Christmas – time to connect with your business family
Christmas is time for giving, sharing and being with people we care about. In the same spirit, it’s a great time to nurture our business families too. In this blog, we look at how to do it generously and effectively, to benefit everyone involved.
- Share the love
Christmas is about giving. As well as giving presents, cards and overdue phone calls (!) to friends and family, it’s also a great time to catch up with old contacts. Identify clients you used to see more of, people you meet networking, and anyone else who needs your services but hasn’t joined your business family yet.
A common reason for not working with someone is getting bogged down in other aspects of work and forgetting to phone up an amazing contact.
Solve this problem by reminding your would-be collaborators that you’re still there and ready to work with them whenever they’re ready. Make sure you send these people Christmas cards. Depending on how you’re celebrating Christmas, you might consider inviting them to your party too.
- Say thank you
Many business owners are surrounded by people who help us in countless little ways. Sometimes these people leave a thoughtful comment on LinkedIn exactly when we need it; perhaps we have a freelancer whom we can always depend on. Maybe they filled a gap in an emergency, or gave great advice when you were stuck in a rut.
If there are people in your business network who have made your year easier, Christmas is a great time to say thank you with a card or even a present. While many people are coming away from Christmas cards for environmental reasons, there’s still something very special about receiving a handwritten card through the post. We believe the answer is to send fewer Christmas cards, but more thoughtfully. Save them for people who deserve a special thank you – they’ll feel brilliant knowing that you took the time to write them a card. In turn, this will strengthen your business relationship for another year of support and collaboration.
- Give generously
Christmas is a great time for giveaways. It’s easy for retailers to decorate their shops and offer discounts, but other businesses can offer promotions too. Remember, a promotion promotes the business – it’s not just a freebie. Choose a service or product you can afford to reduce the price of, or even give away for free, and use it to entice new customers. Once they see what great work you can produce for free, they’re more likely to become paying clients and even recommend you to others.
A little generosity can go a long way. Plan your promotion carefully and you’ll help your own business and others’ too.
Christmas telephone answering
We are really excited for Christmas – we’ve had so much fun planning what to send to our favourite contacts! And of course, we’re still here to support businesses of all sizes across the festive season. If you’re planning time off and need someone to hold the fort, our team can help – simply give us a call on 01483 332 220 to find out more.
