Should Your Business Send Holiday Cards or Gifts?
Four US and Canadian pros share how they spread festive cheer and thank clients and trade partners at the year's end
This year the holidays will look and feel a little different for many people. But what hasn’t changed is the opportunity the season offers to show appreciation to family, friends, clients and colleagues who’ve helped us get through the year.
We asked four pros how they plan to show appreciation to clients, sub-contractors and trading partners this holiday season. So if you’re wondering whether you should send gifts cards from your business to celebrate the end of year, read on for their thoughts.
We asked four pros how they plan to show appreciation to clients, sub-contractors and trading partners this holiday season. So if you’re wondering whether you should send gifts cards from your business to celebrate the end of year, read on for their thoughts.
Glaister has never forgotten the kindness. Now that her design firm in California, USA, is booming, each year she gives gifts of her friend’s delicious products – treats including almonds, dried apricots and chocolate-dipped butter toffee – to mark the holidays. They go to her stone contractors, lighting designer, cabinet maker, fabric reps and many others whose work makes her design projects possible. Glaister gives the food goods to the men on her recipients list, women receive the treats plus an orchid, “And everybody gets a handwritten card,” she says.
While the food gift has sentimental value for Glaister, she feels that what she gives matters less than simply expressing her gratitude. “It’s just something sweet and pretty that shows I care,” she says. “People just want to know that you care about them.”
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While the food gift has sentimental value for Glaister, she feels that what she gives matters less than simply expressing her gratitude. “It’s just something sweet and pretty that shows I care,” she says. “People just want to know that you care about them.”
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Acknowledging clients with a personalised gift
Emily Griffin and Stephanie Houghton of Emily Griffin Design in Toronto, Canada, like to pick out personalised holiday gifts for clients with ongoing or recently completed projects. The gifts relate to the clients’ homes and the design work the firm has done for them. Styling accessories are one example.
Examples of other gifts include “a great-looking coffee table book on a topic that we know they are passionate about, or a beautiful objet d’art for a bookcase that we have designed for one of their rooms – something they would love to look at based on their interests,” says Houghton, the firm’s co-owner and senior designer. “That’s really how we practice design anyway with our clients: we create homes that reflect who they are and what they love.”
Emily Griffin and Stephanie Houghton of Emily Griffin Design in Toronto, Canada, like to pick out personalised holiday gifts for clients with ongoing or recently completed projects. The gifts relate to the clients’ homes and the design work the firm has done for them. Styling accessories are one example.
Examples of other gifts include “a great-looking coffee table book on a topic that we know they are passionate about, or a beautiful objet d’art for a bookcase that we have designed for one of their rooms – something they would love to look at based on their interests,” says Houghton, the firm’s co-owner and senior designer. “That’s really how we practice design anyway with our clients: we create homes that reflect who they are and what they love.”
Arlington Home Interiors in Virginia, USA, also takes a personalised approach, says Mark Manlove, vice president of operations and marketing. Clients with large projects get customised gifts that vary, “depending on the project and the client’s interest,” he says. The firm might choose a vase, pitcher or platter that feels right for that particular client. “We tend to try to do something on the larger size that will be a gift they’ll remember us for,” says Manlove. “A pretty gift that will be functional and will remind them of us.”
Clients with smaller projects also receive a holiday gift from Arlington Home Interiors, such as a gourmet treat of olive oil and seasonings, or an artisanal gift of a handmade pottery tray for holding a soup ladle.
If you’re looking to give a personalised gift, perhaps reviewing Houzz Ideabooks shared with your clients, or even your email exchanges, might help spark a fun or customised idea. Houzz Pro project and business management software helps by keeping all of your communication, documents and client approvals for each project in one centralised place, which you can refer back to at any time.
Learn about Houzz Pro business management software
If you’re looking to give a personalised gift, perhaps reviewing Houzz Ideabooks shared with your clients, or even your email exchanges, might help spark a fun or customised idea. Houzz Pro project and business management software helps by keeping all of your communication, documents and client approvals for each project in one centralised place, which you can refer back to at any time.
