How to show your customer’s you care…
We all love gifts, something that has been carefully hand picked, personalised with care and has been especially chosen for you. What’s not to love? It’s great to share your Christmas joy with others, what better way to do that then with your loyal customers or clients! As the title of this article suggests there is an art to business to business Christmas gift giving. Giving the right gift can be a cost effective way to build a sense of partnership with your valued customers or clients.
Provided that you consider the following factors: suitability, personality, timing and presentation. Why are these factors important? Firstly great care should be taken that the gift is appropriate to the business relationship. You want to send the right message about your business.
With this is mind it is great when a gift has personality, if it in some way reflects the gift recipient. Whether you are trying to build on the foundations of your business relationship or make an introduction to a business, the impression you make is important. Like the age out saying goes “you will never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
Timing, you’ve got this one in the bag. The best time to send a gift is around a special season, Christmas is the perfect time. Finally presentation, this goes hand in hand with making the right impression. The best gifts are the ones where you have put special care in selecting and preparing it. It also comes down to the finishing touches, for instance a hand written thank you note or some fancy wrapping paper can go a long way.
The purpose of gift giving is to increase business activity. For instance when picking your gifts it can be a good idea to pick something long lasting and useful; for example personalised desk items are a popular choice. The theory behind it is that your customer will spend all day looking at it so they will remember your company.
Still not convinced? – Here are a few benefits
Reasons why you should give gifts to your customers over the Christmas period.
1. Depending on what your company specialises in you should carefully consider your marketing strategy for over the Christmas period, the focus should be something like “customer delight” or “giving back to your clients.” Gift giving fits perfectly into this, as you are saying a big thank you to your loyal customers or clients!
2. Secondly putting thought and effort into the gift you give can show your customers how much you value and acknowledge their custom.
3. Gift giving can get your business noticed! Think of it as investing in your business. It can affirm relationships and enhance the personal connection between you and your customers or clients.
4. It’s a fun opportunity to show off your creative skills, for example you could design you own Christmas card or Mug.
Getting Started!
Now that you’re convinced that there are some real benefits for your business giving gifts to your customers or clients, you’re ready to dive into the Art of B2B Christmas Gift Giving.
Before you start shopping for the perfect gift it’s essential to do some research, in order to put together an effective “gift strategy”. After all you are making an investment in your business, you want to make sure it will be worthwhile.
A good place to start is by looking into the ethics of gift giving. Check a company’s polices on receiving gifts. As some companies bar all gifts. Or in some cases there are restrictions in place on the value of a gift. If this is the case a safe bet would be to send a personalised Christmas card.
Other ethics you should consider are to avoid anything that can be perceived as a bribe, this can do more harm than good for example giving a high value item such as a tablet. In addition to this it is also a good idea to avoid being too personal with your gift, as again it can send the wrong message for example giving perfume or aftershave. Look at gift giving as a subtle, long-term process of relationship building. Within the research stage you should think about what your underlining motive is to sending a gift.
Although you are sending a gift under the Christmas season buzz, there needs to be something you are trying to achieve. Whether it is to motivate your customers to get in touch or you want to remind them of your great services.
The Etiquette
When thinking of getting your customers or clients gifts there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Firstly, you need to put some thought into the impression you want to make with the gift. What does the gift say about your company? How will it be perceived? For example a Personalised Mug is a highly practical item and is of very good taste. There are three things you want to make sure the gift you give is: high quality, useful and long lasting.
To ensure your gift is the most effective, you should avoid giving the traditional bottle of wine and chocolates. Although they can make nice gifts, think about it like this they can be consumed quickly meaning that your company will not be remembered!
Ideal Christmas Gifts
After all that, it’s time to start shopping! Keep in mind you want something that is relevant to your brand and appropriate for your customer or client, it might seem like a tall order but there are thousands of gift combinations you could give, here are just a few!
- Promotional Mugs: a personalised mug is easy to adapt to your brand and is very useful for your customer!
- Personalised Office Supplies: in general are a safe bet as they are highly practical. Things like Mouse Mats, Notebooks or Paperweights. You want to ensure any artwork you use is of good taste and high quality.
- Golf Ball Set: obviously this one is only appropriate if you know your customer or client is a golfer!
- Personalised Keyring: this is the perfect gift to go alongside a personalised Christmas package.
- A Personalised Glass: again like the personalised mug it is very easy to brand and is a highly convenient gift.
- Personalised T-shirts: if this suits your brand then this is a brilliant fun and playful gift.
- Personalised Face Masks: this is a very fun gift to give as part of a Christmas package!
- Donation to Charity: a donation to your customers or clients favourite charity in their name, is a great gift to consider.
You could go for a selection of gifts, as part of a Christmas package. And for an added extra you could also consider giving a Christmas card and a personalised thank you note.
Now there’s no need to panic, you still have time to show your customers you care! We have a bundle of promotional gifts, check them out and give us a call!
