It is a multi-billion dollar industry that is growing at an exceptional rate. It’s rewarding staff for hard work and appreciating clients for long or short-standing relationships with a gift. Yes, you’ve guessed it – it’s corporate gifting. While the practice of establishing a touchpoint with various people connected to your brand is vast, to say the least, in this blog we’ll look at the branch of corporate gifting that is centered around your clients. We’ll help you learn more about what client gifts are, how they can help your business grow and how to choose the right gift for the right person.
So, let’s dive right in.
What Are Client Gifts?
As the name suggests, client gifts are gifts for any existing or potential customer. Unlike employee gifts, which are typically considered to be a personal expense, gifts for clients are generally thought of as a business expense. This is because you have essentially given the gift with the intention of advancing a business relationship. Moreover, client gifts are tax deductible as a business cost by US law, while gifts to employees are not. This means staff corporate gifts will have to be tracked separately for your personal accounting.
While it’s difficult to pinpoint when the practice of client gifting began, as the concept of giving gifts to strengthen relationships and show appreciation has been around for centuries, it is known that this type of corporate gifting can be traced back to ancient times. In the context of business, merchants and traders exchanged gifts to build trust and signify business relationships. Several decades forward and the concept still stands, with client gifting becoming more popular in the 19th and 20th centuries to grow customer bases and promote brand awareness.
Today, sending gifts to clients remains an essential operation for organizations as part of their business etiquette. But exactly why is it beneficial to your brand to send corporate gifts to clients and prospects? Let’s take a look at the ways in which client gifting can be of use to you and your business.
The Benefits of Sending Client Gifts
For most of us, if not all of us, receiving a gift is a pleasant surprise. And the psychology behind gift-giving suggests the same feeling of euphoria is experienced when you watch a recipient’s delight as they open your gift. This is because gifting is truly a satisfying experience, regardless of which side of it you may find yourself on. Client gifting, on the hand, goes deeper than the satisfaction of sending a mere gift. It is an ideal way to promote your brand with professionalism. When doing this, you also benefit from sending gifts to clients in the following ways:
>> Increased customer loyalty
Taking the time and effort to send your client a gift demonstrates your devotion to the business relationship. Likewise, you are subconsciously motivating your client to extend the same courtesy to you. And what’s the simplest way for them to do that? By continuing to support your brand of course! Thus, building customer loyalty.
>> Improved business connections
A gift, apart from being a kind gesture, is a physical symbol of your commitment to a relationship. And when you are committed, you are more likely to find others are committed to you in turn. Commitment builds connections and in the corporate world, there’s nothing more useful than well established connections. This is evident in the statistics from a comprehensive corporate gifting report that indicated 89% of people believed business gifts bring people closer together, while 83% believe businesses generate measurable, positive ROIs through corporate gifting.
>> Setting yourself apart from from competition
Your ability to stand out from the rest can be your greatest asset against the competition. In a sea of potential business opportunities, your brand will attract the attention of your client when they are able to remember you through a gift. Sending a branded item will keep you at the forefront of your client or prospect’s mind, every time they take a look at your gift (more so, when they use it!).
At the end of the “business” day, the intent of sending gifts to clients is to build a mutually beneficial relationship, one where both parties are at the receiving end. Corporate client gifts are the perfect way to nurture this objective.
When Is It Appropriate to Send a Client Gift?
There’s always the ethical aspect to sending a client a gift and therefore, it is important to do so with professionalism and a well thought out plan. Consideration ought to be given to the potential laws and policies regarding gifts your recipient can receive. Some clients, such as those who are government-employed, may adhere to strict laws regarding the sort and monetary value of a gift received. Others may be bound by the policies set by their employer, affecting the type of client gift you can send. In cases like these, always look over the relevant laws and policies your recipient is impacted by in advance and make your gift selection accordingly. If you’re unable to send a physical gift to your client, you can always make a donation in their name that will not only warm their heart but will make a meaningful difference too.
The holiday seasons and special corporate milestones are also appropriate times to send a client a gift. Here again, personalization is a great route to go as it is both a traditional and trendy idea.
