A personalized greeting on a corporate holiday card can set your business apart. That personalization can sometimes be a little tricky if you want to include messages and signatures from your remote sales staff. Many companies have a sales force in the field. It is perfect for building close relationships with your prospects and customers, but adds obstacles to a broad campaign like the corporate holiday card. This is the fifth blog in our series to help you carry out a successful corporate holiday card campaign. Whether you have individual sales representatives spread across your region or sales teams located in remote field offices, here are some ideas to help you send an effective, yet personal, holiday card.
Get Early Buy-in
When you are establishing your list of holiday card recipients, your sales team is an integral part of the process. Use their help to create the list and consider their input of who should be included and who should be deleted this year. Their expertise from the front-line will be valuable when reviewing the final list. Clearly communicate critical deadlines such as list submission, when cards need to be signed and distribution dates.
Involve your sales team in the creative process by getting their thoughts about how to personalize the message for their contacts or how to give the message a local flair. If you are giving gifts or charitable donations, solicit the sales team’s ideas for options.
Leverage Existing Systems Where Possible
To manage the project, don’t reinvent the wheel. Formulate a plan by using tools you already have.
- Calendar systems can be used for communicating and adjusting key milestones.
- Shared databases, shared network drives, sales force management systems, can all be used for list development and modification.
- Internal social media systems can be tapped for brainstorming and communicating status.
Consider a Marketing Management System
A Marketing Management System enables you to create and distribute customized, highly-targeted marketing materials while ensuring brand consistency and legal compliance. In the case of a corporate holiday card campaign, the system can make the whole process easier and more efficient.
- Remote sales personnel have the ability to upload their contact list, and the corporate office can also upload lists.
- Sales people can choose the card design from the selection provided by the corporate office.
- Sales people can select which cards should contain a PURL or QR code for a gift or charitable contribution. It also allows for corporate review and approval.
- The message itself can be localized or personalized by the sales agents for their contacts and then easily reviewed and approved by corporate.
- Signatures of sales representatives can be uploaded to appear on their cards.
- The corporate office can track the progress of the overall campaign. In the case of campaigns that incorporate PURLs or QR codes, response rates can be tracked as well.
In the end, remember that the sales team is critical to an effective holiday card campaign. Although the actual coordination may be tricky if the sales force is distributed, it will be worth your efforts. Take advantage of a Marketing Management System which can simplify the coordination and enable sales input for highly effective personalization. Your holiday cards are one more way to remind your customers that you care and appreciate their business. If you receive a corporate holiday card with a personalized greeting and a signature you recognize, won’t you remember it more than one that doesn’t?
