Whether you are giving gifts to employees, customers and/or prospects, your recipients will feel appreciated and valued. By giving them a practical and thoughtful gift, you can show them that you care and they are an important part of your business.
Here are some things to consider when buying corporate holiday gifts:
Audience - Who will be receiving this gift? Employees? Customers? Prospects?Are they mostly female/male? Is there a specific age that most of them fall into? Are there particular interests or hobbies that they all have in common? Are they golf enthusiasts? Do they work in an office and sit behind a computer? What would they find to be a useful gift? This type of key information will help you when selecting what gifts to purchase.
Holiday Gift Promo Tip: According to Counselor magazine, a leading source for the promotional product industry, a recent survey concluded that giving gifts to your employees will increase motivation and productivity. 75% of the employees surveyed responded that receiving gifts boosted their morale. 60% said the gesture alone made them like their companies more. 33% said that the gift gave them the extra drive to be more productive. The survey also found that when you give holiday gifts to your business partners they are more likely to give you more business in the future. 60% of receivers keep their gifts for more than 6 months which keeps the gift givers name in mind.
Budget - You most likely have a pretty strict budget that you need to stay within. For example, a certain dollar amount per customer or maybe a flat dollar value for holiday gifts this year. Something to consider is segmenting your customers and purchasing two or three different level gifts. A high-end, possibly even a brand name product for your very best customers and then something a little smaller or less expensive for those clients that you still want to recognize. This way you don't have to find a "one size fits all" business gift.
Holiday Gift Promo Tip: When working with a tight budget, don't forget to include gift wrapping, packaging and shipping costs. The presentation of the gift is very important. Do not overlook the importance of a beautifully wrapped or packaged gift to increase the overall perceived value. (Some of our promotional products come packaged in gift boxes at no additional charge which takes out this step in the process.)
So, how will you make your holiday gift stand out?
Delivery - Sometimes shipping is your only option; but, if you have local clients and the resources, it is a nice gesture to hand deliver your holiday gifts. It is a great way to get in front of your clients face-to-face and personally thank them for their support throughout the year and even discuss future partnerships.
Timing - Consider when your customer receives your holiday gift. First gift of the year, before people get inundated with gifts? Or do you want to wait until just before the holidays when business slows down a bit? Maybe you'd like to wait until after the main holiday rush and deliver New Year's gifts to kick off the new year with a bang.
Personalizing - Who doesn't enjoy seeing their name or initials on a gift? It can be as small as a laser engraved pen or as unique as a calendar with the recipients name in various monthly scenes 12 different times. Every time the recipient uses their gift, they will think of you and how thoughtful you were. And chances are, they are more likely to keep that gift longer. 