Giving gifts to customers is good for business, for large and small companies. The returns on investment are always excellent compared to the initial expense. These small tokens of attention go a long way in building relationships and customer loyalty.
There are some notable factors that play a role in the success of a corporate gift campaign, and we are here to make these principles available to small businesses.
WHY GIVE GIFTS?
Source: Gift-inspiration.com
Everyone loves to receive gifts. Giving token items to your best customers and favorite suppliers is a great way to showcase your company's identity and values. It reflects a level of generosity and implies that you care about individual relationships. Both customers and vendors recognize the importance of these two factors in creating lasting relationships with a company. Your small gesture of kindness has major implications for your brand perception, likelihood of repeat business and increased referrals.
In addition to being a nice gesture, it gives you a reason to reach out to your customers without asking. It's an easy way to reconnect with people you haven't been in regular contact with and, more importantly, who aren't perceived as salespeople.
Finally, your company can mark these gifts as tax deductible. As a general rule, if the gift is less than €69 including tax per person, you can write off the expense. Everyone wins: you create goodwill with your customers without breaking the bank.
HOW TO ORGANIZE A SUCCESSFUL GIFT CAMPAIGN?
If you're going to spend time and resources on a gift campaign, you might as well do it right. To choose your gift, review these five considerations to select the best item for your audience:
Usefulness:
Make sure your gift has a purpose and is useful to the recipient. If you send a Bluetooth headset to your customers, but they don't usually listen to music, it's not useful. It also suggests that you don't know your audience and that detracts from your good intentions.
Tagged:
While there are no strings attached to your goodwill, if appropriate, you can add your logo or company name to your gift. This will serve as a gentle reminder of where the gift came from. (Find out about personalization by Valet de pique)
Personalized:
This doesn't mean your gift has to be personalized, but you at least include a personal note with each gift. Write a quick note to wish them a happy holiday and a successful new year, and add an appropriate phrase or two based on your relationship. Personalized notes are very helpful, and their absence is noticeable when a gift comes with a ready-made message.
Perfectly timed:
We'll get into this later, but make sure the delivery date is correct. Receiving a gift after the fact negates any good intentions you had. Anticipate their departure and send your gifts early.
Once you've found the perfect gift, it's time to set a schedule. Make sure your timeline matches the delivery dates so you can roll this out successfully. Don't forget all the elements of a gift: the physical gift, a card, packaging and wrapping paper, shipping costs and delivery time. Take all of these variables into account, and you'll be ready to make a lasting impression!
If you need a creative boost, here are some tried and true Valet de pique (made in France) gift ideas:
A leather card holder personalized with your client's initials
A leather computer case personalized with your logo and a welcome message
A leather briefcase with your logo and the name of your employee
Here are some examples of personalization:
The customizations are made with laser engraving in France in a partner workshop
The great thing about gifts is that they can be given at any time of the year. Although the majority of corporate gifts are distributed between November and January, don't limit yourself to this season.
