Why Do Greeting Cards Work?Let's be clear about this from the outset - we are not suggesting that you send out greeting cards by the thousand to try and win new customers. This is generally not cost-effective - flyer mail outs either physical mail or email will be a much more cost-effective tool. Where greeting cards work is when you've established an initial relationship with either a customer or a business associate and you want to maintain and strengthen that bond. You know how it feels when you receive a personalised and thoughtful card from a friend or a family member. Well it feels exactly the same if you are a customer or a business contact. What you achieve when you send a card is to make the recipient think of you more readily the next time the opportunity to do business with you comes around. If you are the customer and someone has demonstrably gone out of their way to keep in touch with you and perhaps give you something of added value for free, you'll find it a lot harder to go elsewhere! Greeting Cards In PracticeCustomer CommunicationLet's take an example of a boutique hotel. You stay with them for the first time and a few days after your stay you receive a card from the hotel asking about your visit. As well as giving you more confidence in the hotel, it gives you a platform to let them know if something wasn't right. If you weren't happy about something you're now much more likely to give them a second chance. If you were happy with your visit you're still more likely to go back and you're also more likely to tell your friends about the excellent follow-up service. This works for many many types of business where there is a genuine opportunity to connect with your customers on a 1-2-1 basis and/or where they are spending a large sum with you: - car dealerships;
- tailors;
- audio-visual equipment;
- IFAs;
- solicitors and accountants;
If your transaction value is high you want to make sure that the customer comes back to you the next time. Waiting until just before they are due to make the follow up purchase won't work - you've already lost them. Think about whether this will work for YOUR business. We believe that a large proportion of small to medium sized enterprises will benefit from using greeting cards in a targeted way as part of their overall direct marketing mix. Business Networking A lot of people are out there networking trying to establish relationships with other businesses and to generate leads. How are you going to thank someone for giving you a good referral? Imagine how you would feel if you passed a lucrative lead to someone and all you got was a cursory thanks by email. Are you going to be more- or less-likely to find that person another lead? A thankyou card is the least you should do! If it's a really good lead then a case of wine or a meal out should be in order. Remember - networking is about relationship-building. Show someone how much you appreciate them giving you that lead. A card lasts longer than a handshake - it will sit on their desk reminding them to find more leads for you! | 
