We know, we know – it’s nearly impossible to squeeze everything you need to get done into the last few weeks of December. If you’re lucky, the tree is up and decorated this early in the game! However, the holidays provide the perfect opportunity to connect with your network and strengthen business and personal relationships.
Before you sigh at your calendar and toss the idea aside for next year, remember that your competition is already employing these strategies in order to ensure that they make their contacts’ “Nice” list in time for the holidays. Don’t lose out on this chance to send warm wishes to important clients, partners and associates with a few of these creative ideas to reach out to your network.
Before you do anything else, first devise a master list (of reasonable length) of people to reach out to. Organize between various work groups, businesses or relationships, and be sure to save it somewhere it can be easily built upon for next year! Then do one or two or all of the following:
- Send some sort of season’s greetings. The best option is with a good, old-fashioned letter in the mail. Simply get a tally on the number of cards needed, run to Hallmark and buy in bulk. Devise a quick sentence or two that can be easily altered for persons with whom you share a closer relationship. Use printable shipping labels, buy a stack of festive Forever stamps, and you’re good to go! (Bonus points if you can get multiple people from your team to sign.)
- Put someone on the team in charge of gift-giving and, when appropriate, make an effort by sending your contacts a thoughtful holiday treat. A small, simple token of appreciation can go a long way. Possibilities are endless, but we’ll help you narrow it down to four good ones:
- A gift basket: Easy and effective, you can’t go wrong with an assortment of desserts/chocolates or coffees/teas.
- Homemade goods: An option that’s sweet as it is cheap, send along a batch of cookies, zucchini bread, orange marmalade, etc.
- Discounts/goods: If you have clients who offer particular products or services, they may be willing to offer you a number of small items or special discounts to gift your contacts; after all, nothing works like WOM marketing!
- Your services: Your time and talents are a gift that can certainly be put to good use. Design a cute flyer offering a press release, 10 social media posts about business development, or a few hours of assistance on a special, non-contracted project. Just be sure your offer is specific and beneficial to you both!
- Provide your network with a full update on yourself and your business with a newsletter to wrap up the season. Highlight specific efforts, thank special sponsors and collaborators, and take the time to add plenty of photos! Make it detailed and personable; your recap should make investors and partners proud to have contributed to such a special organization, and remind estranged individuals just why they should be clamoring to reconnect with you in the new year!
- Connect through social media. A short, sweet comment on Twitter or Instagram is a simple way to ignite warm, fuzzy feelings while taking a break from the daily grind. Spread good karma around the holidays, and it’s bound to come back to you in the next calendar year!
How do you prefer to touch base with your contacts around the holidays? Spread your own good karma by letting us know in the comments!
