陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作。他在去吃午饭的路上遇到了美国同事Amy。
(Office ambience)
C：Hi Amy，你也去吃饭吗？
A：As a matter of fact, I am. Would you like to join me?
C：好啊。Amy, 圣诞节马上就要到了，你说我是不是应该对客户表示表示呀？
A：Time is short for the American holidays, but it’s not too late if you start on it now.
C：我该做些什么呢？
A：You should send holiday cards to all your clients and colleagues.
C：我那天在文具专卖店里看到有卖贺卡的，还能把自己的名字印在上面，然后用电脑把地址一打，就齐了。
A：Before you get too carried way with relief, it’s not that simple. You need to personalize your cards or you have wasted your time and money.
C：我怎么样才能让客户觉得贺卡是专门寄给他们的呢？
A：By writing a short note on each one and signing your name.
C：啊？还要自己写祝词！卡上不是已经有“节日快乐”了吗，而且还印了我的名字。
A：Here we are at the restaurant. Let’s continue our conversation over lunch.
******
Amy和陈豪在餐馆里买了午饭坐下一起来吃。
C：刚才你说我还是应该在贺卡上写点儿祝词，然后再签上名字，这是为什么呢？
A：Because you want each client to feel special. You do that by taking the time to write a few words, and by adding your name in your own handwriting.
C：我要写点儿什么呢？
A：You can say, “Thank you for your business this past year” or “I look forward to working with you again in 2008.”
C：我知道了，大致上就是说去年合作很愉快，希望来年继续合作。
A：You can be more creative or specific, like saying, “It was great to work with you on the project in Washington DC” or whatever is special in your dealings with your client…
C：不过幸好有电脑，至少我不用手写客户的地址了。
A：Sorry to tell you this, but computer-generated labels would ruin the effect and your effort to personalize your cards. Believe me, it’s worth the effort.
C：没想到这么麻烦。看起来我得加班赶写贺卡了！
A：Good point. Holiday cards that arrive after the fact are detrimental to your professional image.
C：Amy, 你能不能再重复一下寄贺卡的注意事项呢？
A：Of course. Buy the best quality that your budget allows. Write a few words by hand and sign your name. Make sure your greeting arrives at least a week before the holiday.
C：谢谢你，Amy, 看来我得赶紧动手了。