Every year, my father’s insurance company sends me a birthday card with a stick of Juicy Fruit gum. They’ve been doing it since I was a kid, and the cards keep coming, even though I’m 31 years old and living far from home.

The gum itself may be somewhat stale, but I’m always pleasantly surprised that this company remembers me at my birthday, year after year. The holiday season is a great time to give your customers a similar “warm, fuzzy” feeling by doing some simple customer relationship management (CRM) marketing.

CRM is really just a fancy term for:

• Making sure your customers don’t forget that you’re there.
• Making them more loyal to your business.

While companies often have elaborate CRM strategies and loyalty programs, every business can start small with easy strategies to make customers feel special.

Send a Personal Greeting Card

Custom greeting cards with a personal signature (or maybe even a note) are an easy way to show you care. SitePoint.com has some great tips for business holiday cards at www.sitepoint.com/business-holiday-greeting-cards-tips.

Send Them a Small Gift

People appreciate small gifts like mugs, calendars or office items because they’re useful, as well as thoughtful. When you add your company logo, they become a way to keep your business top-of-mind as well. There’s no limit to the promotional products you can customize, which means you can always create something that ties into your business – a tire gauge for a auto repair shop, toothbrushes for a dentist or flyswatters for a pest control company.  

Offer a VIP Special

Everyone wants to feel like a VIP! Sending a postcard or email with an exclusive offer can help to increase customer loyalty and drive traffic. It doesn’t always have to be a discount, either – existing customers will also appreciate “soft” benefits, like getting to skip the line when they arrive at your business or the chance to attend a preview event of your new product.

Send a Print or Email Newsletter

The goal of a newsletter is very similar to promotional items – provide something your client will find useful, without directly pushing your products and services. For instance, a travel agent could send information on preparing for holiday travel, while a real estate agent might provide tips for holiday home decorating.

If you need any help putting these ideas into action this holiday season, your PostNet Neighborhood Business Center can help. Visit www.postnet.com/locations to find a center near you.