Security!

While running errands this weekend I stopped by one of the large retail office supply stores. As I perused the software section I noticed a product offering the ability to print your own checks rather than purchase pre-printed checks for business use. The entrepreneur in me got a little excited, but then I started to do my homework - the marketing almost worked!

It turns out that since the inception of checks in the late 1600's the methods of making them a more secure form of payment have increase with the demands of the users. By today's standards there are more security methods than I care to try and count ensuring that forgers really have to work hard at their version of entrepreneurship! One of these security methods is something referred to as MICR (Magnetic in Character Recognition). I could attempt to relay every last detail of my reading research, but suspect that your coffee pot may start running into overtime use! So, I will boil down what I have sorted out and make my point about this "print your own checks" option.

By the year 1952 there were 47 million checking accounts with 8 billion checks written annually. On an average business day there were about 69 million checks processing through the payment system. Wow! Consider the population growth since 1952 and try to imagine what these numbers look like today... Because of the volume of check use the banking industry determined that they needed to develop an automated processing system to expedite the processing and keep up with demand. By 1956 the method of MICR was suggested and quickly implemented. There are, of course, a number of details about this special ink, but in the interest of time let me explain it the way I understand it to work. The ink contains special ingredients infusing it with magnetic attributes allowing it to stand out against other ink imprints made upon the check during processing (endorsement stamps, etc.) Combined with a special font selection and a few other features, MICR also provides a processing feature readable by both machine and human. The catch to this security and processing feature is that it requires use of a special ink. Now let's take things one step further... special ink means you also need a special type of printer in which to use it. "Special" most often also means that the ink cartridges can be quite costly. My point?

As with all business decisions - try to move past the initial marketing based excitement of a new product and investigate the details fully before making your decision. Purchasing a special printer and special ink just for printing your own checks might save you money if you print ALOT of checks routinely, but it also increases your maintenance and equipment costs. Check out all of your options and run the numbers - you might find that purchasing pre-printed business checks from a trusted supplier could save you time and aggravation in the long run without sacrificing security measures!

'Tis The Season!

I know that summer has just entered full swing, but for the people in charge of company holiday cards the time for selection is fast approaching! With this in mind, it seems appropriate to share some thoughts regarding the selection of the Company Holiday Greeting. As with most annual/seasonal items, card selection can sometimes suffer from attention neglect as busy workers make their choice with a "that will do" approach to the process. Although this may provide an acceptable card for each year's mailing, with a little more consideration given to the process these cards could do so much more to promote your company!

Here are a few things to consider:

1. Make a good match! Every company has a "personality" of some sort whether it is formal (traditional), semi-formal (contemporary), or creative (silly fun). When selecting a company greeting card consider your company personality and be sure that the card you pick is a good match. Why does this matter? It helps to build consistency in your customer communications which also contributes to brand building. If your company is a really creative place to work and all of your customer communications reflect a hip and contemporary style, sending a traditionally styled greeting card for the holidays could leave your customers wondering if you had an identity crisis.

2. Know your customers! A keen understanding of your customer base is key in selecting a greeting card for your company. If your customer base covers a wide range of businesses you may want to stay on the safe side and select a card with a message appropriate for the many holidays celebrated during the season. Keeping this in mind during the selection process can help to avoid any unintended offenses of card recipients.

3. What is your intent? Are you sending holiday greeting cards as a simple gesture or are they tied more closely to your marketing efforts? If you are making a gesture, then a single card selection is probably your best bet. If, however, your holiday cards are also a method of extending your marketing initiatives, you may consider purchasing different card styles to pair with your different customer bases. Why? Repeat customers might appreciate a more personal message to convey your appreciation of their continued patronage. This same message sent to a customer who has only worked with you on a single occasion could be a little much - sort of like a marriage proposal on a second date! Electing to use a more general card message to cover all customer bases could leave your dedicated customers feeling a little unloved. Again, this goes back to knowing your customers and selecting the approach that best matches your intentions for the card and your company personality.

4. Make it personal! I keep reading articles lately about customers trending toward smaller businesses for a more personalized shopping experience. With this trend in mind, my suggestion is to get on board and maximize this trend. Customers who love the personal service they receive when doing business with you may get the wrong impression if you send them a general holiday card with no personalization and this could lead a decrease in their loyalty to your company. How do you overcome this hurdle without developing writer's cramp? There are a wide variety of cards that allow you to add customization of both your company name/logo, as well as a personalized message. These customization options are pre-printed on the card when you receive them which decreases your writer's cramp and still shows your customers that you cared enough to send more than just the standard greeting. There are also cards that allow you to pre-print your signature which can save you a lot of time. Before you make this selection, however, consider your customers! If your company motto revolves around personalized customer service, a pre-printed signature could be seen as a miss-match to your company identity.

Now that we have addressed some of the key points in what to consider during your selection process, let's touch on some things to avoid.

1. What is funny inside your office could be a tad offensive to your customers. Consider all angles when selecting your card style. If you send a company photo as part of your holiday greetings be sure to avoid simple missteps such as wearing a team jersey that is the key rival of your customer's home town. Though your team may appreciate the support, an overzealous sports fan on the receiving end may frown upon such a display. Likewise a silly photo of your boss napping at their desk may seem like a hoot to your office, but a customer receiving the card could misinterpret the message to mean that you don't take your business seriously which may send them looking for a company that they see as a better fit.

2. Keep it current! As the recycling trend continues to grow refrain from applying it to your company greeting cards. If you have left over cards from last year's mail out, don't send them to the same customers hoping they won't remember. The exception to this rule, of course, are those companies who choose to send the same card EVERY YEAR to build a sort of brand expectation. (We have a customer who has used this approach for several years and the one year they sent a different style card, their customers let them know that they preferred the old style and looked forward to it each year.)

3. Make it memorable! Safe selections should not automatically equal boring greeting cards. Resist the urge to select the least aesthetically pleasing card in the hope that it will also be the least likely to offend anyone. There are LOADS of lovely holiday cards available with an all-inclusive holiday greeting. Odds are that you can find the perfect fit to avoid sacrificing your company style.