If you’re answering the question with no, you’re not ready for Christmas, then you have our sympathy. It’s been a chaotic year and we seem to be rushing for the end already.
We’re taking a break here from simply talking about marketing services to discuss the benefits of thinking ahead. In other words, when asking yourself if you are ready for Christmas, what you’re really asking is why on earth you didn’t get it all sorted out weeks ago. Again.
Nothing beats the real thing
We might live in a digital age, but during the festive season the virtual world is a poor substitute for real physical gifts to customers. Every business providing corporate merchandise, business printing or gift services get hammered with calls and emails during November and into December. The question is nearly always the same; can they can provide last minute Christmas-themed products. Usually they can help, albeit it to an increasingly limited extent as the big day nears.
And as Christmas draws closer, panic and arguments ensue as less and less can be delivered in time. The Christmas cards you shortlisted don’t get looked at. By the time they are, inevitably the chosen one is no longer available. You then get asked why there’s no discount on the price. Seriously? And Christmas once again becomes a 4-week stress zone where you’re barely sleeping with the worry that your best customers aren’t going to get a card before they shut down for the break.
It’s not just about Christmas either. Items such as diaries (still hugely popular) for next year should be ordered by the end of September. Otherwise you’ll have to make do with whatever overruns or un-branded products are lying around.
Be prepared
The underlying point here is about thinking ahead. It’s important you make the time to get known events planned and sorted long before they suddenly become an issue. By doing this you are much better placed to explore ideas, be innovative, and shop around for the best prices for products too. Which simply isn’t going to happen when you’ve got 24 hours left to order products before production stops. That’s when you’re left with the virtual world.
In fairness, an online donation to a charity or subscription to a service can be appreciated by a customer. Plus, the pandemic did see sales of online gifts jump as people looked for ways to send gifts to clients. But these were exceptional times and, while some will continue to purchase digital items for customers, most will move back to real-world gifts instead.
What’s their address again?
And while we’re on the subject, it’s also an excellent time to take a detailed look at your customer data. By checking the accuracy and quality of your customer data, you can give sales ample time to plug gaps and update names. This is an ideal time to make sure that customers are correctly recorded. And there is no real excuse these days for not having your clients; names and addresses all spelt properly and up to date.
But if you’re starting to worry about Christmas, don’t. If the festive season – or any other major event such as exhibitions or seminars – are getting too close for comfort, you can ask us for help. Our contacts within so many areas of marketing services means we can often get you out of some very tight spots. So, don’t worry if you’re ready for Christmas just yet – just get in touch.
