Business Greeting Card Sayings & Verses

The opportunities for sending greeting cards are almost infinite in a business context, but in every instance you'll have to decide what to say and how to say it. Whether it is a Christmas card saying or a more generic greeting card verse, what is said needs to be said well and needs to communicate the message you intend or there is no reason to send the card in the first place.

A general business etiquette rule of thumb is that the more personal you can make your message, the more warmly it will be received. Conversely, if you send out a card with some canned greeting card verse that you clearly didn't write yourself, you're likely to leave your customer feeling a little under-whelmed. So, although we suggest a few Christmas card sayings and other greeting card verses below, we urge you to adapt them to your own personal style and make them your own.

Be sure the tone of your message fits your business and your personality. If you work in a creative business, an ad agency for example, and your style is informal—Hawaiian shirts, shorts and cargo pants, practical jokes galore—then your card should reflect that. If your work is anything but a laughing matter, the funeral business for example, and your approach tends to be extremely serious—dark suits, striped ties, hushed conversation—then your card should reflect that environment. Here are two of the occasions that call for business greeting cards and some thoughts on appropriate language for you to consider:

When sending a card to international recipients whose religious affiliations are unknown, it is considered good business etiquette to stick to the politically correct "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings." For the interior message, avoid being excessively sappy and sentimental—after all, the greeting card is being sent from a business to its customers or employees—but consider something along the lines of: "Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year;" or "All of us join in wishing you a happy Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year."

For a more informal approach to wording your business greeting cards, consider something simple like, "Have a great holiday—let's chat soon in the New Year!" or "Enjoy the holidays and here's wishing you a truly happy New Year—you deserve it!"

Do you want to send a thank you card to an employee who has gone above and beyond the call of duty? This is another case in which the nature of the workplace and your relationship with your employees is the key to determining the nature of the message. Again, be sure the greeting cards and handwritten notes properly match your personal style.

The formal approach: "Congratulations on a job well done—the company applauds your excellent work on the XYZ account;" or "Our continued growth depends on the contributions of valued employees like you. We appreciate your contribution to our success with the XYZ account."

The informal approach: "Great job on the XYZ account—we couldn't have done it without you!" or "You really made it happen with XYZ! Thanks for your hard work."