17. May 2012 by admin.

Greetings! 

As a customer of mine with SendOutCards, I want to be sure you are well taken care of. 

I am frequently asked the same questions, so I have posted my response to these questions below.

•What training resources are available to help me get the most out of using my SOC account?
•What’s new in my SOC account?
•What’s new in the gifting section?
•How do I get the best prices with SOC?
•What’s the 30-Day Gratitude Challenge?
•How can I upgrade my customer account to a distributor for FREE?
One of my colleagues, Jordan Adler, is offering a free live Customer Training webinar on May 23, 2012.  His last webinar had more than 900 guests in attendance, so he is offering it again.  During this one hour webinar, Jordan will review different aspects of the SendOutCards site and will also share real examples of how to use SendOutCards to build relationships and good will within your network.  This is a live webinar and it will NOT be recorded.

Customer Training Webinar
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
6:00pm Pacific  / 7:00pm Mountain / 8:00pm Central / 9:00pm Eastern
 
AUSTRALIA - Webcast is on Thursday May 24th at 11am AEST (Sydney/Melbourne)
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

Space is limited, so reserve your Webinar seat.
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/151551390
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What training resources are available to help me get the most out of my SendoutCards account?

SendOutCards has a recorded tutorial section. After you log into your account, find the Help menu on the red banner. Under that, click on Tutorials & Media. You will find a number of topics there.

In addition, I have created some printable step-by-step instructions for several topics:
http://www.eaglestraining.info/redirection/documents/CustomerTrainingResources.doc

Finally, you can always contact me at 931.380.8811 or admin@LaurieDelk.net
In addition, you can contact SendOutCards Customer Service during business hours at 801-463-3800 or by accessing the Help Chat Online. You will need to have your customer ID (starting with an “r”) in order to access this.

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What’s new in my SendOutCards account?

We have made some wonderful enhancements to the SendOutCards system:

•New fonts, templates, graphics (under elements)
•In addition to postcards, 2-panel and 3-panel cards, we now have Big Cards (8.2” x 11.5”)
•Add a video (QR Code) to your card
•Enhanced Photoshop-like tools to make really cool photo cards with your own pictures
•Remote photo storage (great way to back up your digital photos in case of hard drive failure or loss of your computer)
•A Photo Store that offers great new photo gifts:
•Business cards
•Photo books
•12-month photo calendars
•Canvas prints
•Metal prints
•Bulk greeting cards (using your own photos & graphics)
•Posters & photo prints
•iPhone 4 cases
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What’s new in the gifting section?

In addition to the wonderful Photo Store gifts you can create, we offer a variety of gifts and gift cards to be sent with your greeting card.  We have hundreds of gifts in 20 categories, and we also have 19 gift cards to choose from.  Gifts are paid for with Points.  Gift cards are paid for with Expense funds (also used to pay for postage for gifts and cards).

Recently I’ve been enjoying sending out graduation and wedding gifts this way.  It saves me a lot of time! Check out the Gift Catalog and gift cards available now.

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How do I get the best prices with SendOutCards?

Any customer can now receive our lowest Preferred Customer (wholesale) rate of $0.31 a point by simply setting up a monthly subscription for 100 points a month ($31)—enough for 33-50 standard cards, 33 customized cards, or some cards and gifts. Any unused points roll over to the next month and are good for a full year from the date of purchase, and there are no contracts, so the monthly subscription can be reduced or stopped at any time.

Customers can receive our Retail rate of $0.49 a point by setting up a monthly subscription for 20 points ($9.80)—enough for 10 standard cards a month. As with the Preferred Customer rate, unused points roll over to the next month and are good for a full year from the date of purchase, and there are no contracts, so the monthly subscription can be stopped at any time.

For those who prefer not to be on any subscription, the cost per point with our Pay-as-you-go option ranges from $0.59- $0.99 per point, depending on how many points are purchased.

If you are currently not on a subscription, you are paying $.59–$.99 per point ($1.18-1.98 per standard greeting card) and you could be paying as little as $0.62 per card.  I suggest that you set up a subscription so you can save money.
(like I said, points roll over and you can cancel at any time, so even if you don’t us a lot, best bet is to do the preferred for a few months till you get some built up, then cancel for a few months till you use up what you have :))

Contact me with questions.  I’m here to help!