Learn about Houzz Pro business management software
Recognising the power of a simple card
In addition to gifts, all the pros we spoke with also send holiday cards, either electronically or in the mail. Some aim to send the cards in early December before the rush of holiday mail begins and people start their holidays. Others wait until January, when there’s more breathing room, and send a Happy New Year letter.
Typically, Martha O’Hara Interiors in Minneapolis, USA, gives holiday gifts to clients, most often a gourmet food product sourced from a local vendor, says Kate O’Hara, CEO and creative director. “This year we’re sending cards, but not gifts at this time, because we have clients who do want not to be receiving packages at their doorstep. We’re just being mindful of the year that we’re in,” says O’Hara.
The firm may choose to send gifts next year, or might skip them altogether. The pandemic has been a good reminder that gifts, while lovely to receive, are not an absolute must. “A simple gesture of a card that goes out to your clients is really enough,” says O’Hara.
In addition to gifts, all the pros we spoke with also send holiday cards, either electronically or in the mail. Some aim to send the cards in early December before the rush of holiday mail begins and people start their holidays. Others wait until January, when there’s more breathing room, and send a Happy New Year letter.
Typically, Martha O’Hara Interiors in Minneapolis, USA, gives holiday gifts to clients, most often a gourmet food product sourced from a local vendor, says Kate O’Hara, CEO and creative director. “This year we’re sending cards, but not gifts at this time, because we have clients who do want not to be receiving packages at their doorstep. We’re just being mindful of the year that we’re in,” says O’Hara.
The firm may choose to send gifts next year, or might skip them altogether. The pandemic has been a good reminder that gifts, while lovely to receive, are not an absolute must. “A simple gesture of a card that goes out to your clients is really enough,” says O’Hara.
Remembering clients all year round
While it’s kind to show thoughtfulness to your clients, tradespeople and sales reps around the holiday season, several pros said they try to stay in touch more frequently. “We really aim to stay in front of our clients throughout the year,” says O’Hara. “We don’t want to over-emphasise the holidays or one time of year where we’re saying hello.”
Instead, Martha O’Hara Interiors sends emails once a month to clients and anyone else who has signed up for the firm’s newsletter. Emails might include updates on new projects on their website that readers might want to peruse, as well as announcements of any awards the firm has recently won. “They like to hear when their designer is being awarded,” says O’Hara, and “it’s fun for a client to get to see their own home featured.”
While it’s kind to show thoughtfulness to your clients, tradespeople and sales reps around the holiday season, several pros said they try to stay in touch more frequently. “We really aim to stay in front of our clients throughout the year,” says O’Hara. “We don’t want to over-emphasise the holidays or one time of year where we’re saying hello.”
Instead, Martha O’Hara Interiors sends emails once a month to clients and anyone else who has signed up for the firm’s newsletter. Emails might include updates on new projects on their website that readers might want to peruse, as well as announcements of any awards the firm has recently won. “They like to hear when their designer is being awarded,” says O’Hara, and “it’s fun for a client to get to see their own home featured.”
Arlington Home Interiors has a creative approach to staying in touch: one year after a project is installed, the design firm marks the occasion with a gift to the client. “On their anniversary we’ll send them a nice bouquet of flowers from a local florist,” says Manlove. Not only is this a lovely way to commemorate the project, it has also helped the firm generate new business. Some deliveries have sparked calls from clients who say they’ve been meaning to reach out about a new project and that the bouquet provided the perfect reminder to call.
Your turn
Do you send cards, gifts or mark the festive season in a different way for your clients and trade partners? Tell us what works for you in the Comments below, like this story and join the conversation.
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Read more stories for building and design professionals here
Do you send cards, gifts or mark the festive season in a different way for your clients and trade partners? Tell us what works for you in the Comments below, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Read more stories for building and design professionals here
Nine years ago when Wendy Glaister of Wendy Glaister Interiors was a newly single mum running a design business, someone stepped in to help her. “I have a really good friend who gave me a job when I had no money,” says Glaister, who worked at her friend’s fruit store while her son was in school. She also worked there on the weekends when her son was with his dad. “I was so grateful because it was always busy there so it kept my mind off of things,” she says.