Business Gifts, Corporate Gift Giving Guidelines, Marketing With Gift Baskets

Marketing With Gift Baskets

Gift baskets are a great marketing tool for many businesses. They can help you acquire new clients, show appreciation to current clients, solidify referral and networking relationships and establish name recognition within your industry or community.

For gift basket marketing to be effective, the gifts themselves need to be appealing, useful and appropriate as a business gift. Most retailers are more than willing to offer advice pertaining to business appropriateness and will help you make a wise selection. The gift baskets you deliver or send will become part of your image and reputation so make sure they are of high quality and convey the message you intend. The gift baskets also need to be delivered in a timely manner. For instance, if you close a business deal and send a "thank you" gift basket weeks after the deal was finalized it will not be as effective as it will if it's sent within a few days.

Gift basket retailers, just like florists, will provide a typed or handwritten note card with each gift basket so be sure to include a note card "message" anytime you place an order.

Many businesses incorporate gift baskets in their marketing plan and use them in numerous ways. How many of the ideas below have you already implemented?

10 Ideas That Will Bring You More Business

How To Use Gift Baskets As A Marketing Tool

1. Send a basket to a prospective client to introduce yourself. Then follow-up with a phone call. When you call, they'll already know who you are.

2. Send a "thank you" basket to a client or prospective client after doing a presentation for them.

3. Donate gift baskets to local causes, community events and fundraising groups. Your name will typically be listed in a program as a donor and/or a "Donated By" card with your business name will be attached to the donated basket.

4. Send a gift basket to say "I appreciate" your business.

5. Send a "thank you" gift basket when someone gives you a referral or lead.

6. If you provide a product or service to home owners, send a "Home Anniversary" basket to a client when the anniversary of their new home comes around.

7. Send small gift baskets for each season or holiday to stay in touch with your best clients.

8. Use a gift basket as a giveaway at a street fair or business expo. This helps you gather names and contact info that become potential business leads.

9. Send a basket of congratulations to a client or business associate when they receive a major job promotion or land a fantastic contract. This will definitely make you stand out in their minds!

10. If you exhibit at expos and conventions, send a "thank you" basket to the person responsible for coordinating the event. They will remember you in the future and you may get preferential treatment when it comes to the assignment of booth locations, etc...

Leave a Gift Basket...Leave a Great Impression

...and You'll Increase Your Sales

As you can see, there are numerous ways you can use gift baskets to build customer relationships, increase loyalty and get the most bang for your marketing buck! An appropriate, well timed, high quality gift basket can help you and your business leave a great impression. When your business leaves a great lasting impression people will talk about you, use you & recommend you. This will result in increased referrals and growth of your business!!

Corporate Gift Giving, Part 1: The Dont's

Giving corporate or business gifts can be highly effective and is a common practice. However, if you mess up and give something that is not appropriate your intent may be misunderstood, you may ruin a business relationship or you may never get your foot in the door with a prospect.

Part 1 of Corporate Gift Giving Guidelines covers what to avoid when giving a business gift. See below for basic, yet very critical, guidelines:

Not too extravagant. You don’t want the recipient to feel uncomfortable accepting the gift or feel obligated to you in any way. Also, many companies have limits on the value of a gift that their employees can accept.

No religious items unless you know the person very well. These items are very personal and you don’t want to offend anyone by giving them something that goes against their beliefs.

No bath or spa products unless given by a female to a female. In any other circumstance, these items are just too personal for a business gift and may be misconstrued.

No items with a heart motif or anything representing love.

No risqué calendars or printed items. Many companies have policies banning this type of thing from the work place. Actually, all companies should have this policy because displaying items like this in the work place can be viewed as sexual harassment and could get a company in a heap of legal trouble.

No apparel or logo items with obscene motifs or wording.

No apparel or logo items that can be construed as racist.

No alcohol unless you know what the recipient likes and you know it doesn’t go against any company policy. Many companies have “no alcohol” policies and will not allow it on their premises or at any company events.

Following the above guidelines will help you ensure that your business gifts are not misconstrued and that they are business appropriate. See 'Part 2' of Corporate Gift Giving Guidelines for a list of business gifts that always make good choices.

Corporate Gift Giving, Part 2: The Do's

Part 1 of this article covered what to avoid when giving a business gift. If you missed it, I suggest you go back and take the time to read it.

Now on to Part 2:

Giving corporate or business gifts can help you stay in touch with prospects and clients. It can also help you show appreciation for someone’s business, establish new relationships, mend relationships, obtain referrals and build customer loyalty. Follow the guidelines below to ensure that your business gifts are effective:

Good Choices for Corporate Gifts:

Gourmet and snack food items that can be shared easily within an office. Cheese, crackers, sausage, chocolate treats, cookies, flavored coffees and teas, mixed nuts, specialty nuts, gourmet popcorn and trail mix are all good choices. When these items are placed in a classy gift basket they will leave a lasting impression.

If a gift is for an individual (not a group), include in the gift something that pertains to their hobby, collection or area of special interest. Doing this let’s the gift recipient know that you put some thought into what they would like.

Examples would be golf, theatre, sports, reading, collecting Hot Wheels, decorating, needle crafts, hiking, etc…

I once created a custom gift basket for a gentleman that performed civil war reenactments. It was obvious to him, and others that saw the basket, that it was made especially for him. The gift basket was a thank you gift from his mortgage consultant. The mortgage consultant got several referrals and new loans as a result of having the gift basket delivered to his client’s place of work.

Apparel with your logo discreetly placed. Polo shirts, sweatshirts, ball caps and light weight jackets are very popular choices and will generally be worn by the recipient.

Promotional items such as calendars, mugs, tape measures, letter openers, pens, paper weights, note pads, etc… Try to give items that are useful and of high quality so they last a while. Also, any item that the recipient will sit on their desk or in their office is a good choice because your name and contact information will always be in front of them.

Tickets for a sporting event. Some companies give out pairs of tickets and others rent a sky box at sporting events so they can entertain a group of business associates. Food and beverages are generally provided therefore making this a favorite among most recipients.

Gift cards for Starbucks, movie theatres, home electronic and computer stores, dinner restaurants, etc…

A good book or DVD on business strategy or team development. (If you know the values or priority business issues of the recipient.)

The giving of corporate or business gifts happens on a daily basis. Make sure yours are business appropriate, of high quality, timely and personalized when possible and you’ll see a positive impact on your business.

The bottom line is that appropriate business gifts Make People Smile and Make Them Feel Appreciated and that is The Secret to Business Success.

Happy giving!