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What’s the 30 Day Gratitude Challenge?

To participate, you commit to sending a card of gratitude each day for the next 30 days. After you complete the challenge, if this has not had a profound positive impact on your life and your relationships, I will pay for your cards. In order for my offer to be valid, you must have completed the challenge for the complete 30 days — sending one card a day - NOT sending 30 cards at one time.

The power of this process is in beginning each day by expressing gratitude.  Doing this sets the tone for your whole day, and it also does amazing things for your relationships, since everyone loves to feel appreciated.

When Kathy was first introduced to SendOutCards in September of 2005, she was in a deep depression, and she pushed herself to BEGIN each day with gratitude by sending a card to someone she cared about. 
Within a week, her depression had lifted.  I’d love to hear what 30 days of expressing DAILY gratitude does for you, and I hope you will share your experience with me.
 

Here is a document to help you track your daily card-sending. I suggest that you print out the commitment and sign it. Keep this visible as a reminder to send your daily card of gratitude. You do not need to send this to me.
http://www.eaglestraining.info/redirection/documents/30dayGatitudeChallenge.pdf
 
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How can I upgrade my customer account to a distributor account for FREE?

SendOutCards will pay you to share this great tool with your friends and help them save money & time! To get paid, you will need to become a Marketing Distributor.

SendOutCards is offering a FREE upgrade for any customer who bought the $99, $199 or $398 customer packages, which is how people became a customer before 5/24/11.
That’s right…you may upgrade for FREE to become a Marketing Distributor IF you previously bought one of these packages. (because we now, no longer have sign up fees on the customer packages)
 
Why would you want to upgrade?  Almost everyone you know sends cards…or at least they would like to.  They probably don’t send as many as they intend to for three reasons:

•Store-bought cards are expensive…usually $3-5 per card.
•It’s a hassle to get in the car and drive to the store to find the right card when you want to send one.
•People forget about important occasions like birthdays.
SendOutCards addresses all three of these reasons why people don’t send as many cards as they would like to:

•With SendOutCards, you can send a card anytime without leaving the comfort of your home or office.
•Our most expensive standard card is $1.98.  Most people prefer to save money by setting up a subscription for either $9.80 a month–enough for 10 standard cards a month at $0.98 a card, or $31 a month–enough for 50 standard cards a month at $0.62 a card.
•We have a built-in reminder system that lets you know when an important date is approaching, so you’ll never forget an important birthday again.
When you share SendOutCards with family, friends and colleagues, you are helping them by providing a tool that will save them time and money.

SendOutCards does not pay for expensive advertising. Instead, they pay individuals like you and me to provide the most effective marketing available…called word-of-mouth marketing. As a way of thanking you for spreading the word, SendOutCards will pay you for life for all the cards and gifts your referrals send from the system, because you shared it with them and helped them get started.
 
Upgrading to a Distributor account provides an easy and fun way to earn additional income, whether you want to just earn enough to pay for your own cards and gifts you send out, earn a few hundred dollars extra each month, or replace income so you can quit a job you dislike or retire.  You decide how much or how little you work your business.

I’ve been a distributor for 8 years. In that time, I have generated a large enough group of people sending cards and gifts that I earn a livable income with SendOutCards.  For the first time in my life, I am truly earning residual income—income that comes in whether I work or not.
 
In the first quarter of 2012, I traveled to Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Knoxville, Charlotte, Hawaii, and Vegas next month. My commission checks from SendOutCards continued to arrive each month, even though I was away from my office for one-third of that time. That’s the power of creating passive income.

When you are ready to upgrade to become a Distributor, simply call SendOutCards at 801-463-3800 or log into your SOC account and click on the Help Chat Online (during business hours Monday-Saturday) and let them know that you want to upgrade to become a Marketing Distributor. You will need your customer ID number (begins with an “r”) when you contact SendOutCards to upgrade.

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I feel so blessed to live the life I have.  As you may know, I started a web design and graphic business in 1994. I started my SendOutCards business in 2004. 

