Tips and Advice for a Corporate
Gift That Stands Out
Get to know your clients and what they want.
When it comes to a corporate gift, it
truly is the thought that counts. Good business gifts, even executive gifts,
don’t have to be expensive but should demonstrate to the person that you pay
attention to them and know something about them.
When I was younger I didn’t really
understand this.
When I was 7 years old, I hadn’t quite got the concept of gifting. The
thought of spending my hard earned 25-cent a week allowance on other people was
a little scary. But I steeled myself and the first Christmas present I bought
was a badge with a picture of Beatles, for my grandmother. I know, what
was I thinking?
Then the re-gifting starts
Granny was 67 and I don’t think she had even heard of the Beatles. But not only
did she sweetly thank me, she then gave the badge back to me. Wow, it was just
the gift I would've wanted! Right away my greedy little brain started plotting
ahead to a long line of future Christmases, where I would buy family members
gifts that I really wanted and they would simply thank me and give them back to
me.
People want a gift that they can
appreciate
Granny didn't have the heart to straighten me out, but my sister wasn’t so
gentle. She made it crystal clear that if I gave her model airplane, she would
sooner break it over my head, rather than give it back to me. What a spoilsport.
For some reason she seemed to want a gift that she could appreciate.
It makes all difference when
you get something you want
So what gifts have you really appreciated? I'll bet it wasn't the most expensive
ones (okay, the Ferrari was nice). Weren’t the best ones, those that
demonstrated that the giver knew you and what you’d enjoy? It’s just the same
for corporate gifts.
A generic
corporate gift is nice but ...
Generic business gifts work well for an office group but they just don't have
the warm fuzzies of a personalized gift. (These are the types of gifts that get
re-gifted.
Click here to see Seinfeld's re-gifting)
It truly is the thought that counts,
especially when it comes to executive gifts or gifts for individuals. Successful
gifting like that requires a little bit more effort and familiarity with people.
How well do you know your clients?
When you really know your clients, you can set yourself apart from the crowd
with small, personal touch business gift ideas.
Low
Cost, High Touch Gifts:
-
A magazine subscription dealing with
their favorite interests (Client gifts that keep giving and when each one
arrives it reminds them of you.)
-
Books ,CDs or DVDs are great gifts
(Especially if you know the person's likes, so ask them who and what they
read, watch and listen to.)
-
Restaurant certificates, food gifts
or drink (These taste even better when you know their tastes.)
-
A donation to an organization or
cause that you know they endorse (Such as SPCA, Rotary Foundation, UNICEF,
KSPS/Public TV, CKUA/Public Radio, etc. – yes, these are some of our
favorites)
-
Tickets to theater, sporting events
or a concert (We once treated some associates who enjoy world music, to a
great Johnny Clegg concert. -
Click here to see & hear Johnny with Nelson Mandela)
But what if you don’t know what your
clients like?
If you’re not sure, do your gifting
research and call their administrative assistant/secretary and ask what they
would enjoy.
A few tips to help avoid making an
inadvertent faux pas.
-
Be sensitive to the cultural
diversity of your clients. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, however
sending a corporate gift or card that wishes them a happy holiday season or
for the New Year, or a holiday they celebrate would be appreciated.
-
Corporate gifts that are not
appropriate and may offend are those that are perceived to be too personal
in nature: jewelry, fragrance and clothing. (Save those gifts for your
significant other.)
-
Be familiar with their company’s
policy around gifting. This is especially true with executive gifts for
people connected with government agencies. When in doubt do a little
research. A maximum dollar value or consumable client gifts may be
specified.
Set a goal to get to know business
associates better.
If you keep track of what is meaningful to your clients and colleagues, it
becomes easier to find the right business gift. Be creative, and you can give
them that Ferrari they always wanted. (Click
here to see how you can give Ferraris as executive gifts) Your corporate
gift will stand out in peoples’ minds.
We want to help you standout
positively.
It’s not so much who
you know,
but how well you know them. - Terry Pithers
Click to
return from Corporate Gift Tips to Business Etiquette Page
|
