Although the year is approaching the end, it’s the beginning of the big holiday season. No matter what you celebrate in the upcoming months, everyone considers it gift season of some kind. It is time to start thinking about how you will recognize and celebrate the loyalty of your top customers and employees with branded gifts.
With 118 years of experience (yep, that many), our knowledgeable promotional consultants can help you select meaningful gifts for your customers – not the kind that come off the shelf at a discount store. Deciding on that perfect gift takes preparation. Here are few things we help you consider when giving branded gifts:
Who gets a gift and why?
Many people have divided their client list into A, B and C levels, mostly determined by sales volume. This guides the decision on type of branded gift also. There are exceptions like clients who are moving up the list, those who have just been great to work with, or non-clients who were in some way helpful to your success (your delivery drivers for instance). Others said they give to anyone who did business with them in the past year.
Delivery method.
It takes time, but hand-delivering some of the branded gifts is an incredibly personal and authentic way to express your appreciation. Your dedication to this delivery method is super impressive and it pays off. On the other hand, sometimes mailing a gift is more feasible. There are pros and cons to both. Delivery means personal service and less concern about dimension and weight, but mailing means you can reach more clients, faster.
When?
A friend of mine loves Halloween and her branded gifts come with a handmade card carrying a creative message. Another one said she presents a Gift of Thanks in November. Both said they liked being ahead of the December gift rush. Yet another friend does a Happy New Year gift with a proactive message that both thanks the client for last year’s business, and for the business they will do together in the coming year. I have a holiday season birthday, so I like to spread the gift giving out during the year instead of just the usual holiday time.
Handling the multiples.
You may have gifts for an office with multiple contacts, or one where everyone is involved in purchasing in some way, or a government office where individuals can’t accept gifts. It can be tricky. Food gifts are often the best choice here. If you have someone in that office you really DO want to thank individually, try to arrange an out of office time to present them with an individual gift.
There are less than 20 shipping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year and your Bankers Advertising Promotional Consultant has the tools to help you wow your customers this gift season, or browse here.