If you’d like to enjoy more lifestyle freedom in your life, I’d love to spend a few minutes learning about your goals and helping you explore ways that you can turn desire into reality.  Please email or call me to request a time to talk.

Warm regards,

Laurie Delk
SendOutCards Executive and Corporate Certified Trainer

Posted in Keep Your Clients | No Comments »

10. September 2011 by admin.

Nine out of 10 Americans look forward to receiving personal letters and greeting cards. Adding a personal touch to your greeting cards can make them even more special to the receiver.

Here are some tips for personalizing greeting cards:

Decorate the outside of the envelope with drawings and stickers. Adorning the outside of the card adds more pageantry to the thoughtfulness inside.

Write the person’s name or nickname on the inside of the card. Personalizing the card reminds them this card was sent just for them.

Underline, circle or highlight the phrases that apply or hold special meaning. This is a great way to signify how the card personally applies to your loved one.

Write a heartfelt note inside the card. If you are not especially eloquent, write something simple, such as, “I am not always great with words, but when I read this card, I thought of you.” The most personal cards are honest and heartfelt.

Enclose a meaningful photo. A special photo could be of the two of you or of someone or something else unique to your relationship.

Enclose confetti inside the envelope. This simple surprise is easy and fun and will make the receiver feel extra special.

Add a small gift inside. If your card is for a holiday or occasion, you can add a small gift certificate to a favorite store, a CD of your favorite music or special jewelry to make the card a gift in itself.

Make your greeting cards a part of an ongoing conversation. Create a sequence in which each card you send tells part of a story and together they answer a question or reveal a hidden message.

Posted in Keep Your Clients | No Comments »

20. April 2011 by admin.

Guide to Staying Connected
Today’s busy schedules often leave little time for enriching people’s lives - our own included. But, carving out time to reach out to loved ones and strengthen our personal connections helps to boost our emotional well-being. Connecting with friends and family doesn’t have to take a lot of effort and it is often the simple, small gesture that has the most impact when it comes to showing someone how much you care.

Sending a greeting card is one of those simple gestures that reminds people someone is thinking about them. Making someone else feel special can also have the effect of making the sender feel good too. With all of the stress in people?s lives today, that small oasis of contentment is something we need now more than ever.

A recent survey by the Greeting Card Association found that almost nine out of 10 Americans believe they are as close or closer to their friends and family than they were one year ago and 66% of Americans are regularly reaching out to their immediate family for love and support.

Connecting with friends and family can occur because of a sense of obligation to recognize important life events or it can simply result from an impulsive desire to reach out. Sometimes one person connecting with another will set off a boomerang effect of reaching out!

62% of people feel inspired to send someone a card if they receive one from that person.

Follow these simple tips to stay connected with friends and family and boost your own sense of emotional well-being:

Set aside an allotted amount of time each day to reach out to others. Reaching out doesn’t take a lot of time, but it can be very meaningful to those we touch. A simple phone call, e-mail or card reminds our loved ones how much we care.

Take time to reflect on what is important and of value in your life. You can start a gratitude journal and write down everything and everyone you are grateful for. Writing down things of importance help us to remember the most special personal connections.

Don’t wait for a reason to connect. Life is too short to hold back when it comes to connecting with friends and family. Sending a “thinking of you” or “just because” card can be one of the best ways to show someone you care.

Reflect your own personality when reaching out to loved ones. Whether it’s a romantic note on a pillow or a humorous card in the mail, connections with friends and family should showcase your own attitude and sentiment.

Hold on to your personal connections through tangible memories. One of the best ways to keep our connections top of mind is by holding on to a physical memento or keepsake. Reflecting on old letters and cards helps us to remember our most special connections.

Posted in Keep Your Clients | 1 Comment »

16. January 2011 by admin.

A greeting card in the mailbox not only brightens our day, but can instantly connect us emotionally to friends and family.

That special bright-colored or hand-written envelope stands out among our piles of bills and magazines and serves as a reminder that someone has taken the time from their day to reach out to us and show us they care.

Whether because of an annual holiday or an unexpected gesture, greeting cards keep people connected, benefiting both the sender and receiver.

