Why Give Gifts...

It is an excellent way to build or maintain business relations, whether with an important client or a valued employee. Giving also makes us feel good.

What makes a good business gift?
Thoughtfulness, practicality, uniqueness and personalization are the most important attributes of a good gift.

Giving a gift helps incorporate a personal element into your professional relationships. Every business knows that the best customer they could ever get is the one they already have. Gifts appeal to the emotional side versus the intellectual side of business relationships.

To Promote

• A company’s products or services

To Show Appreciation To:

• A hard-working employee
• A client for new or continued business
• Someone who has referred business to you

To Celebrate or Congratulate:

• A business anniversary
• The birth of a baby
• A birthday
• A retirement
• A new job or promotion
• Completion of an important project
• The opening of a new office

To Motivate or Encourage:

• Employees facing boring, unpleasant or difficult tasks
• An ill client or employee

Expert Advice

For the uninitiated and even the experienced, corporate gift giving can be a daunting task. If done correctly, it can leave a positive, lasting impression on the recipient.

Good Gift / Bad Gift
Cash isn’t the only gift item that can swing perilously between good gift and bad gift. Merchandise with a Logo, for example, can make fine gifts depending on the nature of the item and its quality. Yet throwing a logo on everything and anything can end up looking cheap and tasteless.

High quality or rare vintage wine can be greatly appreciated, but cheap booze easily makes the worst gift list. Once you have checked the corporate policy on gift giving, keep in mind that gifts should reflect careful attention paid to the recipient's tastes. Try to choose gifts fitting to the client or employee's hobbies, interests, or employment. While the holiday season is the standard time of the year for corporate gift giving, many other occasions merit gift giving and will make an impact on the recipient.

Etiquette to Remember in Gift Giving

Appropriateness
Keep in mind the closeness of the business relationship. If you have a client who is not particularly open or friendly, do not think that by sending a gift the individual will loosen up. This often backfires. Be careful not to create the wrong impression with a gift. Avoid extravagant gifts that could be misinterpreted as bribery. It is important that the recipient not feel uncomfortable when accepting the gift.

The Do’s of Corporate Gift Giving
Considering the emotional appeal of food and beverage products, they can make the perfect complement to your sales efforts. And sending out food and beverage presents for less gift oriented occasions will insure that your present won’t be one of hundreds. Personalizing corporate gifts can be an effective attention getter simply because not everyone does it.

If you do send wine, customize the label - otherwise there’s not much point to it. Small acts of gratitude, such as a gift, can go a long way toward fostering a sense of loyalty to your company.

Presentation
Nice wrapping paper and presentation are very important.
Remember to enclose a personal note with the gift.