by Becky DeStigter
The month of December is upon us and it is the perfect time to consider how your company treats the various holidays that international and domestic clients celebrate. Some companies choose to overlook holidays since they are based on personal beliefs or cultural traditions. Many consumer-driven companies make or break their earnings based on presents bought during holiday seasons. In B2B companies, I would also encourage you to embrace the cycle of major cultural and religious holidays, using it to forge deeper connections with customers and partners. In most parts of the world, business relationships are between individuals instead of between companies. Those relationships are the glue that hold your business dealings together. 
Here's a balance to strike:
How Do You Know If a Holiday is Celebrated?
In today's multicultural workforce, it is sometimes difficult to know if an individual celebrates the major holidays associated with a country's culture or religion. Last year, I met a Muslim woman from Lebanon who did not participate in the rituals around Ramadan, but did celebrate the gift-giving ritual of Christmas with her family. The best way to find out is to ask someone which major holidays they celebrate.
Sometimes holidays are built into a company's culture. To find out if a company is expecting employees to celebrate a holiday, ask if there are days that the company will be closed for celebration. If you are doing business in a part of the world that traditionally celebrates Christmas, Ramadan/Eid, Jewish high holidays, or Hindu holidays, ask about this a few weeks before the upcoming holiday. This information can easily be stored in the company customer-relationship management (CRM) system and tracked by an administrative assistant/secretary in your company.
Acknowledge the Holiday in a Simple and Sincere Way
A card is one of the best ways to show respect for someone's holidays. It's simple but takes a little effort. Cards can be ordered online, particularly if a holiday is not regularly celebrated in your part of the world. If your business relationship is not as critical, consider sending an email wishing your customer or partner well. But be careful to understand what a specific holiday is all about. Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish holiday. This year a friend of mine wished her Israeli partners, "Happy Yom Kippur." This was met with a chuckle since Yom Kippur means "Day of Atonement." My friend plans to adjust her greeting when this holiday comes around next year.
Be Ready for the Impact of a Major Holiday on Sales and Shipping
Most holidays are cyclical, falling on the same day each year. But some like Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr are based on the lunar calendar. If you've ever tried to ship your product into the Middle East during Ramadan, you know how hard it is to get anything processed and sent forward to your client. Business grinds to a glacial pace during that month. Likewise, in many countries that widely celebrate Christmas business can slow down dramatically around the end of December as many employees take vacation days to be with their families. In order to keep business cash flow from drying up at a potentially critical point, you may want to time marketing, lead generation and sales cycles to wrap up before a major holiday. There is no reason to be caught unaware when holidays can be known well in advance. ( Vivian )05 Dec,2012

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