Client gifting – the sending of gifts to your clients new, old, and in between. Giving gifts to your clients can be a good idea – it helps them know that they’re appreciated by you and your company.
Timing
The first thing to note is when you should be sending gifts to your database. That can depend on the industry you’re in. Holiday gifts are a good idea across the board, regardless of your industry. However, client gifts at different times than that will require you to do some evaluation. You need to think about when a gift to your client would make the most sense.
If you’re a realtor, a good time to send a gift might be right after a closing, like a housewarming gift. Some industries might implement a gift on an anniversary of their service or on a birthday of their consumer. However, this doesn’t always work! If you are in the pest control business, it might not be in your best interest to send your client a gift with a card reminding them of the bed bugs they had this time last year.
The gift itself
Don’t send the first thing you see in the corner of your office. Make sure the gift has some type of meaning. Try to go for things that your client can use.
Here’s my advice to you: something they can eat (or drink). Send something like a gift card to a restaurant or a coffee chain. Another option is a gift basket full of cookies or brownies, or something of that sort. This ensures that your client is receiving something that they can use and not something that will end up in the trash immediately after opening.
Another don’t in this column is don’t be promotional with your gift-giving. Swag is nice, and while some people might appreciate a free t-shirt (guilty as charged), expecting your database to give you free advertising isn’t exactly the best way to say “thank you for your business”.
I’m not saying that you can’t have your business name anywhere on your present, you should definitely do that. Just put your name on the card or the gift card box you’re giving. Just be careful not to make your business name the gift itself.
Price
When it comes to client gifting, you don’t want to (or need to) spend a crazy amount of money. Sending gifts to your client is to remind them that they are appreciated by you. You want your consumers to use your products or service based off the results you deliver, not the gifts you give. Another reason to watch your price while sending client gifts is because you want to ensure your clients aren’t viewing this present as a bribe to keep them in your database.
Another aspect of price and giving gifts to your consumers is to keep the scale the same regardless of the client. Your clients might know each other, especially if you’re a landscaper and they live in the same neighborhood. Giving presents with different values to different clients can flop if two clients compare.
On the other spectrum, don’t be cheap. You don’t want to spend too much money and make your clients think that you’re bribing them to keep giving you their business, but you don’t want to send cheap gifts and make them feel as though their business isn’t valuable to you and your company.
It’s important to remember that without your clients, you don’t have a business. It’s important to remind your clients that you appreciate them and their business. If you’re new to client gifting, reference these dos and don’ts of sending gifts to your database.
Map Your Sales makes it easy to send small gifts to your clients including:
- Gift Cards
- Brownies
- Cookies
- Chocolate & Caramel Treats
- Gummi Bears
- Pretzels
- Popcorn
- And More…
To learn more about sending client gifts with Map Your Sales choose an option below.
