by Deb Reynolds
Many of us are so busy planning our Christmas break with loved ones that we tend to forget to plan the break for our businesses. There are just a few things you need to remember to make your break and return to work easy, because business support and customer services doesn’t stop during Christmas. So how can you organise your business so that you can round out your year and more importantly keep your customers happy?
Newsletters
An easy and efficient way to reach out to your clients this Christmas is by sending a Newsletter. A word though on one of the most overused but incorrect statements ever created – never open with “Dear Valued Customer” – be real, it’s a chance to round out your year and theirs, so give them a reason to come back to you when you are open for their valued business. You could tell them:
What you have achieved this year, ie, moved premises, won a new contract, charity work, or introduce a new employee – but do so with the customer in mind, why do they need to know really? Better yet, ask them how their year was.
Provide them with your schedule for the Christmas break, opening and closing hours, and advise them if the offices be manned during the break. ? Are there other ways of keeping in touch with you? Think Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Do you have anything special planned for the New Year.
And don’t forget to add a message to your telephone answering machine. Oh and just as importantly, put a remember on your calendar to change it back again when you return to work.
Auto Responders
Set up an Email Auto-response, with the following details:
- When you are away
- When you are back to work and give them
- A number to contact you/answering service (if appropriate).
Social Media Content Marketing Strategy
Arrange a Posting Schedule on Facebook to share content while you are away. You should never use social media to sell, sell, sell. There is nothing worse than seeing news feeds full of ads, unless you want to lose customers and followers that is. Besides which it will get lost among the holiday buzz. Share content that says more about their needs than yours and your needs will always be met.
Answering Service / Virtual Business Support
If you are closing for the Xmas/New Years break, you could get an Answering Service. The benefits are many and include:
- Your clients/prospective clients, can speak to an actual person and not a machine.
- No missed calls if your answering machine gets full.
- Calls are answered as your business name.
- They can advise when you are back to work.
- If they have calendar access, they can even book appointments in for you.
Parcels and Mail
Arrange mail redirection if you are closing for a week or two, or ask the post office to hold your mail if you are going to be closed for any length of time
Goals and Milestones
With your significant achievements written and shared with your customer base, now is a good time to look ahead to the New Year,
- What do you want to achieve?
- What would you like your organisation to achieve and
- What part can you play in making that happen?
“Think little goals and expect little achievements. Thing big goals and win big success.”
David Joseph Schwartz
Just remember, you don’t have to do it on your own. If we can do NE: Thing to help, just give us a call – and yes we will be monitoring telephones and emails during the holiday period 🙂
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