It isn't often that you are able to contact your client, just to say, "hi" and wish them well. However, the holiday season provides a wonderful way to stay in contact with your clients in a non-business way.

1. The Standard Holiday Card - there are services that will print up custom and elegant Holiday cards with your business name and or logo. It is best to stick with something like "Holiday Greetings" unless you are absolutely sure what holiday your client celebrates.

Unfortunately, most businesses take advantage of the holiday season and your card may get lost in a plethora of blues and silvers and red, green and gold embossed cards and be less than memorable no matter how much you spend on pricey cards.

2. Do you have an artist in the family or an artist client? You could buy artistic cards that are numbered and have more worth than just the standard fare for approximately the same price.

You could try a few ways to send some kind of greeting and yet make a statement.

Is it a particularly good client or business? Have they given you several referrals?

3. Try a gift certificate to a local restaurant. Is the restaurant a client? All the better. This can be a $20 or more investment depending on the restaurant.

4. A holiday fruit basket is always an office hit. There are many kinds from fresh cut fruit artfully arranged to a more traditional whole fruit arrangement. Most are around $30-40 but more elaborate arrangements are

5. A gift card for coffee and donuts, might just make the day for some of those smaller clients. This can be as little as $5 however fancy embossed cards can run as much as $5 a piece and some can run more, even though you buy in bulk.

Never underestimate the power of the personal note. Queen Elizabeth I, who dictated all her correspondence, was known for taking a moment and putting a personal note and signature to many of her letters. This has been a practice that is simple and has been effective for many years, yet vastly overlooked.

When you look to make connections during the holidays, thoughtfulness and a little creativity can go a long way in making a lasting impression.

Written by Marie Sultana Robinson.

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