Greeting Cards–

Means someone has taken the time to send a special message

Adds a personal touch to special occasions and holidays

Connects us to all different types of people including co-workers, teachers, family and friends

Helps us put our emotions into words

Provides a tangible keepsake to document special moments in our lives

Helps us reach across generation, gender and cultural communication gaps

Provides comfort to someone and make sad times less painful

Boosts emotional well-being through reaching out to others

Makes a loved one feel special

Preserves memories of connections with friends and family

Shows someone you care!

Posted in Keep Your Clients | 1 Comment »

17. November 2010 by admin.

New Years

New Years is the world’s oldest and most widely observed holiday. New Year’s gifts and messages has been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to the 6th century B.C. Early Romans were known to have exchanged gifts symbolizing good will, including pictures on terra cotta tablets with inscriptions wishing a happy and prosperous New Year.

The earliest known holiday greeting cards appeared around 1450 in Germany. Cards from woodcuts were the most prevalent, and often had the Christ Child bearing good wishes for an auspicious New Year.

By 1770, greeting cards had went from woodcuts to finely printed messages. Engravers and printers supplied Europe with major quantities of New Year’s cards. The New Year holiday has become a part of the holiday season, and New Year’s cards are an expression of hope for the future, used by businesses and individuals alike.

Many people send out cards for New Year’s, to stand out from the crowd after the trail of all the Christmas cards have been sent.

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Valentine’s Day

The 1st Valentine was sent in 270 A.D. by St. Valentine on the eve of his execution for refusing to renounce Christianity. It was really a note of appreciation to his jailer’s blind daughter for bringing him food and delivering messages during his incarceration, it was signed “from your Valentine.”

The Romans used to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day as the Feast of Lupercalia, dedicated to the pastoral god Lupercus and the Goddess of Love, Juno. Roman maidens would place their names in an urn set up in the public square and courageous bachelors drew from it to obtain their “blind date” for the coming year.

The Christian Church denounced these “love lotteries” as pagan rituals. During the Middle Ages, love lotteries persisted in France as “chance boxes” that allotted couples one year to get married or part company. In England, men wore the name of the girl they drew on their sleeve, encircled with a heart.

Around 1400, written Valentines appeared as quaint love missives, usually given anonymously. In the 1700s, the familiar “roses are red, violets are blue?” verses came about, and in the 1850s, the French began to decorate their Valentines cards with metallic paper, ribbons, lace and other embellishments.

The 1st Valentines in America were exchanged during the Revolution, and were mostly handmade with sentimental verses written in a flowing script. Miss Esther Howland, an imaginative artist and entrepreneur, in 1840 became the 1st publisher of valentines in the US, eventually creating her own publishing firm that specialized in Valentine cards.

Many people send out cards for Valentines Day, to show others how much they love them, or just show that they care.

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Easter

Easter commemorates the Resurrection of Christ and is the most sacred holy day on the Christian calendar. It is a religious celebration that changes its date each year. The rabbit and the egg are the most popular illustrations for Easter cards. The Easter Bunny started where rabbits were used to symbolize new life. The decorating Easter eggs dates back to the Middle Ages.

Many people send out cards for Easter, to recognize that Christ has Risen, a remembrance of Him, or to offer a salvation message.

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Passover

Passover celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and begins on the fifteenth of the month of Nisan on the Jewish calendar in the Spring, and continues for seven days. The name comes from the story when, during the 10th and last and worst plague inflicted on Pharaoh, God passed over the Israelites and struck down only the Egyptian first-born. That night, Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go.

Many people send out cards for Passover to remember this date in the Bible, so God does not bring his wrath like that ever again.

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Mother’s Day

Each year, the 2nd Sunday in May is Mother’s Day, started by Anna M. Jarvis of Grafton, WV in 1907 to honor her mother. Ms. Jarvis spent a good part of her life, after the death of her mother, in a crusade to have the date declared a national holiday. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a Congressional resolution declaring, “The American mother is the greatest source of the country’s strength and inspiration.”

