Holiday cards are a great way to brighten your clients’ holiday season. Many of my guests only get a few cards each year and they have said that they miss receiving them. I have a client who only gets one each year, from me, and she is really touched by the gesture. It goes a long way to making the clients feel appreciated and they remember that you actually care enough to take the time to make them out. It makes them feel important that you think about them at times other than when they are directly in front of you for an appointment. It is a simple way to really make an impression.

I get my list all ready and then I start Thanksgiving week making out my cards during the weekend. I try to have them all filled out by December 1st. That way I can start out the month with handing them out. Sometimes this results in a higher tip amount from them for that service. Though I have found that when my clients get the card as they are checking out, they often start to think about someone they may need a gift for and I have been able to direct them to one of the many holiday gift sets or items that we retail. This has helped to increase my products sales as well as potentially increase the gratuity.

To get ready for the holidays I also pick my cards out at the end of the previous year. That way I can get them during the post-holiday sales. When I began doing nails, I handcrafted my cards. There is no way I can do that now — just making out the 100-150 cards that I do is a big project.

I like to include some of the other people who make it possible for me to do business on my card list. For instance, I find that including your salon sales consultants when you make out your cards is a really nice gesture for all that they do for you during the year, and one that they definitely remember. I also will try to find out what type of baked goods my favorite sales consultant likes and make them a little holiday treat. I often make some kind of treat for the people I work with to let them know how much I appreciate them in addition to a very personalized card. I think that making out cards and making treats for them is not only a really nice thing to do for people but it keeps me in the spirit of the season too.

— Sandy