The top priority of successful companies is to make sure their clients and employees are happy because they know that if they are content and engaged, they’ll remain loyal. For this reason, the majority of companies today have been practicing corporate gifting as a powerful tool to achieve this goal and yield rich results for their business.
In essence, it’s the practice of sending a customer, client, employee, or vendor, a special gift from your company as a way of showing them your appreciation for their role in making your business thrive and grow.
If you’re one of those looking for ways to engage valued clients or employees and deliver impactful moments and build trust and loyalty, corporate gifting might be something for you to consider.
Below, we share some tips for impactful and meaningful corporate gifting that will help retain and engage employees and clients.
Have a Clear Strategy and Policy Outline
Before you jump on the corporate gifting bandwagon, you must have a well-defined strategy in place. First of all, you should have a clear policy outline and include your budget, the type of gifts you will send, to whom and when, and how to choose gifts that align with your company’s core and primary values.
For instance, if you have a reputation of being an environmentally aware company, you should look for eco-friendly gift ideas for employees and consider items like a self-sufficient hydroponic planter for their air-purifying plant, recycled paper notebooks, etc.
Create a Budget
As mentioned above, creating a budget for corporate gifting is one of the first steps you should make. Once you determine how much money your company can set aside for corporate gifting, you should distribute the money to see if you can satisfy your employees, clients, and service providers.
A recommendation is to make the budget for corporate gifting part of your general business plan as it will make it a whole lot easier for you to plan and have a well-executed strategy.
Opt for Personalized Gifts
You should aim to provoke a response from the recipient of the gift and if you give out generic gifts, it may have the reverse effect and make them feel that you have not put enough effort or thought into the gifting process. The unique thing about personalized gifts is that you can personalize them almost exactly the way you want. You can upload a photo, image, or logo that is either printed or engraved on the gift.
Try to opt for a personalized gift like embossing the name of the receiver or engraving it on the item, and you can even attach a small thoughtful note of appreciation which can make a world of difference.
Such personalized gifts will make employees or clients feel recognized and appreciated for all they’re doing for the company. It will motivate them to continue with their good work and collaboration and encourage others to do their best.
In short, the trick is to make your corporate gifting unique and do something more personal and less generic.
Choose a Practical Gift
Companies tend to stick to boring routines of gifting pens, and other flashy gifts that create initial excitement but a practical gift will make sure that the recipient will use it and remember the nice gesture for a long time.
For instance, customized experiences or digital storage devices are some ideas for corporate gifts that will be deeply appreciated and talked about in the long run. Avoid gifts that are disposable and will be forgotten quickly somewhere in a drawer or collect dust on a desk.
Instead, focus on long-lasting items and invest in gifts that your clients and employees will find functional and use both in the office and at home. Ling-lasting gifts will remind your recipients of your generosity and thoughtfulness and breed company loyalty and increase employee retention.
Gift Unexpectedly
Most companies give gifts to employees and clients at rather predictable times of the year, for instance, right before Christmas or the New Year. However, to make the corporate gifting more impactful, why not surprise your recipients by giving the gifts unexpectedly rather than on special occasions or holidays.
Surprise them on their birthdays, work anniversaries, and even when an important project has been completed or on a significant professional milestone. Last but not least, try to give the gifts packing little more attention and impress the recipient. An inappropriately packed gift can decrease the overall value of the gift and disappoint.
In Closing
If you haven’t still used corporate gifting as part of your business strategy, it’s high time for you to begin. By following the above tips, you can celebrate customer achievements, boost interactions and improve your customer and work relationships.