Many people send out cards for Mother’s Day to their Mom’s. It has been said that this is the one holiday that almost every one in the world sends out a card.
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Father’s Day

In 1910, Mrs. John Bruce Dodd of Spokane, WA was the founder of Father’s Day. She was one of 6 brothers and sisters raised by their father, William Smart, after their mother’s death. Mrs. Dodd organized the first Father’s Day celebration, held in Seattle. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge recommended that Father’s Day be observed throughout the nation as a holiday.

Many people send out cards for Father’s Day to their Fathers to thank them for providing for them in their youth, and loving them.
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Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah is the 1st two days of the Jewish month of Tishri (in the Fall), and is considered the celebration of the beginning of the Jewish New Year. In the Torah it is the Day of Remembering and was not called Rosh Hashanah the New Year until Talmudic times.

Yom Kippur falls on the 10th of Tishri on the Jewish calendar and brings the end of the 10 days of repentance and atonement that started with Rosh Hashanah. It is the most solemn day of the Jewish year.

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Halloween

The Halloween observance started with the Celtic Druids in 700 B.C. The Druids believed that the souls of the dead returned to inhabit the bodies of the living on October 31. Villagers would don masks and costumes and paraded to through town to trick roving spirits into leaving. October 31 was incorporated into the Christian calendar as All Hallow’s Eve, honoring martyrs and saints. Children wear costumes offered to fast for departed souls in exchange for money or an offering. Irish Catholics fleeing from the potato famine in the 1840s introduced the Halloween observance to the United States, including the practice of carving jack-o lanterns.

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Thanksgiving

In 1620 landing at Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrims held a feast to give thanks after gathering their 1st harvest, inviting the local Indians to share in the celebration. This observance is commonly recognized as the first official Thanksgiving. It is a time to count our blessings and give thanks. The family-oriented holiday has the festive dinner with all the trimmings and many watching the annual Thanksgiving parade and football games.

Many people send out cards for Thanksgiving to tell others in their life how they have helped them, to thank them for that. Or just to share how God has been good to them that year.

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Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday coming from the 1st and 2nd Books of the Maccabees and in the works of Josephus and later accounts in the Talmud. The victory of the brave Maccabees against the Greeks with the miracle of the cruse of oil that burned for 8 days instead of 1. The ritual for the holiday is lighting one light of the menorah each night of Hanukkah after sundown, beginning with the 25th of Kislev on the Jewish calendar (December). While a tradition of giving Hanukkah gelt money is an old one, the closeness to Christmas has made gift giving a part of the holiday.

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Christmas

Christmas is the only religious holiday in America that is also a legal holiday. December 25 was selected as the date to observe Christmas by Pope Julius in 349 A.D. The legend of Santa Claus dates back to the 4th-century St. Nicholas, Santa Claus did not become a popular American folk hero until 1822, when Dr. Clement Clarke Moore wrote “A visit from St. Nicholas” for his children.

In 1863, Thomas Nast used Moore’s description to draw a Santa Claus for Harper’s magazine. That became the model for Santa Claus mostly used today.

The 1st Christmas card was produced by London artist John Horsley in 1843, the same year that “A Christmas Carol” was written. The card, created for London businessman Henry Cole, added “Happy New Year” to its message of “Merry Christmas”.

Many people send out cards for Christmas to pass around pictures of their kids, their pets, give updates to family and friends about their year to people they do not see as often, as well as for businesses to connect with their clients in between sales.
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Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a 7 day observance stressing the unity of the African-American families. It means “1st fruits of the harvest” in Swahili. It was created by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, Chair of Black Studies at California State University, and is usually celebrated December 26-January 1st. Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the 7 Passerines of Kwanzaa, each intended to serve as a guide for daily living: unity, self-determination, collective work & responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Most families share symbolic dinners and exchange handmade gifts with an ethnic theme.

Posted in Keep Your Clients | 1 Comment »

24. September 2010 by admin.

The custom of sending greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese, who exchanged messages of good will to celebrate the New Year, and to the early Egyptians, who conveyed their greetings on papyrus scrolls.

The first known published Christmas card (1843),
by artist John Calcott Horsley
Courtesy of the Hallmark Archives, Hallmark Cards, Inc.
By the early 1400s, handmade paper greeting cards were being exchanged in Europe. The Germans are known to have printed New Year?s greetings from woodcuts as early as 1400, and handmade paper Valentines were being exchanged in various parts of Europe in the early to mid-1400s.

