Business Greeting Cards Help Erase Employee Dissatisfaction

Business greeting cards may have taken a back seat on the list of high importance when companies are considering what cuts should be made to the yearly budget. However, when the cost of sending a greeting card is analyzed, it is a small amount to spend. It can be a small price to pay to convey to the recipient that they are truly appreciated. It shows that one is remembered throughout the year. Not just when one is actually purchasing or utilizing a product or service, but all of the time. In these crazy economic times, an under appreciated customer or client can spell doom.

Now let’s take a look at employee birthday cards. How much importance do we place on this? I would venture to guess that it is probably not enough. The thought is that an employee should just be happy to have a job. This is true enough. But please consider this recent news headline – Americans’ Job Satisfaction Falls to Record Low. The article states that only 45% of Americans are satisfied with their work. In 2008 that number was 49%. Ok, that’s only a 4% drop. However, in 1987 the number of satisfied workers was 61%. The article goes on to list some of the reasons for the drop, such as the jobs are not interesting, incomes have not kept up with inflation, and the increasing cost of insurance cutting into take home pay.

There are some things that can’t be controlled. Inflation and insurance costs are all but impossible to fix. Companies can’t stop inflation or the increasing cost of insurance. Companies can however, do some small things that can take a bite out of this growing trend of dissatisfaction. You know, lessen the sting a little bit. By recognizing an employee’s birthday or anniversary, we are letting them know that although we are all trying to work through these trying times, they are truly and sincerely appreciated.

Ok, sending employee birthday cards is but a small thing, but small gestures can go a long way in boosting employee moral. Not showing appreciation will not help the company in the least, whether it is a customer or employee. Imagine if you will, that only 45% of your customers are satisfied. It’s a sobering thought. Any successful company knows that appreciated employees will go the extra mile, even in tough times. They will also stick with you when the tough times are over!

Business Sympathy Cards Touch the Heart

When someone experiences the loss of a loved one, business sympathy cards can bring to light how many other lives have been impacted by this individual. Receiving acknowledgement from someone’s co-workers touches the heart as it reveals an often unknown group of people that share the loss of your dearly departed. We all know the effects of the loss on friends and family but hearing from outside this group can be very special indeed.

I recently lost a very dear friend of many years. After the services were over, her husband approached me and asked if I would help him choose appropriate thank you cards. He wanted to send a message of thanks in response to the many thoughtful  sympathy cards that had been sent to him from his wife’s co-workers and clients. He told me that he had received an astonishing amount of approximately 300 business related cards! He knew only a few of these people and was overwhelmed by the kindness and caring these cards represented.

Business greeting cards, in general, show appreciation and respect for people we work with, who work for us, and who we work for. That respect and appreciation exhibited through a business sympathy card is a way to show someone how much their dear one meant to others. It’s a simple way to touch the heart.

Business Christmas Cards, February and a Groundhog Named Punxsutawney Phil

One doesn’t normally think about business Christmas cards in February. February brings visions of snowflakes and candy hearts for Valentine’s Day. However, the mild temperatures are making the predictions of one certain Pennsylvania groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, seem silly. Six more weeks of winter? If it continues like this, everyone will welcome it!

So with a prediction of six more weeks of winter, it turns my mind to Christmas cards in February. There are many reasons to order your cards early. One of the best reasons is that because this is the off season, cards are offered at greater discounts. This is a winning situation for both business and customer. Employers are able to keep employees productive and customers reap the benefit of lower costs. Ordering early also gives you the best selection of cards. When waiting until peak season to order, you run the risk of that special card being sold out. During the holiday season we usually feel rushed with way too many things to do. Before you know it, you are in complete panic mode and wondering how you are going to get everything done.

While everyone else is scrambling in November to get their Christmas card order in, you can devote your time to other important matters. Just don’t forget where you stored your cards!

Thank You Cards – The Easy Way to Brighten Someone’s Day!

There is nothing like unexpected thank you cards to bring that smile back to your face after a long day. Thank you cards provide that delightful little spark that can turn your day from a gloomy, rain drenched day to a sunny one. I remember being in fourth grade in class working on sheets of paper with crayons attempting to make all sorts of cards as class assignments. Every holiday was usually ripe as an excuse for our teacher to assign us with the task of creating our own holiday card from scratch for our parents. This was when I first came across the idea of sending out cards for all occasions.

