A Gift of Good Business: The right present can be worth its weight in gold

BY DEBRAH BONN

Everyone’s been there: a birthday or a holiday sneaks up on you, and before you know it, it’s present time. There’s nothing like gift giving to test your familiarity and comfort level in a relationship. Even in long-running partnerships, choosing the perfect gift can be a trial. But during a new connection, being on the giving end can be an especially daunting task: Will they like it? Will it be personal enough? Does the gift make a statement?

Corporate giving is no exception. And trying to navigate your clients through the process is no walk in the park, either. Countless business deals are built and closed on the interpersonal relationships surrounding them. So when it comes time for your clients to make their employees or their biggest customers feel appreciated, there better be some serious consideration going on.

Though gifting is supposed to be a selfless act, in the promotional products world, it should also serve a purpose. “Business gifts that obtain desk space, such as clocks, paperweights and business-card holders are great for thank-you gifts and remember-our-company gifts,” remarks Jill Albers, brand manager for Awardcraft and Visions Awards in Celina, Ohio. “These gifts that are displayed on the recipients’ desk hold a prime location for customers to see and remember you daily.” Don’t leave this fact out when touting the value of gifts to clients. “Sell the value in the relationship and recognition you can receive from a gift,” Albers adds.

Your clients will reap the most value when the chosen gift is something the end user is excited to receive. However, it's not necessarily as simple as it sounds to identify what that is when purchasing gifts for a large number of people. “The biggest challenge is knowing your end user. Take the time to find out about the company and the recipients. A client will not be impressed if your pitch seems generic,” reports Lindsay Hoylman, a marketing specialist for Leed’s in New Kensington, Pa. “The best strategy is to take into account both what a client is trying to say and the profile of the recipient.” She suggests using a survey to ask important questions about interests and goals. That way, when you suggest a product, it won’t seem off base.

Another key to a happy sale is offering options. For Leed’s, the gift category has become so large that it has branched into subcategories: lifestyle, health and home, and travel and auto. “The designers (at Leed’s) understand that gifts should reflect both a company’s personality and the recipient’s interests, so they’ve created niche products such as wine sets and mass-appeal products such as watches,” Hoylman says. More and more often, clients are picking an item that can be used in the end user’s spare time, such as games and entertaining items for the home, luggage for travel, and electronics for everyday activities, she says.

A constant battle: Do you choose a low-price item or try to explain to your client the value factor of a more expensive product? While it’s alright to be creative and offer gift ideas in a range of prices, Dave Kogan of R.S. Owens advises against pushing clients toward a specific gift. “There are many great gift ideas out there,” maintains the marketing assistant for the Chicago-based company. “If a customer is looking for a gift at a particular price point, make sure you find them options at this price point.”

Unfortunately, when dollars are stretched, gifts may be one of the first luxury expenses to go. Ideally, says Hoylman, gifts should be worked into the budget at the beginning of the year to ensure the client can afford them. But if you are dealing with a limited budget, a little resourcefulness and imagination can go a long way. “Assuming a specific amount has been allotted to the client by his or her company, get creative with it,” Hoylman proposes. You can try suggesting different gifts at different price points for clients versus employees, for example. While all employees should receive a comparable gift, Hoylman says it’s acceptable to have different gifts for men and women, or traveling employees and those who stay in the office. Still, don’t give different gifts to employees who have worked longer or earn higher salaries, she says. “After all, it is the holiday season.”

Kogan proposes setting the budget for customer gifts based on how much business they do. Under this model, he advises a more personalized gift geared toward specific interests for long-time and mid-level customers. New or small-order customers should receive a smaller, but equally thoughtful, token of appreciation.

Don’t let clients stress about low-budget options; price may not be as important as you think, contends Denise Morgan, marketing director for Aakron, N.Y.-based Aakron Rule Corp. “An inexpensive gift can have as much reward and meaning, so even small budgets can be effective,” she says. “The thoughtfulness you put into your gift will show more than the price.” When you’re faced with a client who doesn’t think his or her gift budget is sufficient, get creative. There are plenty of gifts for $10 or less, such as choosing a nice mug, filling it with candy and attaching a special note, Morgan says.

Deciding when to place holiday orders can be as problematic as choosing the gift itself. Though several suppliers offer rush services — such as Logomark’s free 24-hour turnaround — last-minute orders can be full of potential headaches.

“Last-minute orders: Those three words should say it all,” sighs Tustin, Calif-based Logomark’s vice president of inside sales, Brian Padian. “The best time to place any order is as soon as you’re able. But that’s the easy answer.”