By the 1850s, the greeting card had been transformed from a relatively expensive, handmade and hand-delivered gift to a popular and affordable means of personal communication, due largely to advances in printing and mechanization, as well as the 1840 introduction of the postage stamp.

The first known published Christmas card appeared in London in 1843, when Sir Henry Cole hired artist John Calcott Horsley to design a holiday card that he could send to his friends and acquaintances.

Although the first known valentine card can be traced back to 1415, it wasn’t until the early 1800s and the Penny Post that they became popular and affordable. Esther Howland, a young woman from Massachusetts, was the first regular publisher of valentines in the United States. She sold her first handmade valentine in 1849, eventually establishing a successful publishing firm specializing in the elaborately decorated cards.

The American Greeting Card
Louis Prang, a German immigrant who started a small lithographic business near Boston in 1856, is generally credited with the start of the greeting card industry in America.

Within 10 years of founding his firm, he had perfected the color lithographic process to a point where his reproductions of great paintings surpassed those of other graphic arts craftsmen in both the U.S. and Great Britain. In the early 1870s, Prang began publishing deluxe editions of Christmas cards, which found a ready market in England. In 1875, he introduced the first complete line of Christmas cards to the American public.

Prang’s cards had reached their height of popularity in the early 1890s, when cheap imitative imports began to flood the market, eventually forcing Prang to abandon his greeting card publishing business. Between 1890 and 1906, there was a marked decline in U.S. greeting card production.

In the years immediately following 1906, the domestic business climate for greeting cards improved, and a number of today’s leading publishers were founded. Most of the cards by these fledgling U.S. publishers bore little relation to Prang’s elaborate creations. The expressed sentiment was the predominant element; the illustrated portions were incidental.

Following World War I, new publishers continued to enter the field and healthy competition produced important innovations in printing processes, art techniques and decorative treatments for greeting cards.

In the early 1930s, publishers increasingly adopted the use of color lithography, a move that would propel the U.S. greeting card industry toward continued growth and expansion.

During World War II, the industry rallied for the war effort, helping the government sell war bonds and providing cards for the soldiers overseas. This period also marked the beginning of its close relationship with the U.S. Postal Service.

By the 1950s, the studio card - a long card with a short punch line - appeared on the scene to firmly establish the popularity of humor in American greeting cards.

During the 1980s, alternative cards began to appear - cards not made for a particular holiday or event, but as a more casual reminder of our connections to one another. The popularity of “non-occasion” cards continues to swell.

Explosive growth in electronic technology, and burgeoning consumer use of the Internet, gave birth to the electronic greeting card or E-card in the late 1990s. The development of this entirely new medium for card-sending served to further expand the industry, producing new E-card publishers as well as E-greeting product offerings by traditional publishers.

Although studies have shown, that most people prefer, the actual heart felt card, in the mail, that they can cherish forever.

Posted in Keep Your Clients | No Comments »

31. August 2010 by admin.

Reaching Out
After spending several years concentrating on personal fulfillment and “cocooning”, Americans are now focusing outward, seeking to connect, enhance and nurture their relationships with others.

Friendship cards, encouragement cards and other everyday non-occasion cards are proving popular in meeting this need, and continue to show the greatest sales growth of all card categories. The desire to reach-out with greeting cards appears to be strongest with Baby Boomers and Generation Xers, who are likely to view family and friends as the most important priorities in their lives.

The Designer Look
Greeting cards featuring high-style looks, inventive designs, unusual paper stocks and eye-catching embellishments are gaining favor with consumers who are seeking “something special” in their card-giving. This has led to the creation of more handcrafted cards, cards that are intricately designed or innovatively engineered, and cards incorporating ribbons, feathers, glitter, beads, etc. Despite their higher cost, the designer-fashion flare and artistic uniqueness of these cards continues to win the favor of many card purchasers.

