Corporate gifting is an instrumental way to strengthen business relationships, boost marketing strategies, nurture hot leads and make team members feel valued. However, finding a gifting solution is more complex than mailing a bottle of wine. Any thoroughly considered corporate gifting plan allocates a budget and assigns team members to implement the strategy to make it an effective experience.
So, what might a corporate gifting strategy look like? And how would one go about devising one?
Creating a Gifting Budget
Budgets will vary based on your business’s financial resources. A good rule of thumb is giving the team member tasked with implementing your custom gifting strategy (usually an employee from Human Resources) a tiered budget to work within. Tiers may include:
For Prospects (to provide gifting solutions as a marketing tool).
For Team Members:
- For general seasonal gifting.
- For special personal occasions — like a new baby or wedding.
- For exceptional performance or workplace events — like securing a deal or closing a major project.
And For C-Suite Partners:
- For general seasonal gifting.
- For gifts during a deal or an acquisition.
What Message Do You Want to Convey?
Consider what types of gifts you’d like to send, the story you’d like to tell through your gifting solution, and what your clients and team members will most likely enjoy and appreciate the most. Your mission statement may be able to help you navigate the appropriate style of gift.
Partner with a Gifting Solution Provider
A business is only as strong as its partnerships. Connect with a respected gifting solutions provider who can comfortably manage large orders during special occasions and ongoing orders throughout the year.
An experienced company like Toronto-based Nutcracker Sweet Gift Baskets can help. Here, you can create luxury and custom-branded baskets, giving your gifting solutions a sleek, professional, and memorable edge. Businesses have their own dedicated corporate gifting website or corporate brochure, making client and employee gifting a breeze. Further, they have a pickup location in Toronto and can conveniently ship to addresses across North America — ideal for clients or offices that are further afield.
Streamline When Viable
Once you have established the occasions for which you’ll send gifts, allocated a budget per gifting instance, and secured your gifting solution, your next step is to automate the process as best you can.
For example, when a new employee joins the team, the worker in charge of corporate gifting should make a note of dietary restrictions if you’ve opted for consumables. Going above and beyond to take the time to learn these specifics will make your gift not only something they can use but something they appreciate.
Human Resources should also research corporate gifting protocol with new partners to make sure there are no professional faux pas committed, and so it’s understood what gifting solution works for which client moving forward. This leaves no room for ambiguity or confusion, empowering your team to automate gift-giving as much as possible.
Further, implement automation for your sales team. Studies have shown that sales representatives can secure twice as much income if they send a small gift at the commencement of negotiations. Create a system that makes this process quick and easy so that they can focus on fostering positive relations and securing the deal.
The Bottom Line
Corporate gifting is invaluable for both in-office and external relations. By crafting an effective gifting strategy, you’ll successfully wow your clients, bolster morale and save time for your Human Resources team.
