I’d like to share a personal response to this recent article, “It’s Time to Stop Sending Greeting Cards”. The title alone to me is like the sound of nails on a chalkboard.
Yes, it is that time again. We are in the thick of the holiday season frenzy and in addition to gift shopping, it’s Christmas card time. Each year more people are asking themselves if they will even send a holiday card.
There are many reasons why this is a growing trend. All reasons certainly having merit. Instead of discounting the reasons not to send Christmas or Season’s Greeting cards or any greeting card for that matter, I will share why you should send them.
Electronic communications and social media have made keeping in touch so easy it takes much of the thought and effort out of keeping in touch. It’s virtually effortless! That’s great for business and everyday matters. Woo hoo, we’re so productive, I love it! However we are bombarded on the daily with emails, text messages, posts, DMs, PMs, pokes and nudges and are becoming desensitized to personal communications. The “personal” is gone.
It’s a trend, an evolution of communications which will all look very different from how we’ve communicated before. Everyone will find a combination of communication media, personal and business, that “works” for them.
Take a cue from major retailers, many of whom are re-incorporating the mailing of traditional printed catalogs in an effort to be seen and heard above the electronic “noise”. (Remember that massive Restoration Hardware catalog? No way to ignore that!)
And talking about trends, what could be trendier than Taylor Swift? Taylor values the importance of giving birthday cards so much that she keeps some in her purse, just in case. Go Taylor!
So the bar has been raised. The saying “it’s the thought that counts” doesn’t really hold true anymore. Now more important than just the “thought” is the action – it’s the thought AND the action that count. Anyone can think about it, but to act on the thought – exert some real effort and DO something, something personal – that’s what really counts. Sometimes the more effort someone puts into something the more appreciated it is. Like it or not that’s the way it is. Maybe there’s a mathematical equation for this. Appreciation Factor = (Thought x Effort) + Personal Touch. Yes, there is, I just made it up!
1. Remember the event or occasion – there’s the thought
2. Buy or make a personal card – there’s the action and the more personal the better
3. And wait for it … mail it – perhaps the toughest part, takes a lot of effort especially if you are not organized (get that address, not their email address, not their user id, their MAILING address, you can do it!)
Birthday, Christmas or any little occasion – the effort and the paper are not lost, not wasted, even if the card does go in the recycling bin or trash (gasp!) after being enjoyed. It’s a pretty wonderful feeling to receive something in your mailbox, especially a special greeting card – it’s a timeless delight!
Elizabeth Perkins of Omaha agrees! A dedicated card lover, she puts thought, effort and a personal touch into her daily routine to let others know that she is thinking of them.
Card sales on our site www.GreetingCardUniverse.com are strongly on the upswing. Ordering online removes much of the effort by helping you a) search for the perfect card b) personalize it and c) conveniently mail it. People are finding the pleasure in making it personal – really personal. So much so that a unique and personalized card can serve as a gift in itself, and maybe even make it to the mantle for a spell.
Popular cards this week:
Thinking of You on your First Christmas Alone
Get Well Bone Marrow Transplant
Happy New Year’s Eve Birthday
Merry Christmas School Bus Driver
Happy 1st Birthday Great Nephew
Happy Holidays Daughter & Wife
Lil hippo says it so well:
I don’t think it will ever be time to stop the tradition of sending paper greeting cards, certainly not for me. As one of life’s little pleasures, it’s just too special and so worth the extra effort. Do the math 😉
