The art of sales is like dating; you will have the same feelings of anticipation and hope that the evening will be successful. As with dating, the process of making a sale doesn’t end with just one meeting. You must continue to nurture the relationship by making subsequent appointments and communicating by telephone. In dating, you expend this effort to cement a romantic relationship with another person. With sales, you are strengthening a business relationship. One thing that can help you with both is a periodic gift.
Gifts for New Clients
When you are dating, you will learn that everyone you meet is not a match for you. This also occurs in the business world, and it is the reason that new and old companies alike must continue their marketing efforts so that they can bring in new customers. Gift giving helps people accomplish this goal very well. It is also an excellent way of breaking the ice in the beginning. For example, it’s highly advantageous to have corporate gifts for your guests when you are hosting a promotional event in the community. You could even hold a raffle and give away more thoughtful client gifts. Like a dating partner, these clients will remember you and your brand long after the event is over.
Gifts for Occasional Clients
One of the best ways to let people know that you are thinking about them is to send them a gift. Then, if you are not able to see each other for several days, the other person knows that they are still on your mind. This idea works very well in a dating situation and for occasional clients in a business relationship. For example, you may have several clients in your database who do not use your services very often. You can remind these people that you exist and are ready to do what you can to make their lives easier by sending them client gifts that will brighten their day.
Gifts for Recurring Clients
Nothing’s sweeter than giving a gift to someone you’ve already won over. These gestures help let your friend know that he or she is special and worth continuing to court. It erases away any doubts he or she may have had about you and solidifies what you have already built.
Gifts also serve the purpose of keeping current clients happy in a business relationship. As they receive a periodic gift, they will be reminded that you do not take their business for granted. They realize that you are grateful that they remain your loyal customers and they will be grateful to you for thinking of them. We know that gratitude is a very important quality for two people to have whether they are dating or in a business relationship. That’s because gratitude strengthens the connection between people, and this is critically important in business.
Corporate Gifting Frequency
People usually present people they are dating with gifts during the holiday season, Valentine’s Day and his or her birthday. They also stick to this schedule in the corporate arena because business etiquette dictates that they only send corporate gifts once a year, and most business people opt to do it in December. This strategy is more effective in dating if you maintain the element of surprise, so it would also be beneficial in a business sense.
The person you are dating enjoys receiving a gift when there isn’t any particular reason for it. When you surprise your clients with a corporate gift, they derive the same pleasure from it. That’s why a corporate gifting frequency of at least three or four times a year would have a better effect on your bottom line. Corporate gift giving encourages your clients to want to associate with you and buy your products or services.
Gifting Is Surprisingly Affordable
The economy may be affecting you negatively, and you may not believe that you can afford to embark on a gifting campaign three or four times a year. The truth is that this type of operation does not have to be expensive. The gifts can be small as long as they offer your clients something of high quality.
What to Give Your Clients
Companies with a large client base can give smaller gift baskets that contain simple items, such as pecan cookies. If your client base contains a small number of names, you have the opportunity to create a more personalized gift basket. This type of gift impresses people greatly because it lets them know that you took the time to buy a gift for them that they will enjoy. You can even customize your gifts by handwriting a nice note for each recipient.
This strategy can be a disaster in a dating situation if you are not attentive. Treating a date to a lobster dinner sounds sweet. That is unless he or she is allergic to seafood — a fact they’ve mentioned three dates ago. This can happen with corporate gifting when you fail to pay attention to small, yet significant details. Be attentive. For example, if you are sending a present to someone who does not celebrate Christmas, it will not be a good plan to send a gift of pecans in a tin can that contains a picture of Santa Claus and the words “Merry Christmas.” Rather than let the client know that you have gotten to know him, you will be telling him the exact opposite.
How Much Should You Spend?
Gift giving is not about spending a lot of money. As a matter of fact, if you were dating someone who only wanted to receive expensive gifts from you, you would lose interest in that person. Don’t worry if the recession affected your company’s ability to spend, because you can have a successful corporate-gifting campaign when you make a few preparations before you buy.
First, decide how much you want to spend on your gifts. You can do this by examining your company’s daily budget and determining how much you can apply toward a gift-giving program. Some people may be able to designate 20 percent of these funds to corporate gifts, while others can spend more. Therefore, the answer to this question varies. Just make sure that you do not overspend.
The next step is to make a list of the people who will receive your gifts. If your list is short enough, designate an amount of money that you wish to spend on each individual client. For example, one client caused your company to earn a $200 profit while another brought in $20,000. You may wish to spend more on the client who provided your company with higher profits to show the proper amount of appreciation.
What Is a Good Corporate Gift?
Client retention is possible when we explore the principles of dating. Similar to gift-giving in a dating situation, corporate gift giving engenders positive emotions. Cane River Pecan Company has several affordable and tasty options that your clients would love to receive, including custom gift tins. With every bite of a cookie or a pecan, you and your brand will be at the forefront of their minds.
Want to learn more about effective corporate gifting? Explore the origins and techniques of this southern practice by downloading our complete guide below!
