Make Business Personal this Holiday Season (3 Tips)
In the season of giving, don’t let your message of appreciation get lost in the sea of sameness. Add a personal touch to the festive feelings.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Your Christmas spirit is soaring. You want to show your appreciation, celebrate and give. You’re ready to deck the office halls and spread joy to your business world. While your goodwill is as lit up as your Christmas tree, consider if there’s a better way to cut through the Christmas noise. And leave a more memorable impression on your people.
This holiday season, don’t just tick all the usual stakeholder management boxes. This lacklustre approach is likely a waste of time and resources. And, in the business realm, perhaps doesn’t have the return on investment you may be hoping for. Plus, your efforts are likely lost in the sea of sameness. Instead, make business personal.
Here are a few small ways you can add a personal touch to your personal brand this holiday season:
Tip #1: Swap the client Christmas party for intimate experiences
As Maya Angelou famously said,
“At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did. They will remember how you made them feel.”
With over a decade in marketing, I’ve been to many client Christmas parties both as a guest and a host. Very few have had a lasting impact. A few minutes here and there with my main relationships creates little chance for it.
Even as an extrovert, I always remember an intimate lunch or dinner among key stakeholders in a relationship more. It’s a chance to connect over engaging conversations. Naturally, the more quality time someone spends with you, the deeper the connection.
It’s not to say client Christmas parties have no value. It creates a community around your business or personal brand. It can create connections among your people that wouldn’t otherwise exist without you. But, many businesses plan their annual networking event solely around the festive season. It lacks original thinking and gets lost in the full schedules busy business people have this time of the year.
If you have the resources for an annual event, consider doing it at another time of the year. Plan it around a purpose, key message, time, launch or event that has greater meaning or value to your specific business or relationships. Christmas is, of course, one of the best times for showing your gratitude and giving. But, there are other ways to show your appreciation during the most wonderful time of the year.
Tip #2: Pick up the pen
In primary school, I remember painstakingly writing each of my classmates their own Christmas card. As did many other students. It took time, but we knew putting time and effort into this captured the holiday spirit more than any gift could.
Handwritten cards are a chance to personalise your message to the individual and help build trust. It shows that you chose the more laborious alternative because you thought the person deserved it. Unlike a perfect typeface, lost in the abyss of ecards or generic print runs, it shows emotional openness. As an added bonus, your unique handwriting inherently adds your personal style.
In my adult years, I’ve kept every handwritten card I’ve received. I’ve binned every generic one.
If taking pen to paper is challenging for you, send personalised emails. In my career, I’ve spent endless hours pouring over creating corporate Christmas greetings. Even the most creative or stunning greeting is not going to mean more than a personal email to your key stakeholders. Consider individual messages that reflect on:
Your gratitude for the best moments shared with the person this year.
Your well wishes for them and their loved ones (extra points for knowing their names).
Your excitement for the year ahead with them.
That’s it. The ancient wisdom of a three-act story - a bit of past, present and future.
Tip #3: Don’t do in public what you aren’t doing privately
There is no use having flashy ecards, elaborate company Christmas messages, sophisticated promotions and fancy events if you aren’t showing the same appreciation for your team. They are the elves that run the workshop and make the magic happen.
Think outside the Christmas box for your annual office party too.
Working as a marketing and communications manager, I’ve laboured extensively on all things Christmas. I’ve also been on the receiving end of as many well-intended festivities. But, in my personal experience, this is what’s been most memorable to this day:
Fund and encourage team Christmas lunches.
Shift some of the corporate client gift and entertainment budget or resources to staff (or ensure they have one too).
Work with your partners to treat staff during Christmas.
No matter what place you have in a team, write individual cards.
If it’s feasible for you, the tiniest personal gifts can also mean the world.
Spend time making homemade festive treats for the team or office.
Like a business makes big plans for the year ahead, so do your team members. Research has also shown January is the most popular time of the year for quitting your job. If your team is going to spend their holidays reflecting on their careers, leave them with the best last impression of the year.
Whether it’s thinking differently about your client Christmas parties, picking up the pen or doing something special for your team, make business personal this Christmas.
So, what are your plans for the holidays?
