New Year Greetings for Clients: Why It Matters and How It Works

The New Year holidays are just around the corner, which means it’s a great opportunity to reconnect with past clients and revive old connections. Such client engagement is considered one of the most effective strategies that directly impacts sales.

Moreover, acquiring a new client is much harder than securing a repeat order from an existing one. Yet, businesses often don’t devote enough time to nurturing relationships with their past clients.

Below are some recommendations for preparing your holiday greetings.

When Should You Start Preparing?

It’s best to start as early as possible. You’ll need time to:

• Compile a list of recipients
• Come up with gift ideas
• Place orders and arrange deliveries, considering the holiday shipping delays

Who Should You Greet?

Deciding whom to congratulate can be tricky. Naturally, the company’s budget for holiday greetings will play a role.

Focus more on past and potential clients. A New Year’s greeting (or any other holiday message) is a great way to subtly and pleasantly remind a former client of your existence, especially if you haven’t been in touch for a while.

Don’t forget about key contacts. While business owners and top managers are important, also acknowledge the day-to-day team members you work with directly.

Show appreciation to business partners. These connections can be invaluable for business growth—partners may refer you, subcontract work to you, or pass along clients they can’t serve themselves.

As for contractors, support services, outsourced offices, etc., the decision should be based on your company’s budget.

What Should You Give?

Choosing the right gift is often a headache for marketing teams. Typically, the decision depends on the budget and creativity.

The best gifts are usually original, practical, or delicious.

Popular gift categories include:

• Physical items (souvenirs, branded merchandise)
• Experience-based gifts (concert/theater/sports tickets)
• Charitable donations (a growing trend where, instead of a traditional gift, the company sends a card stating that the gift budget was donated to charity)

Marketing expenses, including holiday greetings for colleagues, clients, and partners, can be significant.

However, building warm relationships is crucial in any business, especially in trust-based industries like legal services, where success often hinges on personal connections and goodwill.

Showing attention to your clients and partners at the right moment can sometimes be the key to success.