If the conversation about sending out holiday cards elicits an “ugh, it can’t be that time of year again” from your firm’s management team, we encourage you to think differently about this annual ritual.

One law firm we know just gave up on the whole holiday card issue by giving each attorney $100 (a pittance) to buy and distribute their own cards. What’s wrong with this approach? For one thing, this firm is risking damaging their brand with each attorney sending a completely different card. Second, the distribution lists will be uncoordinated; consequently, a client would conceivably get a number of different cards from multiple attorneys. Last of all it becomes a ‘free for all’ with different designs and holiday greetings.

Here are a few suggestions that can take the ‘ho hum’ out of the process:

Remember, the reason firms send cards is to express thanks and warm wishes for the holiday season. Consider a Thanksgiving card as an option or beat the post holiday mail crunch by mailing a New Year’s card. Build your list carefully, certainly including your top clients, referral sources existing and potential co-counsel and referral firms. Add in other professionals and advisors and you’re off to a great start.

After each card is addressed, organize the cards alphabetically, by the client company’s name, in an empty conference room or office. Communicate expectations for how many days your professionals will have to stop by and sign the cards. For key clients, please include a personal note! Once everyone has signed cards, have each person sign off on a master firm list so you know who has completed the signing.

A software company we know takes this one step further. All employees meet in a local hotel ballroom for a card signing party, followed by a sumptuous holiday brunch. And they have EVERY employee sign EVERY holiday card. Watching this crazy card signing event is fun and the employees enjoy reminiscing about each customer as they sign cards.

We admit, we are torn about sending electronic holiday cards or “e cards”. Because professionals invest such an incredible amount of time and energy serving clients, sending an email seems impersonal to us and your e-card can be stuck in a spam folder or accidentally deleted. It screams “We don’t care to send the very best.”