How to Choose the Right Gifts for Clients
When sending a gift to a client, always personalize it. This doesn’t mean the item you choose always has to have your recipient’s name, a special message or some other detail, that is specific to them, on it. It means you should base your gift on what you know about your recipient – any detail that makes the gift ideal for them. And when in doubt, research! Social media is your ally when it comes to finding out information about a person. Search platforms, like Instagram and LinkedIn, to gain any clues about what your client is interested in or passionate about. Then select a gift based on their preferences and interests. You don’t have to put a lot of thought into each gift, just rather make it something that they’d like or appreciate.
Also, set a budget when you’re sending out client gifts. And then choose a gift that falls within that budget. This will help keep you on track financially and will assist you in steering clear of gifting overly expensive items.
Moreover, be mindful of the customs and culture of the country you’re sending corporate gifts to or the recipient, themself. In some countries and religions, not sending a gift may be more acceptable than not adhering to their specific culture. An example of this would be China. When sending a gift to China, gifting someone a clock would be a significant faux pas as Chinese traditions dictate that a clock signifies time is running out for its recipient. For help in these areas, simply use the Giftsenda platform that offers a range of specially-curated, culture-appropriate gifts, which can be selected according to your specific budget.
What Are Some of the Best Gifts to Send to Clients?
When it comes to corporate gifts, there are a plethora of options. But once you’ve narrowed down your search based on the preferences of your recipient, you can choose a gift based on certain categories, such as:
Business gifts: is your client more business oriented? Do they travel often? If so, then a business gift may be your best option. You can consider options, such as branded stationery or tote bags, or travel luggage. Gifts that are both professional and useful.
Practical gifts: more often than not, people prefer receiving a gift that is practical to their everyday lives. Something that makes their lives easier and is functional at the same time. Practical gifts can include eGift cards or physical gift cards to coffee shops, grocery stores or even gas stations. They may not be as glamorous as other gifts, but they sure are useful!
Unique gifts: if you’re truly at a loss of what your recipient may appreciate, take a stab at it and send a unique gift. These can be novelty gifts or certain items that send the message that you think out of the box. Making an impression like this may give insight into how you think and do business. And it’s often these impressions that last the longest.
The Difficulties of Sending Client Gifts Globally
If you’re on one end of the world and you need to send a gift to the other, there are a ton of details you need to first consider. For one, the customs and shipping fees may be more than you’re willing to pay.
Furthermore, you may not always have the details required to send your recipient a gift, especially when you’re not familiar with the addresses in their resident country. These obstacles are enough to convince anyone that sending gifts worldwide is difficult. It doesn’t have to be though. Not when there are gift sending platforms, like Giftsenda, to do the job for you. With Giftsenda you can send client gifts to over 200 countries in as little as a few clicks and save when doing so. In fact, use our savings calculator, which will let you know just how much you’re saving when you choose to send gifts internationally through our platform. Want to know more? Read on!
How to Send Client Gifts With Giftsenda
When using the Giftsenda international gifting platform, all the work is done for you. It is an online gifting system that allows you to select, send, manage and track your gift. Giftsenda boasts 20 years of expertise in the corporate gifting industry, making the service highly customized to the needs and wants of its user. The common difficulties experienced when sending client gifts globally are already resolved when you use the platform as we source each gift locally in the country it’s being sent to – thus removing the shipping and customs fees. It’s also one of the reasons why you would find our services much more affordable and highly more competitive when stacked up against other gifting solutions.
When sending corporate gifts to clients worldwide using Giftsenda’s gift invite feature, you don’t need an address. This is especially useful when you don’t have an address for your client or you are not entirely sure if the address is correct due to being unfamiliar with that specific country. In these cases, you can simply send a gift invite, in the form of a link, through branded emails or a text messaging platform. This will allow your recipient to choose their gift from a pre-curated selection and fill in their own details,via the shared link ensuring complete accuracy. Alternatively, your recipient may choose to donate the gift to any of the listed charitable options.
Need help in choosing a client gift or sending one overseas? Visit our online platform to get in contact with one of our gift concierges who will help you make a selection or book a demo with a campaign manager to learn the “know-how” of the gifting process.
