The concept of corporate gifting is a necessary part of the business world, but despite its prevalence is still something that so many businesses get wrong time and time again. There are many businesses who offer things like the cheap corporate branded pen, but when it comes to corporate gifts it’s worth investing a little more time and money into getting things really right. After all, a great corporate gift is designed to make a great impression. Making a great impression is something that could make the difference between scoring another contract with a company or not, or perhaps makes the difference between a discount on services.
It’s really worth doing it right. During my career I have been the receiver of many strange corporate gifts. I continue to be completely perplexed as to how much money and energy is wasted on gifts that are really completely unsuitable or unnecessary. If you do insist on giving a corporate gift to show appreciation for a company of person, make sure that you take the time to do the right thing. Let’s have a look at how to do this.
Check policies
Competition can be fierce in businesses, and many companies will use the holiday season (and the gifting that comes along with it) to try and secure the attentions of certain companies. Some companies will therefore have a policy in place that receiving individual gifts is not accepted. As a result of this you may find that your well chosen, and well thought out gift ends up being given to charity. Be sure to check this, and something like a simple phone call to a secretary, or even to the person who you are trying to gift, will clear up any possibility of misunderstanding.
Get everyone on board
As I said previously, some companies will have policies in place where people are not allowed to accept individual gifts. You can find out if a gift to the entire office/company is suitable – and depending on the size of the company this is a great way to spread cheer among many people. This can raise morale for people who might usually be left out of the gifting process, like junior level employees! Get a bit creative with the present and consider something healthy like a fruit basket as a great way to keep people feeling good in the festive seasons.
Give the gift of yourself
If you’re a company who sells or offers a product, then it can be a great way to both raise your profile and to say money if you give your product or service away. If you’re a theme park, give a free pass! If you’re a florist, give a bouquet. You get the idea.
Make it count
When you get a gift that you can actually use it’s pretty exciting. When you’re gifting to people in the office or in the business world think about what it is that people are actually going to want. A great pen, a handy office tool or something like a voucher for Office Works would be something that anyone in business is definitely going to get used!
Give a gift, not sweets
The laziest gift of all is a box of chocs. It does no one any favours at Christmas time and while it’s a great option for some people, you need to be careful who you give chocs or sweets to.
Good luck with your corporate gifting as the silly season draws ever closer! We hope that you manage to find the right balance between fun, frivolous and meaningful with your gifting.
