Five Ways to Increase Your Influence This Holiday Season
Influence Blog
We are moving towards the end of year and it can become difficult to stay focused on business activities with holidays, family, and the seasonal pressures upon us. I thought I’d offer a few tips for staying business centric, using activities that strengthen your professional relationships while you enjoy your time off.
1. Who do you need to thank?
This is the perfect time for sending thank you cards to those you want to appreciate. This is especially important if you have slacked off during the year and not kept up. I believe a sincere thank you is much more important to most than a holiday greeting.
2. Is there anyone you need to thank with more than a card?
Tying gift giving to the holidays is not a bad thing even if you aren’t a holiday focused person. I like to thank my clients with something consumable as I have found most of us have too much of everything and don’t want or need more stuff. I recommend staying away from gifts that feel offhand or impersonal and instead share something that you really like (bottle of good wine, excellent chocolate, homemade goodies, gift certificate to a favorite restaurant) or something you know they’ll really like.
3. What about past clients, potential clients, and those who are in your sphere but you aren’t currently doing business with them?
January is a very good time to send out a New Year’s wish using a branded card to remind these folks that you are still here, still thinking of them and wanting to connect. You can clue them in to what’s new in your business for 2015. If what’s new is something you know will interest them, make sure to let them know! Be clear, you are not “selling," you are reconnecting and building the relationship.
4. What do you do in January?
January is the perfect time to have an open house, schedule meet and greets, get the year off to a robust beginning. You can get these on the calendar now so when the New Year rolls around you’ll be ahead of the game.
5. How will you find the time?
Start now while you still have a part of your mind on your business. Pick one of these ideas, the one that resonates, and make it a priority between now and the end of the year. I guarantee it will pay off!