If you have found yourself stuck while writing a birthday message for a VIP, don’t panic! Our handy guide to writing great business greeting cards will give you the confidence to write a message with the perfect balance of rapport and personality, without coming off as “trying too hard”.
Five steps to perfect messages in business birthday cards
Step one: Assess how well you know the recipient
To craft great messages for company birthday cards, start by considering how well you know the person receiving the card. If the card is for someone you have barely exchanged a few words with, it may be best to keep things simple and professional. If you try too hard and act like you know them when you really don’t, it could come off as pretentious or even a bit strange.
For those you know a little better, it is good to put in a little extra effort. Otherwise, your message could read a bit dull or even make them feel like there is something wrong. Even if the recipient is part of the executive team or a major client, it is important to be friendly.
Step two: Add a touch of personality
For even the most” buttoned-up” corporate birthday cards, a little bit of personality could go a long way. For big clients, make sure you add a handwritten message. If you happen to know what the recipient is doing for their birthday, write that you hope they have a good time. This is a great one for clients who may have casually shared their birthday plans with you. Mentioning it in their business birthday card shows you listen to what they say, even when you aren’t talking business.
If you don’t know their plans, you can add a touch of personality by thanking them for being a great manager, or for inspiring you with their work.
Step three: Don’t overdo it
This is arguably one of the most important points we will cover in this guide. When writing a message in business greeting cards for your boss or client, don’t go over the top with humor or potentially offensive statements. No matter how well you think the recipient will take it, resist the urge, and learn to self-edit!
It’s best to steer clear from the kind of wording you would use in a birthday card for your best friend. While it’s the same occasion, it is a completely different relationship, and your message should be professional—not distasteful.
Step four: Write something unique
If you are writing a message in a company birthday card with a dozen other messages inside, make sure you read all the other messages first. Then, try to write something different. If you repeat what others have said, it could come off as lazy and unimaginative.
On the other hand, if you are the sole sender of the card, just ensure you write something that is likely to grab their attention. They’ll have plenty of other greeting cards with textbook messages. Make yours stand out!
Step five: Wish them a happy birthday!
After all this deliberation, it can be easy to forget exactly why you started writing in the first place. When you think you’ve ironed out the perfect message, make sure you remember to wish them a happy birthday!
If you do forget and come to the end of your message without having included birthday wishes, a simple “– Happy Birthday!” will suffice. If it’s a milestone birthday, put in a little extra effort and add their age to your message. Just remember what we said in step three—that means no referring to them as old, elderly, or vintage!
Summing up
When all is said and done, writing a message in a corporate birthday card isn’t complicated, especially when you’re using our handy guide. It really is as simple as weighing up how well you know the recipient before writing a unique birthday message and adding a bit of personality (without overdoing it).
Chances are that your recipient will be flattered that you even remembered their birthday, but a little handwritten note can make all the difference. If you’ve ticked all the boxes in this guide, your perfect birthday message might just stand out from the rest.
References
https://www.papier.com/thefold/articles/what-to-write-in-an-office-birthday-card
ttps://shop.hallmarkbusinessconnections.com/what-to-write-c-level-exec-birthday-card.html
https://www.gallerycollection.com/blog/business-birthday-cards/write-boss-birthday-card/
https://blog.ontheballpromotions.com/how-to-write-business-greeting-cards/