The end of the year is already chock-full of planning for the upcoming year, personal shopping and tying up loose ends from the current year, reminds Hoylman. “During the holiday rush, not only is everyone else rushing to place his or her order, but you risk having to make a second choice because of inventory,” she cautions.

Suppliers offer a range of answers for the best time to place holiday orders, but the general consensus is to start early and check to make sure the supplier you’re working with can meet your time frame. Be sure to ask if rush orders are honored in busy months.

“The earlier, the better!” jokes Albers. “Summer is a great time to get in and discuss holiday orders for distributors. Their end users tend to get busy the closer it gets to the holidays. Also, they will have the ability to get the business first, before the rush starts.”

Kogan recommends getting holiday orders in by early fall. “We find that the best time to place orders would be in mid- to late September,” he says. “That way you’re a step ahead of the rush and you can ensure that the gifts that you want to give are available and in stock. Also, let’s face it; we all do not plan out ahead as much as we should. So the earlier — and more often — you remind customers to start thinking about holiday orders, the better.”

Being ahead of the game can also help avoid some of the worst gifting faux pas. “The best way to avoid disaster is to order early, and make sure all artwork, names, logos, etc. are correct,” Kogan says. “Always ask for a proof prior to proceeding; the worst gift would be one where the recipient's name is spelled wrong.”

In the end, gifting is a tool to help your clients create a sense of goodwill by recognizing their most valuable assets: customers and employees. “The ultimate purpose of gifts, unlike self-promotions or giveaways,” Hoylman says, “is to celebrate the recipient and make him or her feel appreciated.” 

Gifting isn’t limited to Q4, though it is undoubtedly the busiest gifting season. We asked suppliers: After the December holidays, when is the biggest time for gift giving?

I can think of springtime due to graduation season.
- Scott Meng, marketing coordinator for KTI Promo in Houston 

Valentine’s Day tends to start the spring and early summer gift-giving season. Right after Valentine’s Day are a slew of holidays and events that are great to take advantage of to show your customers new and unique awards and gifts … Administrative Professional’s Day in April; Doctor’s Day in March; religious holidays; Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day and Mother’s Day in May; Flag Day and Father’s Day in June; and of course, graduation season begins in late May through mid-June.
- Dave Kogan, marketing assistant for R.S. Owens in Chicago 

Summer events, such as company picnics. Companies can celebrate gift giving year-round, observing milestones such as anniversaries and record sales. An employee can be rewarded for a job well done. For a special customer, any gift can show your appreciation for his or her valued business.
- Denise Morgan, marketing director for AAkron Rule Corp.

Year-end sales meetings are a huge time for awards and recognition programs.
- Jill Albers, brand manager for Awardcraft and Visions Awards in Celina, Ohio

The 1 Thing every distributor should know about gift giving?

Although there’s nothing like opening a gift — the excitement of seeing what’s inside the bright box, the crinkling paper and finally having the new toy in your hands — oftentimes we end up with something that we can’t use or that we don’t like — in short, something that was not picked out with us in mind. Distributors have a tough job in this industry because many recipient groups are very diverse. The thing to remember when giving gifts is the recipient — pick something that is useful to everyone who will receive it.
- Brian Padian, vice president of inside sales for Logomark Inc. in Tustin, Calif.

Presentation matters. Gift boxes, wrapping or giving gifts inside of a tote will impress the recipient. Half of the fun of getting a gift is unwrapping it.
- Lindsay Hoylman, marketing specialist for Leed’s in New Kensington, Pa.

A gift shows goodwill and strengthens your bond with your employees and customers. A corporate gift should be a good representation of your company. Thought should be given. Will your gift be practical and gender appropriate?
- Denise Morgan, marketing director for AAkron Rule Corp. in Aakron, N.Y.

Don’t wait until the last minute to decide on a gift or award. Let your customers know the cut-off point on specific awards and/or gifts. Order early to ensure that there is plenty of time to imprint your award and work with suppliers to be able to meet your ship dates.
- Dave Kogan, marketing assistant for R.S. Owens in Chicago 

Know your target. Make sure they’ll like it and know how to use it.
- Scott Meng, marketing coordinator for KTI Promo in Houston 

When it comes to business, give something they will remember you by. You are giving to form a relationship with someone: Make it work for you.
- Jill Albers, brand manager for Awardcraft and Visions Awards in Celina, Ohio