Are the holidays your busiest time for your business?
Or is this the time of year where business slows as customers turn to their home life?
Whichever description fits your business, keep your connection with customers.
The following are simple ideas for better business communication during the holiday season.
1. Offer help with workload.
Holiday-induced staff shortages add to the stressful holiday season.
- Projects stall
- Staff is overworked
- Quality suffers
Depending on your business, offering help may be just what your customer needs.
Independent contractors relieve workloads, get projects back on track, and provide focus for achieving year-end goals.
2. Provide a complimentary analysis.
With the busy holiday season, businesses have difficulty finding time for analysis. However, most business professionals at least think about the coming new year.
Help solve their problem.
Offer a complimentary analysis of your specialty that applies to their business.
For example ~
- Writers evaluate their business communication
- Graphic designers review websites, brochures, ads
- Software developers analyze their systems
- Social media marketers assess social media strategy
The trick is balancing an unbiased analysis with a result that proves you know what you are doing.
3. Deliver discounts for the holidays.
Who doesn’t love a sale?
Get in the holiday spirit by offering discounts on your services or products. Even if they don’t buy, offering discounts is another opportunity to connect with your customer.
4. Donate to their favorite charity.
Do you know if your customers have a favorite charity? It’s easy to find out.
- Check their website
- Talk to their PR firm
- Ask your company contact
For many businesses, their favorite charity means more to them than an annual donation. Your customers appreciate your support of that charity.
5. Thank them for their business.
I left the most important to last.
Whether you had one small project or a major contract, ’tis the season for thanks.
- Send personalized holiday cards
- Consider holiday gifts suited to their business or likes
- Refer their business to someone who would benefit from their services/products
Let them know you appreciate their business.
You can also show your appreciation to the prospect you have been pursuing.
Holiday Hustle
Grab the busy holiday season to show your customers you care about their success.
- Offer help
- Provide complimentary consulting
- Deliver discounts
- Support their favorite charity
- Thank them
What holiday ideas do you have?
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Great list, Cathy… and this year I’m not sure what I’ll do.
Thanks, Anne. The ideas are endless. 😉
All five of your ideas are fantastic, Cathy, but my favorite is “Provide complimentary consulting”. I believe most business owners are doing at least some semblance of focusing on the quickly-approaching new year and would genuinely appreciate a consult. I also love the idea of sending out greeting cards. So few people do that nowadays and it really adds a personal touch. 🙂
Thanks again for swinging by my blog today and I want to wish you, your family, and your business a beautifully fulfilling holiday season!
Well, thank you, Melanie for returning the favor by swinging by my blog. 🙂 You’re always a welcome addition.
Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy holiday season and a fabulous 2014! Thank you, Melanie.
Love the list, Cathy…
The scary thing to me is that too many people need to be reminded to thank (be appreciative of) their customer/clients. It’s something that should be done year-long. And, regarding the discount- it often helps to offer two for the price of 1.5 or so at this time of year- so your service or product can be profferred by your client to one of his, too.
Thanks, Roy. You are right. Thanks yous should be a given. Unfortunately, at times, especially with long-time clients, that simple gesture is forgotten. Thank you for your tips. 🙂