through November), it’s never too early to start planning appreciation gifts for your clients and customers! As William James said, “The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated;” after all, your clients are only human.
Don’t think of it as a way of getting them to come back for your business. Think of it as a way of looking back on the business they brought you in the past year and genuinely being thankful for it. You wouldn’t be here without your customers and clients – show them you think they rock!
The most basic thing you could do is send a card. When thinking about how to pick them, definitely consider going the handwritten route. It might take a little longer, but it shows that you appreciate them more and will allow you to be very personal. Personal touches are always welcome with gifts, and that doesn’t change in business! Pick out awesome-looking stationary and write a little specific message to the client inside. You could even design the card and brand it with your logo. Even if it’s not in your budget to put together large gifts, a small, special card will go a long way.
But if it is in your budget, get creative! To accompany the card, you could put together gift bags or baskets filled with goodies. It all depends on how big your client and client base is, but regardless of the size, make sure to include branded items like pens, t-shirts, mugs, etc. These will be used and remind them of your generosity! Putting the basket together yourself is another way to personalize and make the gift specific to them, and you want them to feel the appreciation that comes with personal gifts. 
There are so many different, creative ways your business can make a memorable gift. Donations to specific charities made in the name of and that reflect the client, baking brownies or cookies and sending them along with the note, even throwing a client get-together party: all are great ways of saying thank you that will be noticed and appreciated. Many products will also let you make personal versions of them, so you could put your logo on some M&Ms or a bottle of wine (make sure they drink first!).
It’s also important to remember that the holidays are about different things to different people. Winter is filled with many celebrations from many backgrounds, not just Christmas. If a client doesn’t celebrate Christmas, it would not be appropriate to send a Christmas-themed card, especially if you’ve gone through the trouble of making it personal. Remember the human aspects of your clients, and that whether they are people of faith or not, you know them and want to thank them by showing appreciation.
So before celebrating the holidays with your friends and family, make sure to take a little time and effort to thank your clients for their business. It’ll make the season just a little more jollier for everyone!