To not send an acknowledgement after receiving help or even a friendly gesture is equivalent to not saying please before asking for something. With social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, it is increasingly easier to stay in touch with friends, family, and acquaintances. These sites do allow you to essentially send a thank you or birthday wish to someone you know as opposed to sending a physical card. Though, no matter how much our technology seems to advance, there are some things that will always stick around and corporate thank you cards are one of those lasting treasures. Sending a thank you card to your boss or supervisor for simply helping you out could always lead to that long-awaited raise you were looking for. So as the New York Lotto’s motto goes, “Hey, you never know!”

Employee Anniversary Cards and Universal Truths

Some may be inclined to cut their business budget by eliminating unnecessary expenses, such as employee anniversary cards. I’ve heard the reasoning on this: “In this economy…,” “They should be happy they still have a job…,” “They get paid so what more do they expect?”

Fair enough. Just as fair as the employee who does only what he or she must do, and not a lick more.

You see, it’s all in the attitude, and attitude is contagious. It’s like Karma. What goes around comes around. If you accentuate the positive, you can eliminate the negative. You’ve got to give, to get. Give gratitude and you’ll get gratitude. Give enthusiasm and you’ll get enthusiasm. Give appreciation and you’ll be appreciated. And, not just you; your clients, customers and vendors will feel the effects of that good vibe and react in a like manner.

If you walk through your workplace with a smile and cheerful greeting for each person you see, you’ll find service with a smile spreading throughout your ranks. If you honor workers with employee anniversary cards, you’ll see their pride and confidence flourish. And that will lead to more energy, greater cooperation and bigger efforts, where going above and beyond becomes your company’s form of business as usual.

Do you think I’m using a lot of clichés? Try substituting “truth” for “cliché” because clichés came into being because they are, pretty much, universal truths.

Employee anniversary cards are small, simple, low-cost gestures. But think of their value in helping to retain your skilled, knowledgeable, and dependable staff members. And think of the money you save by not having to solicit, train, and gamble on new replacement personnel. That, and optimum productivity, is money in your pocket. I’d say those cards are worth their weight in gold now, aren’t they?

Corporate Birthday Cards with a Clever Surprise

I often noticed how the ladies in my office would show up for work every day with a beverage in hand from a fast food restaurant or coffee chain. They would purchase the largest size and enjoy it throughout the day. There would be conversation about where one could find the best buy and what was available in the neighborhood. Sometimes a new drink would come on the scene and we would compare our taste notes, even exchange coupons for these mini office delights. Here is an inexpensive way to celebrate your employees’ birthdays. Simply purchase corporate birthday cards and include a five dollar gift card for a local coffee store or fast food place. You will be amazed at the positive response.

A business birthday card not only shows that you care and remember; it is a demonstration of your thoughtfulness as a manager, executive, professional or business owner. The execution of this project is quite simple and straightforward. And don’t ask what you can get for five dollars in this economy – quite a lot! A sweet tea, strawberries and crème frappuccino, large decaf, fruit smoothie, or the basic black coffee-to-go will come in at under five dollars with change to spare. Give, and give it a try!

Birthday Cards Bonanza

Most people don’t really place as much value on birthday cards as they used to. In this day and age, most people resort to a “happy birthday” on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, or at best an e-card sent to your email. Even though times are changing and we’re rapidly incorporating technology into our daily lives, I still think birthday cards that you can hold and feel is the best birthday gesture someone can give. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Facebook “happy birthday’s”, but I can’t put them on my desk to smile at when I glance over at them.

What’s better than a birthday card you can physically hold and feel? Personal birthday cards that your loved ones took the time to make especially for you! Whenever I receive a personalized birthday card, I’m amazed at the details of the whole package – the coloring of the card, the ink that the greetings printed in, the special sentiment my friend took the time to think up, among other things. I’ve heard a lot of people say that birthday cards are a waste… I don’t think that’s true at all! I personally have a box with hundreds of birthday and other types of cards I’ve received during the years, and every once in a while it’s so nice to open that box up and go through some of them. It brings a smile to my face, and as the years go by, it makes me happy that I’ve had the opportunity to grow another year and to be fortunate enough to have family and friends that care so much about me as to think of me in the form of a card – a lost art in this day and age.

