This is pretty much my first year as a handyman/painter and I’m planning on sending out “seasons greetings” cards to my customers. I want to keep my name fresh in their minds since most (if not all) of my work is through referrals.
I’d like the card to be humorous and business-related without looking like a plug. So far, I can’t find anything online that I like and I’m considering making my own. The only problem here is that I’m much better at recognizing humor than creating it.
So, what do you folks do? Are cards a good idea? Do you make them or buy them? Any good web sites?
Thanks,
Don
Replies
When I started out I used http://nebs.com for a lot of my office bid sheets like product #6545, a great little itemized billing form.
There business Christmas cards and fold out calendars are great.
How's this one...
View Image
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
What you need is a nice simple preprinted message that you can believe and stand behind. I would be careful about humor, its amazing what offends some people. Then handwrite a little greeting for each customer and sign it.
Any correspondence you get from a company is going to be a "plug", no matter what you do with it. However, a little personal attention (hand written message) goes a long way towards making people believe that your greetings are sincere (particularly since you put the effort of handwriting a greeting).
I wouldn't expect a great deal of direct business from this but you may (as I have) have people thank you for them at some point.
Good luck.
I've had pretty good luck with the nice people at Miles-Kimball, who are on-line. The only downside is that you get a blizzard of catalogs--but then, who doesn't?
Don't forget to fork over the $1-2 extra to have your return address put on the mailing envelopes. (This is also a good way to segregate the biz cards from the non-biz cards.)
Check out the e-stamps while you are at it. As ws pointed out, it's amazing what offends today; but a regular 1st class stamp can look too impersonal.
I agree that you should be careful with humor. Just like posting here, it's hard to get humor across sometimes in written form.
I got a card once that said:
Money's short,
Times are hard.
Here's your freakin' Christmas card.
.
BTW - Here's a picture you could use on the front of the cards:
I got a sweater for Christmas. I really wanted a screamer or a moaner.
like how I sign postcards..." the weather is here,wish you were beautiful"...
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
I prefer:
"Having a great time - Glad you're not here."What is a "free" gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
LOL
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Boss-
Some folk might consider that false advertising.
Some (male ) homeowner sees that card, decides to call, and who should show up on theit doorstep?
Very disappointing.
Hadn't thought of that. Kinda like a "bait-'n-switch routine, huh ???
BTW - I have that in desktop wallpaper size if any of ya are interested. Just didn't wanna post too big a file here.
I also have another interesting Santa picture (Or 2) which isn't appropriate to share here. And DW doesn't know about.
(-:Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.
Please...
Friends help you move. Real friends help you hide bodies.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Sending cards to commemorate holidays is a waste.
They will end up in the PILE and soon be forgotten.
Send something during a period of time that people are not busy and you will not be relegated to the HEAP.
Just my 2 cents.
Eric
I Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
"Sending cards to commemorate holidays is a waste.
They will end up in the PILE and soon be forgotten.
Send something during a period of time that people are not busy and you will not be relegated to the HEAP.
Just my 2 cents.
Eric"
That's probably true, but I was thinking more about the moment after they open the card. I was hoping they would think "isn't that nice, he remembered me". Then, when they get together with friends and family over the holidays and someone says they wish they knew a good contractor... you get the idea.
Maybe it will work, maybe not. Mostly, it's just a way to say hello, I don't really expect it to generate business.
-Don
I have been in business about 16 years,
This is the second year I will send out a holiday card---although I have been working on this project for almost 3 years now.
What I do is send out THANKSGIVING cards----yes such things exist---and I buy them cheap from hallmark a day or so AFTER Thanksgiving and save 'em untill next year.
I don't send Christmas cards because personally I don't want to recieve christmas cards and I don't want to offend anybody else either who doesn't want them. It might be different in the Bible belt, but here I know for a fact I have had christians, jews, moslems,hindu's,shinto and Buddhist customers.Most customers are christians----but you can really pizz off someone with a Christmas card if you aren't carefull.
Thanksgiving cards ,however,---do not get lost in the shuffle. I suspect mine is the ONLY thanksgiving card to arrive----and it is a nice,in-offensive american holiday.( I probably wouldn't send one out to Joe and Susan Running Deer though)
What I do is,
I have some post cards made up with my company letter head, AND a day or so after Thanksgiving I pick up a years supply of bargain cards.Throughout the year---after I am paid for each successful job I write a brief thankyou note on the postcard and mail it out at the end of the week. I also write out a shorter thankyou on one of the holiday cards and put it in a file to mail out a few days before thanksgiving.
As a result, my customers recieve a hand written thankyou note within about a week of job completion, and then again a nice thanksgiving card later in the year. It only takes a very few minutes each week and saves sitting down and writing and adressing several hundred cards all at once.
It also keeps me humble and mindfull each week of my customers who help me pay my kids tuition,rent their vacation houses,fund my retirement etc.
I don't know if it really helps out increasing sales-----I am mostly interested in it from the perspective of maintaining an attitude of humbleness and mindfullness.
Stephen
Very clever idea Stephen.
I think you may be onto something.