Corporate gifts are a great way to show your clients that you appreciate them in a genuine and thoughtful way. Done well, corporate gifts provide an excellent return-on-investment by strengthening relationships that lead to more and sustained business.
The guiding principle to corporate gifts is best summarized by an old adage – “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Great corporate gifts make your clients feel that you care about them, that you think of them and that you value your relationship with them. That is the legacy of a great gift. This means you need to put a bit of thought into your corporate gift strategy –which means thinking beyond the wall calendar and branded pens.
There are four key ingredients to a great corporate gift. Follow these and you’ll be on your way to choosing a corporate gift that sends your clients exactly the right message.
1) It’s not about you
Giving a corporate gift isn’t about you, it’s about your client. The gift should be relevant and useful to them as individuals. Choosing the right gift and method of giving is important. But even more important is making the choice to proactively seek out your client’s preferences and make a friendly gesture in the form of something nice for them to have that reminds them you value the business relationship they share with you.
2) Add a personal touch to your gifts
Every aspect of your gift should demonstrate thoughtfulness, from the packaging to the message. Consider unique packaging that will ensure your gift attracts attention before it is even opened.
Be sure to include a personalized message – handwritten if possible – to demonstrate that your client is receiving a message and gift that has been carefully tailored to them, rather than buying one gift in bulk, scripting one uniform message and sending the same gift to your entire client list. A personal touch to a corporate gift is all the more distinct in an increasingly digital age.
3) One size doesn’t always fit all
Depending on your sector, your clients and the gift, it may be perfectly suitable to give all of your clients the same gift. But rather than automatically taking that approach, consider an alternative approach that focuses on your long-term and high-potential anchor clients.
Under this approach, you may be better off putting more thought into a smaller number of gifts for your high-impact clients, rather than giving the same gift to all your guests.
4) Be different!
The gifts differentiate your events from the competition: most likely you are not the only one who delivers gifts at your events, but the gifts can help you create an unforgettable moment. A thoughtful gift is the perfect way to distinguish your event.
