29 Ways to Connect With Your Customer Using Cards

Because 2012 is a Leap Year, we wanted to share 29 ways you can use cards to better connect with your customer base. Cards can be useful tools for your business, and you may find new ways to communicate with clients.

1. Ask for your customers’ birthdays when they sign up for your mailing list. Reach out to them with a card on their special day.
2. Keep a company birthday calendar to note when important customers’ birthdays are coming up.
3. Vow to send one card a week to one client. At the end of the year, you will have contacted 52 customers.
4. Keep a stack of thank you notes on your desk. When you hang up after a call with a customer, write him or her a quick thank you note while it’s fresh on your mind.
5. Personalize the inside of all your cards sent to customers with your company logo.
6. Hand write a personal message to potential clients inside your card using an approachable tone.
7. Make sure to use any detail you remember from your last meeting with your customer in your note. It shows you are a good listener.
8. Always place your business card inside any card you send. It will keep your contact information fresh in customers’ minds.
9. Keep a supply of personalized note cards with envelopes and stamps in your laptop bag. Write professional notes on the go.
10. Print a list of customers that have not ordered within the past 6 months. Send them an “I Miss You” card to let them know you have noticed their absence.
11. If a customer renews a contract with you for another year, send them an anniversary card. It will mark another year of a great partnership.
12. Always remember if a customer tells you he or she is getting married or was recently promoted. It sounds like a congratulations card is in order.
13. Does your company promote using word of mouth marketing efforts? Keep Thank You for Your Business Referral cards on hand to send to those who referred your office.
14. Sympathy cards are never fun, but can really help a customer dealing with a personal loss. It shows your company cares for their clients.
15. Have an open house for your local customers. Send them an invitation in the mail rather than an online invite.
16. Worried about selecting one style of card to use for the rest of the year? Purchase an assortment pack with a variety of design.
17. Connect with customers over the summer with a patriotic card on the 4th of July. There are not many holidays during the summer months so it will be an unexpected surprise!
18. Get your holiday card in early by sending a Thanksgiving card. It shows you are thankful for their business, and you are ready to help them during the holiday season.
19. Holiday cards are a timeless tradition and a great way to congratulate customers on a great end of year. Sometimes classic cards are the best way to show customers you care.
20. Instead of an advertising piece, place a coupon inside a card. Cards are more likely to be opened and read by customers. Customers will keep and use the discount you send.
21. Send your customers a calendar card so they can hang it above their desk and reference it throughout the year.
22. Order postcards with your logo on the front for quick customer memos and notes. They are less expensive to mail, but make a good impression.
23. When sending holiday cards, you may consider looking at designs to fit your specific industry. It may help a customer make the connection between your card and the services you offer.
24. Are you moving your business? Send customers professional moving announcements so they can update their contact information. You could even include a photo of your new office!
25. Once you’ve acquired a new customer into your business, send them a welcome card. The client will feel like they have made the correct choice in choosing to work with you.
26. If a client has to cancel a meeting because of a sick day, send them get well card as soon as possible wishing them a speedy recovery. They will appreciate that you took the time to send them a card in the mail and will be willing to reschedule the meeting sooner.
27. Do you have an announcement you would like to share with customers? Print it on the inside of a card instead of on a basic form letter. It is more likely to be opened, read, and remembered.
28. Never be afraid to send an apology in the form of a card. If you made a mistake on a customer’s order, consider sending a card acknowledging the miscommunication.
29. Send a card for fun occasions to celebrate unique holidays like Leap Day or special events like the summer Olympics. Cards that arrive unexpectedly are sometimes the best kind for customers.