Get Well Cards Rescue the Sale

I am a senior salesperson who had a really positive experience with Get Well cards.  In November, I was pursuing a lead for a new account.  My contact for the potential business was the CIO.  We had been to lunch a few times and I started feeling like the new deal could be mine.  I sell software which monitors network activity and it is pretty pricey.  Every deal is a potential huge deal for me.  When I called the CIO’s Executive Assistant to confirm our next appointment she told me that Dan, the CIO, would be unable to meet me on the scheduled date.  Startled, I asked whether Dan simply didn’t want to pursue the deal with me any further and she replied, “It’s not that.  Dan is in the hospital having bypass surgery”.   I hung up disappointed and dejected because not only was the deal off, but I felt I had been building a good relationship with the CIO and certainly did not like hearing that he was ill.

Obviously sending flowers to the hospital or visiting was entirely inappropriate considering that this was a business relationship with someone I only gotten to know two months ago.  I decided then that I should send a business get well card to at least express my hopes for his speedy recovery and return.   The get well card went off in the mail and I forgot about the lost deal as several months went by.  Then, in January I got a phone call from you know who!  It was Dan, back at work and ready to pick up our conversation.    A few days later we went out to lunch to discuss the deal and Dan said, “You know, there were 5 competitors out to get this sale and not one of them was as thoughtful as you.  As soon as I received your card I knew we’d be doing business together.”  I can happily report that Dan is feeling much better, the sale was made and I can thank  business get well cards for sealing the deal!

How Welcome Cards Can Lift Spirits

April 27th, 2011 is a day I will always remember. My state (Alabama) was hit by the largest outbreak of tornadoes ever recorded. The devastation was horrific. 249 fatalities were recorded in Alabama that day, and it felt like I was living a nightmare. The sounds of tornado sirens blasting all day and all night are forever etched in my mind. I graduated from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL., which was one of the hardest hit cities in the state with 43 confirmed fatalities and over 1000 injuries. In fact the apartments I lived in my sophomore year of school were completely destroyed. I live in Birmingham now which is about 50 miles from Tuscaloosa, and several of my company’s employees lost their homes and everything they owned. A few weeks after the tornadoes I was at work one day and thought it would be a nice idea for my company to give their employees that were affected welcome cards when they returned back to work. These people needed all the help they could get and returning to work might provide a sense of normalcy when their lives had been turned upside down.

My boss was in total agreement with me and loved the idea. Not only would the cards serve as a reminder that the company was thinking of them during their time of need, it would hopefully help to facilitate the healing process and demonstrate that the company truly cared about them and their families. The look on many of the employee’s faces when they saw the cards on their desks when they returned to work was incredible. I truly feel that this small gesture provided joy to these individuals. I learned that business welcome cards can be used by any company to welcome an employee back to work after suffering a tragedy. My heart still aches for everyone affected by the tornadoes but we will come back stronger than ever.

Business Birthday Cards That Made An Impression

Let me tell you what a difference it made to me when I received actual business birthday cards you could feel and touch.  I own a consulting business and we order many marketing promotional items for our clients.  Many sales representatives from promotional companies contact us but I had my steady supplier that we had used for years.  When my sales contact left the company for a change in careers, I stayed with the company but was ultimately not happy with the service I was getting.

I had met with a sales representative from another company approximately a year prior on what must have been my birthday.  Low and behold, 1 year later, I received a beautifully crafted business birthday card from that same sales rep.  I was not only impressed by the thought, but also by the quality of the card.  I immediately got in touch with the rep and placed an order to try their company out.

I am now happily using his company as our primary supplier of promotional material and all because he made such a great impression on me with a high quality and thoughtful birthday cards.

I now make it a point to find out all of my clients’ birthdays and have a box of quality birthday cards at my finger tips ready to send to my clients.  I can’t tell you how many comments I get from them when they receive their card!