Send different sentiments to different friends, business associates and relatives. You may want to send a “Happy Holidays” card to those who might be offended at “Merry Christmas”.

Whether you print or purchase your variety of greeting cards, choose ones that use same size envelope. By doing this, you can have an address party instead of watching TV and get all envelopes done at one time.

Then have another party (a week later) to select and sign cards. Take time to add a personal note on every card, it will convey emotion and friendship so much more than just your signature.

Hold back on desire to insert one of those “what we did this year” newsletters. Those tend to say recipient is not important enough to have heard from you at time of breaking news. If there is big news in your family in June, print your card list and hand address some notes, don’t wait until December.

Most holiday cards will still mail for 37 cents even with a picture enclosed. Sort though many pictures taken this year and choose one or more to insert with your cards. Order your reprints now, so you have plenty of time.

If you took pictures with your computer camera, you can get special glossy paper to print pictures that look like drug store originals. Don't make them too big. There is nothing tacky about using your computer to add a caption to picture before you print it. Computer or drug store, be sure all photos have names and dates of those pictured. Oh, if Grandma had only done that, those old pictures in drawer would have some much more meaning now.

The Post Office always wants you to mail early, but for best emotional results hold off until after first of December. In 1860, goal of Pony Express was to get mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California in ten days. Not much has changed. Mail before December 10 or your snail-mail may not make it in time.

Convey your message of friendship, love and business communication in a very personal way this holiday by not using eMail for seasons greetings.

Copyright 2003 BIG Mike McDaniel - All Rights Reserved BIG Mike McDaniel is an Author, Professional Speaker and Business Consultant with Advertising, Promotion and Publicity ideas that really work. Sign up for his free BIG Ideas Newsletter at http://BIGMikeOnline.com Reach BIG Mike by eMail at McD@BIGMikeOnline.com

BIG Mike McDaniel is a former successful radio station owner and major market TV News anchor and a nationally recognized speaker, author and entertainer.

Big Mike has authored four books and hundreds of articles and publishes a sales magazine. His consulting clients include retailers, radio stations and professional corporations. He has served as a Director of the International Idea Bank (a marketing think tank).

How do you feel when you make a business call and a machine answers to tell you “if you want to send a fax, press start now!”? Makes you question quality of business, doesn’t it? Can’t they even afford a separate fax number? You see it on printed material, too, for fax, “call first so we can turn on machine”. It is hard to imagine such a setup being used for more than one or two faxes a year. The impression that a lack of a separate fax number gives is negative in every respect.

The ultimate professional faux pas is to use your home phone number as your business number. This might work if you are only one ever to answer phone and your machine always answers if you are away (even if house of full of kids and an in-law or two). What usually happens is a child, or grandchild, will answer “ha-whoah?” “Is this The Acme Company?” “I’ll get my Mommee (clunk) Mommeeee ”. Neat first impression. Consider ramifications if a teenager in your house has figured out how to dial out.

Here are two simple ideas to help give your business a professional front, telephone-wise.

If you already use a separate line for fax machine, but still use your home phone as your business line, start using fax number as your main business number. Make sure no one else answers it. Put your answer machine on it and leave home phone alone. Put your new number on everything and send email to those that may have old one. The transition won’t take long.

You won’t lose any faxes because you can get a free fax number from several sources that sends faxes to your computer. No banner ads to read, just free fax service. I have had one for years. I have a dedicated fax number and don’t pay a penny. My fax number converts any fax to an eMail attachment and sends it to my eMail box. I can read my faxes from any computer, worldwide. In my office I can read and pitch, or print and read. I don’t buy fax paper anymore. Some folks call them electronic faxes. The point is, you can get a fax number all your own, without extension, that anyone can use, 24 hours a day, for free. No hidden costs or startup fees. The two most popular are www.jfax.com and www.efax.com but any Internet search for “free fax numbers” will bring up a bigger list.

If you don’t have a fax number at home, call telephone company and order a second residential line. Tell them you want a second line. No need to explain. Once it is installed, make it your main business line and get a free fax.

Now your business card can show a main line, a fax line and a cell phone and your mother-in-law can’t run off new business.

If it walks like a pro and acts like a pro…

Copyright 2003 BIG Mike McDaniel - All Rights Reserved BIG Mike McDaniel is an Author, Professional Speaker and Business Consultant with Advertising, Promotion and Publicity ideas that really work. Sign up for his free BIG Ideas Newsletter at http://BIGMikeOnline.com Reach BIG Mike by eMail at McD@BIGMikeOnline.com

BIG Mike McDaniel is a former successful radio station owner and major market TV News anchor and a nationally recognized speaker, author and entertainer.