Holiday Greetings Etiquette at Your Company

by Anthony Ko, General Manager at Enplug Digital Signage Software

Christmas greetings go a long way toward making your employees and customers feel valued. They let everyone know you’re thinking about them. However, it can be tricky getting your Christmas holiday messaging right. What should you say? How long should your message be? If we’re talking about on-site or in-office signage with copy displayed in multiple places, how much should you embrace the holiday spirit before it becomes too much?

You’re not alone if you aren’t sure what the right approach is. Keep the following pieces of advice in mind to nail your company’s holiday greetings and make the most of the season.

Respect Other Cultures and Their Holidays 

Let’s start with something important: don’t assume all of your employees or customers celebrate Christmas. It’s critical to be respectful, so generic “Happy Holidays” verbiage is a safer bet than something like “Merry Christmas” .

The same logic applies if you’re mailing or emailing personalized letters. Receiving such direct communication might make some people feel uncomfortable or disrespected, though, so allow people on your mailing list to opt-out of holiday greetings before you send them. If there’s a seasonal deal you want to promote, then you can send a non-holiday themed letter instead.

Send Personalized Holiday Cards 

While on the subject of mailing letters, if your employees and customers are okay with receiving them, make sure to personalize each one. How often do you thoroughly read letters that say nothing more than, “Happy Holidays, Customer”? Probably not very frequently. It’s distant. It’s hollow. You likely feel more inclined to read letters that address you by name. Even if your goal is to express appreciation instead of promoting a seasonal sale, put the effort in and create cards unique to every individual on your list.

Display Holiday Messages in Your Office 

Your office can set the holiday mood by using digital signage to display seasonal greetings. Suppose you typically use TV screens to display company dashboards, data, inspirational quotes, safety information, directories, or other essential information. In that case, you can use your customizable signage software to squeeze in a few holiday messages throughout the day. It’s a convenient way to brighten up your space, and you can reserve physical cards for customers.

Strike the Right Tone 

This is another challenging part of holiday greetings: tone. How do you want your message to come across? “Friendly” is obvious, but slight changes in diction can be the difference between a well-intentioned holiday wish and an obvious last-ditch effort at connection because all of your competitors are doing it.

It would be best if you didn’t say something like: “Thank you for buying from us this year. Happy Holidays from *Company.”

Don’t overdo it, either — customers won’t think, “We wish you the most festive of holidays and a bountiful new New Year, beloved customer” is as thoughtful as you do.

Instead, aim for something more like: “We’d like to express our sincerest thanks for your continued support and patronage. Happy Holidays and a joyful New Year from the team at *Company.”

An inappropriate tone can rub customers the wrong way, so the most important thing you can remember when creating your tone is to be genuine. Customers will notice sincerity.

Say Something of Substance 

There’s nothing wrong with a short and sweet holiday card. However, depending on your message’s goals, consider saying something of more substance. Talk about successful company initiatives and how customers helped or benefited, such as the sustainability goals you reached this year. Make a point to highlight what your customers’ patronage means to you, especially if you run a small business. If it fits the context, then a longer message has more room to connect with recipients.

Be Timely With Your Greetings 

Timing is essential. If you’re sending physical season’s greeting cards, then you should have mailed them in November. If you’re sticking to in-store signage, then you can wait a little longer to roll out the holiday messaging. Your audience — not to mention your employees — might not appreciate you celebrating holidays at the end of October barely a day after Halloween. The beginning of December will always work well.

Don’t Forget Your Business Partners

Besides tailoring holiday greetings to employees and customers, season’s greeting cards are an excellent way to recognize your business partners. Your message will be different from what you say to everyone else, but take the opportunity to strengthen your relationships with people who contribute to your success. Express gratitude for the difference their partnership has made to the business.

Remember to send these out early enough, so recipients have enough time to enjoy them. Don’t use pre-printed names and addresses, either — print the message body, but hand-write each recipient’s name to make it more personal.

It isn’t easy to get holiday greetings right, but you’ll send the correct message if you put in more than minimal effort and remember to be respectful.

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