If you have ever been given the task of purchasing corporate holiday gifts for your clients or customers, you know it can be very overwhelming. You want to make sure you are giving a gift that will show your customers that you truly appreciate their business but you must also stay within your budget. Here is a helpful list of things to consider when buying corporate holiday gifts.
1. Who will be receiving this gift? Who is your target?
Let’s be honest, we’d love to give gifts to everyone we’ve done business with but we have to zero in on our target, our best customers. Find out the demographics on your best customers if you don’t already know. Are they mostly female/male? Is there a specific age that most of them fall into? Can you pinpoint interests or hobbies that they all have in common? If your top customers work in an office and sit behind a computer… a desktop gift or computer accessory gift would be ideal. Or maybe your target is largely females who have an interest in entertaining… a houseware or entertainment gift would be appreciated. This key information will help you when selecting what gifts to purchase. It pays to really understand your target demographic before researching gift options.
2. What is your budget?
You have most likely been given a pretty strict budget that you need to stay within. For example, $10/per customer or other times it’s just a flat dollar value, $5,000 for holiday gifts this year. When you aren’t given a specific dollar amount per customer something to consider is segmenting your customers and purchasing 2 or 3 different level gifts. A high-end, possibly even a brand name promotional product for your very best customers and then something a little smaller or less expensive for those clients that you still want to recognize. This way you don’t have to find a “one size fits all” business gift. You can even segment your best customers into Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels and find corresponding gifts for each level.
When working with a tight budget, don’t forget to include gift wrapping or packaging costs. The presentation of the gift is very important. Do not overlook the importance of a beautifully wrapped or packaged gift to increase the overall perceived value. Some of our promotional products come packaged in gift boxes at no additional charge which takes out this step in the process.
3. Will you ship your gifts to your customer or hand deliver?
If you have local clients and the resources, it is a nice gesture to hand deliver your holiday gifts. It is a great way to get in front of your clients face-to-face and personally thank them for their support throughout the year and even discuss future partnerships. Depending on where your customers are, this may not be an option.
Today many businesses have clients all over the country if not all over the world, in which case shipping your gifts is the only option. (Don’t forget to include shipping costs in your budget if your gifts must be shipped!) USPS offers flat-rate priority shipping which can really save you if you have heavy or bulky gifts. They offer multiple sized boxes and envelopes and as their advertisements say, “if it fits, it ships”! Another option to consider is to have your logo gifts shipped directly to your customers, or drop shipped. Ask your Account Manager if this service is available on the products you are ordering. Many times you can provide a spreadsheet with your clients shipping information and we can take care of shipping for you. You can even include a personalized note from your company. This saves time and money because you cut out the middle step of shipping to you and then back out to your customers.
4. When will you give your gifts?
Do you want to be the first holiday gift your customer receives? Or do you want to wait until just before the holidays when business slows down a bit? Some of our customers like to give their gifts early in the holiday season before people get inundated with gifts, food, and cards. This also gives you the opportunity to be top of mind and get last minute orders or business before the end of the year. Other customers like to wait until after the main holiday rush and deliver New Year’s gifts to kick off the new year with a bang.
It can feel like a big undertaking to research, purchase and deliver your holiday gifts but if you start planning early and consider your target, budget, and delivery options you can make a big impression this holiday season. Above all make sure your recipients feel appreciated and valued. By giving them a useful gift that is tailored to their needs you can show them that you care and they are an important part of your business.
What other things do you consider when purchasing holiday gifts on behalf of your company? Let us know in the comments below.
Heather
-Merchandising Manager