Thanksgiving is a time for extending gratitude. For many organizations, there are several people to thank. Clients, of course, but also vendors and other partner organizations that are deserving of thanks. If you’re not sure where to start when making a recipient list, read on.

Customers

Start with the people who keep your business running: the customers. Show your appreciation with real cards. While digital thanks are nice, sending company greeting cards in the mail shows that your organization is thoughtful and willing to put in extra effort.

Partners

Does your business work with partner organizations? The very point of these relationships is to benefit both parties, so it’s a great idea to send your partners Thanksgiving cards. Make a list of all of the companies or organizations that play a valuable role in your success and add them to your recipient list.

Vendors

While business holiday cards can increase customer loyalty and retention, they can do the same with vendors. Perhaps your company sells furniture and you work with a lot of different brands. Send those companies Thanksgiving cards. Or, maybe you run a dentist office and you use a lot of supplies from various oral-hygiene organizations. Send them business greeting cards to let them know you’re thinking of them.

Tips for sending Thanksgiving business cards
Make sure you send Thanksgiving cards out the first week of November. This means ordering, personalizing and addressing the cards at the end of October. Address individual recipients when possible, such as your direct contact at a vendor or partner company. You can always write, “To Mr. Smith and team” to indicate that you want to thank the entire staff and not just one individual if it is appropriate.

Consider also buying festive stamps to make the envelopes look great. The U.S. Postal Service has a plethora of fun options that can represent your company and make each piece of mail more memorable. You may not even need to send some cards but can hand deliver as vendors pop in and out of your office. Always double-check recipient addresses and include a return address incase mail goes astray. This will allow you to keep track of who has received their cards and resend to a different place if necessary. Saying thanks to these important people and companies takes only a few moments and is well worth the return on investment in company reputation and loyalty.