Preserving Memories
Generation after generation, people have been saving greeting cards to remind them of the special relationships and events in their lives. Rather than tuck their keepsake cards in a dresser drawer or cedar chest, many consumers are now formally organizing and preserving their greeting card collections to enjoy time and again. “Scrapbooking” with greeting cards has become an especially fashionable way to document and share memories of special occasions. Similarly, many retailers now sell decorative boxes and files designed specifically for storing keepsake cards. They often include special pages or dividers for jotting down notes and dates.

The Internet and Greeting Cards
E-mail and other electronic methods of communicating have given Americans a convenient and inexpensive way to keep in contact with friends and acquaintances. Interestingly, the increased use of electronic forms of communications seems to be bolstering rather than reducing sales of traditional greeting cards.

Some sociologists believe this is because the Internet has allowed people to increase the number of relationships they are able to maintain, which they then subsequently strengthen by sending traditional greeting cards. Others believe E-greetings are a form of communication that both senders and recipients recognize as transient and treat accordingly. As such, they turn to traditional greeting cards to establish an emotional connection that can be saved and cherished.

I have 6 packages, starting from about $3 up to $457.

The 1st one is $2.99/card, that allows you to send out any 2panel greeting card to anywhere in the world, including postage. This package allows you to send any of the 15,000+ cards we have in our online system, even create your own CUSTOM (by uploading pics from your computer) cards.

The 2nd one is $49 (SOC Box) - ($29 for lifetime license of the system, $20 for 10 cards w/stamps). Allows you to send out 10 2panel greeting cards to anywhere in the world, including postage. This package allows you to send any of the 15,000+ cards we have in our online system, even create your own CUSTOM (by uploading pics from your computer) cards.

The 3rd one is $99 (one time fee) - this does NOT give you ANY cards to start with, but it DOES allow you to choose any cards we have plus allows you to create any CUSTOM cards (basic uploading pics from your computer) you want, and you buy postcards at .49 each, and greeting cards at .98 each (then add postage) (uploading pics is an additional .49 (total, not per pic)).

The 4th one is $199 (one time fee) - this gives you 50 greetingcards to start with, and it DOES allow you to choose any cards we have plus allows you to create any CUSTOM cards (uploading pics from your computer) you want, ALSO we have many templates, clip art and more you can use with this - like digital scrapbooking (create layers and more), and you buy postcards at .49 each, and greeting cards at .98 each (then add postage) (uploading pics is an additional .49 (total, not per pic)).

The 5th one is $398 (one time fee) - basically gives you a system JUST LIKE MINE, where you can buy AT MY COST. this gives you 100 greeting cards to start with (reg $98), the personal handwriting font with 4 siggys (reg $49), and the ability to use all our 15,000+ cards and make your own CUSTOM cards, PLUS the option, if you want to do autoship, to get future postcards at .31 each, and greeting cards at .62 each. (uploading pics is an additional .31 (total, not per pic)).

The 6th one is the ENT package that is a ONE TIME $457 fee, ($59 yearly renewal) and you can earn $ - contact me for more info on this one.

Posted in Keep Your Clients | No Comments »

12. August 2010 by admin.

General Facts
U.S. consumers purchase approximately 7 billion greeting cards each year, generating nearly $7.5 billion in retail sales.

More than 90 percent of all U.S. households buy greeting cards, with the average household purchasing 30 individual cards in a year.

The average person receives more than 20 cards per year, about one-third of which are birthday cards.

Greeting cards range in price from 50 cents to $10, although counter cards typically cost between $2 and $4. Cards featuring special techniques, intricate designs and new technologies are at the top of the price scale.

The exchange of greeting cards is one of the most widely accepted customs in the U.S. There are cards for virtually any occasion or relationship, and they are widely available. Approximately 100,000 retail outlets around the country carry greeting cards.

Women purchase more than 80 percent of all greeting cards.
Although women are more likely than men to buy several cards at once, men generally spend more on a single card than women.

There are two categories of greeting cards — Seasonal and Everyday. Total card sales are split approximately 50-50 between the two types.

The most popular Everyday cards are Birthday (60%), Anniversary (8%), Get Well (7%), Friendship (6%), and Sympathy cards (6%).

The most popular Seasonal cards are Christmas (60%), Valentine’s Day (25%), Mother’s Day (4%), Easter (3%), and Father’s Day (3%) cards.

