Keeping track of client mail correspondence

Sending business greeting cards and announcements to your clients through the mail is part of a robust marketing strategy. However, keeping track of who to contact and when can be challenging, especially if your list of customers is long. However, by making sure to send cards on clients' birthdays and let them know about upcoming promotions, you keep your business at the forefront of their minds. Here are some tips for staying organized and planning mail correspondence:

Write down important dates
Building a spreadsheet that lists each client's date of birth is an easy way to keep track of upcoming events. Or, list the dates in clients' files along with their other information. This way, you always have birthdays on hand to look up. Other dates to note can be when the company was founded or when you started working with a client – this lets you send business anniversary cards.

Input dates in a calendar
You might not think to look at a client's file before his or her birthday arrives. Instead, set reminders so you don't have to think about the event until it's necessary. For instance, you can make a client calendar in Google on which you mark customer-related dates. Just make sure to set reminders to go off about a week before you plan to send mail correspondence. That way, your business greeting cards arrive on time. 

You can also make a calendar listing upcoming promotional events if you don't have one already. Note on your calendar when the event takes place and when you need to mail your announcements.

Mail weeks ahead of a sale
If you're mailing announcement cards that inform your clients about a sale or new product release, make sure you leave plenty of time to react. You want your customers to receive the cards with enough leeway to plan a budget or a call with you. For instance, send holiday cards out by Dec. 10 at the latest. If your cards arrive after the new year, your clients will have missed special promotions or won't appreciate the holiday greeting as much.

Have cards on hand
Sometimes, mail correspondence sneaks up on you, and it's suddenly time to visit the post office. Be prepared for unexpected dates by keeping greeting cards on hand. You can purchase a variety of stationery types in bulk so you're ready for anything, including birthdays, holidays and thank yous.

Staying in touch with clients by mail is a great way to ensure your company isn't forgotten.