As we talked about earlier in the week, the holidays are a busy time. So while I always encourage people to randomly reach out to their network for coffee, lunch, or even a simple chat, the holidays are not always a great time for this.

There is already so much going on that even if you can book a meeting, there’s a real possibility it could get pushed, canceled, or worse. You meet but the other person is not really there because they’ve got so many other things going on.

There’s always the option of sending a gift, the challenge with gift giving is that many organizations have strict rules around employees accepting gifts, no matter how big or small. There is a lot of scrutiny around transparency and as a result, it’s easier to not accept and thus not have to justify or explain.

Here is THE best way you can reach out to your network during the holidays.

Send a Christmas card!

Yes, this is low tech and “old school”. BUT it’s effective, and appreciated! Here’s why, and how, you should spend an hour writing Christmas cards to your network this weekend.

> The written word is dead. An email is just not the same. The personal touch of a hand written note stands out in the crowd.

> Make it personal. To that point, don’t just take a stock card, sign it and put it in the mail. Take a few minutes to personalize the message. Remember getting to know people at those events? This is where it comes in handy! Reference something you talked about.

> Plant the seed. End the message with a call to action. Could be, “let’s grab coffee in the new year”, or “I’ll touch base in January so we can schedule lunch to catch up”. This lets them know you value the relationship and put a timeline on it to show you’re serious.

> Follow up. Whatever you said you were going to do, do it! Don’t put it on the other person to reach out. Put a reminder in your outlook calendar so you don’t forget. You initiated, which is great, so now you need to follow up. Using the timeline you detailed, initiate a phone call or email welcoming them back into the new year, referencing the card and message, and suggesting a specific date (or couple options) for them to respond.

Not sure where to start? Make a list of who you’re going to reach out to, then go pick out some Christmas cards!