There are an estimated 3,000 greeting card publishers in the U.S., ranging from small family-run organizations to major corporations. GCA-member publisher companies account for approximately 95 percent of industry sales.

Nine out of 10 Americans say they look forward to receiving personal letters and greeting cards because cards allow them to keep in touch with friends and family and make them feel they are important to someone else.

Although e-mail, text messaging and phone calls are valued by Americans for helping them communicate with family and friends, the majority of Americans say they prefer the old-fashioned handwritten card or letter to make someone feel truly special.

Studies show that people normally buy 10 greeting cards a year, but have a NEED for 70 greeting cards a year -
Why don’t they buy those? It’s more expensive, it’s inconvenient, it’s time consuming, and they forget - We have a fix for all the above - contact me today~

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18. July 2010 by admin.

(A metaphor for any businessperson who seeks loyal clients & quality referrals.)
Once upon a time, the commander of an F-15E Strike Eagle squadron was issued a warehouse full of *fire and forget* missiles.

Surely, a no-brainer. Simply acquire the contact, launch the missile, then concentrate on the next target.(Like I said, an easy decision.)

Strange as it may seem, the squadron commander decided against employing this massively effective weapons system. His reasoning? It takes too much effort to attach those things to the aircraft.

You will recognize that this story, of course, is a fairy tale.

In reality, any manager or business owner (or salesperson) who fails to acknowledge that all business is a type of warfare, just doesn’t get it. But they will - eventually.

Why in the world would any businessperson leave to chance, whether or not a client decides to return (and refer friends)?

But, we gave them courteous service and a fine product, is the lament voiced too often by good and earnest businesspeople. Without question, service and product are essential to success. But they are not enough. And the statement is a little naive.

The answer obviously is to go after them (your clients). Make sure that they come back, again and again. Make sure that they want to come back (and refer their friends).

Nagging and cajoling won’t work. Postcards, brochures and letters rarely prove effective. The average consumer receives dozens of these each week. (Personally, I rarely open the ones I receive. Although, I sometimes read the postcards.)

The 7.5 billion dollar greeting card industry has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to indoctrinate every living American that those who care enough, send greeting cards.

(Why not take advantage of three decades of their successful, and extremely expensive, advertising stratagem?)

When you send your new or best clients a greeting card they know you care, because the greeting card giants have taught all of us that this is true. And we believe it, without exception.

Nobody leaves a greeting card unopened for long. In fact, studies show that a person is 11 times more likely to open a greeting card than any other piece of mail.

Your customers will respond, naturally, with greater client loyalty toward you, if you do this correctly. (Just as customers have responded since 1400 A.D.)

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24. May 2010 by admin.

Do you send birthday cards to your clients?

Anniversary cards?

What about holiday cards????

Birthdays, anniversaries and holidays are master keys to client loyalty.

This is a simple concept. Your clients will demonstrate dramatically increased client loyalty to you, naturally, when you communicate that you value the importance of their personal and family celebrations.

Does this ring true for you?

With enough loyal clients, any business will exceed its financial goals.

Is there a magic bullet? Yes. Of course. It has been proven over and over again, for 600 years - send your best clients a greeting card.

Basic, but very, very effective.

Then, why is it so difficult to act on this truth?

Because it is a staffing nightmare to organize and execute. Remembering dates, buying cards, writing the message, stuffing, stamping, mailing!!!

It takes determination, but wait….

We have a system that has solved the greeting card problem.

Never again address, stuff, stamp and mail another birthday card.

In less than 60 seconds, enter your client’s basic information online.

As easy as sending an email, except that your client receives a “photographic quality” greeting card in the mail.

The greeting card company prints, stamps and mails the card.

Choose from over 15000+ cards. Custom cards are easy to create.

Even upload your current database in mere minutes.

The online data manager never lets you forget a birthday or anniversary.

Send multiple cards as a follow-up campaign, automatically, whenever you say, even months from now.

Add your signature, even use your own handwriting font.

Add a picture or image from your computer - they print it next to your message.

Compassionate client follow-up the easy, effective way.

This works - beyond your expectations.

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