It is almost impossible to not “go off the grid” with your prospective customers and customers during the holidays. Everyone is heading to some much needed time off. You can have a competitive advantage by staying on the grid while your competitors are dropping off. Here are 5 ways to do it that won’t cut into your much needed and deserved R&R.
1. Send Happy New Year cards to your clients. These cards should arrive right before or right after Jan 1st. Your greeting will stand out since it won’t be arriving with the pre-Christmas gifts and cards that get lost in the shuffle or arrive during vacations. Your New Year’s greeting could include a calendar or some useful information for the new year.
2. Send an article or book that is relevant to the current business climate or their current business issues. They can start the new year thinking about you and gaining some fresh ideas.
3. Get on their calendar for a January meeting. The new year is a great time to evaluate the business you did the previous year and set plans for the new year. Requesting a Jan meeting in December is extremely effective. Customers want to feel they have a productive Jan set up before they leave for the holidays, also. Setting up a meeting with a good objective is a good way to help them do this.
4. Help them prepare for new year planning meetings. If they are a current customer, one way to do this is to send them a slide deck outlining the work and accomplishments in 2009 along with some ideas to continue the good work in 2010. Your email can start with “Often our clients ask us for a recap of the previous year so they can use it during thier new year planning sessions. I thought you may also find this helpful. Please see attached document. I am happy to walk through the slides with you at your convenience. Hope it’s helpful as you head into the new year.“ Write it in a way that they could use it with their superiors and in planning meetings. They will see you as a true partner and you’ll cut their 2010 workload before the year even begins.
5. Instead of just an “out of office” reply, send a proactive note to your customers and prospective customers several days in advance of your vacation. Let them know you’ll be out and how they can get in touch with you if appropriate, or at least how to get in touch with someone who can help them in your absence. They probably will be out, too, but they will have you in mind and feel that you took an extra step to ensure they are taken care of even when you are out. (It’s a great reason to reach out to them when you return to let them know you are back in the office and move your relationship forward.)
Enjoy your time “off the grid” while a few small efforts will keep you “on the grid”. Happy New Year!
Tags: new year
