An excellent way to keep an open line of communication with your customers is to address the holiday season by sending a Christmas letter or card to them. This gives your business the chance to thank the customers for their patronage all year and even offer them a special holiday reminder or purchasing offer.

Wish customers a happy holiday season in the first paragraph. Remind them to take a little time to enjoy the season by spending time with their family and friends.

Tell them how much you have appreciated their business through the year. If they made a particularly unique purchase, reference the item and say you hope they are still enjoying it. This works well for a large furniture purchase, a car purchase or the sale of a new home.

Remind the customers that you are there for them and would be happy to help them in the future. Provide easy ways to contact the business such as a direct phone line or email address of the person they would be working with.

Wrap up the letter by letting them know how the business did this year. Just a few quick lines about how they helped make the company successful would be appreciated.

Remind the customers of any last-minute offers they shouldn't miss. Don't make the letter seem like an advertisement, but remind them of dates, sales ending or a one-time holiday event. If they need to place an order by a certain date for the holidays, mention it in the letter as a courtesy.

Print the letter on seasonal letterhead paper. Mail the letters a few weeks before the holiday so customers can still get in on last-minute offers. When they receive the letter, they will be thinking of your business and may make a purchase because you reminded them.

Tip

Include a small gift from the company to the customer in the holiday letter. Small refrigerator magnets with your business details are easy to mail. A pre-printed pen, small sticky note pad or bookmark also make great holiday gifts for your customers. Your local print and copy store can give you ideas on mass-produced products that can be imprinted with your business logo and details.