Why give corporate gifts – and how to do it right
Corporate gifts are a great way to show your appreciation for employees and customers.
Used at the right time and for the right reason, giving corporate gifts can improve productivity and morale in employees and boost sales and repeat customers.
In this blog post, we’ll share some of the benefits of giving corporate gifts and how to do it right.
What is corporate gifting?
Giving gifts is an important part of business culture. The giving of gifts creates memorable moments for our staff as well as clients.
The right gift can create strong positive links that can show appreciation and benefit relationships in the short term.
Why give gifts at work?
Can you remember when you received an unexpected gift? How did it make you feel? Did it make you feel more positive about the business or brand?
Giving gifts at work is a great way to make people feel special. But it can be so much more than “just a nice thing to do”. Corporate gifting can be a powerful tool to help retain staff and grow business if used correctly.
Psychologically, giving gifts can build on two important persuasion factors – reciprocity and trust.
Robert Cialdini, the author of Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion, reminds us of the unwritten rule that if we get something, we should give something in return. All societies adhere to this rule.
Gifting is one of the most powerful ways we can influence someone’s behaviour.
Giving gifts also shows that our business or brand can be trusted. After all, they gave you something unexpected, didn’t they? And people who can’t be trusted wouldn’t do this.
Tips for giving gifts to staff
Especially when staff retention is a problem, giving gifts can be a great way to show staff that you appreciate them.
The key to giving meaningful gifts to staff is to make them feel valued on a personal level.
Here are some gift-giving opportunities for employees that go beyond
birthdays and Christmas:
Going above and beyond to help a client or colleague
Achieving a certification or goal
Recognising commitment at work over a time of personal challenge
Linking staff gifts to personal achievement or recognition is a much more meaningful way of showing appreciation and value.
Tips for giving gifts to clients
Giving gifts to corporate clients works best when the gift or gift timing is unexpected and personal.
Timing is important. Giving a gift too early in the relationship can feel like a bribe to complete the purchase or sign the contract. Giving a gift on sale or completion is much more appropriate.
Make sure you’re clear as to why you’re giving a gift. Are you gifting to say thank you for a purchase, to celebrate a milestone (for example, a renewal of a contract) or to welcome them to your community? Being clear about why you’re gifting will help you choose the right gift for the occasion.
Is the gift for one or all? Choosing a gift basket means products can be shared out among a team or family, or a smaller gift hamper can be given to each member.
How to choose the right gift
Know your gift recipient. Don’t send a bottle of bubbly if they don’t drink alcohol.
Choose appropriate gifts for the occasion you’re celebrating.
Be clear about why you’re sending the gift.
Be clear about what action you want people to take after they’ve received the gift (complete the purchase, purchase again, recommend you to others, stay a valued member of the team, promote your business) – remember gift giving taps into the reciprocity rule.
Make sure the gift reflects the values of your company and your clients or employees.
When you need to send the perfect gift to a staff member or client, we can help with choosing the perfect gift, providing bulk gifts and arranging delivery. So you can relax, knowing your corporate gifting is in good hands.
