Category: Gifts

4 Reasons Every Wealth Manager Should Give Client Gifts

As is the case in many industries — but especially within wealth management services — having a strong client network is integral to the success of your business. Because of the nature of wealth management work, the ideal client tends to be more discerning of the people they work alongside, socialize with and entrust their money to. Simply put, these people want to work with advisors who make them a priority.

With heightened standards in mind, finding ways throughout the year to remind clients of the value you bring can spell the difference between a fast-fizzled engagement and a thriving, long-term partnership. And as for new opportunities? Well, the same can be said for getting your foot in the door with prospective clients, too.

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The Benefits of Client Gifting

Sending quality gifts is one of the best ways to strengthen and create connections with valuable contacts. Whether you’re trying to solidify current partnerships or you’re reaching out to new prospects, gifting offers a solution that rewards your effort in a variety of ways. Here are four of the biggest benefits you can expect from sending your partners an unexpected gift this season.

1.  Stay Top of Mind

With “banner blindness” and ad exhaustion seemingly stronger during busy shopping seasons, having a way to subtly remind people of who you are and the services you offer is invaluable. With gifting, you have a great tactic for keeping your name in front of clients and prospects in a way they’ll actually appreciate. After all, no one is hitting the skip button on a fresh box of pralines.

2.  Emphasize Your Client’s Value

Remember, your clients know their own worth. They want to work with someone who recognizes it, too. By sending them quality gifts — no matter the time of the year — you are illustrating how important they are to your business. If you’re willing to put forth this type of effort to recognize them individually, you’re likely working very hard on their financial behalf as well. 

3.  Reward and Encourage Loyalty

There just can’t be enough said of clients who stick by your side. With a market chocked full of competitors, loyalty is harder to come by these days — so you should reward it when you can. Consider creating gifting tiers for your current pool of clients, and send upgraded gifts to those who stay with you longer. This makes long-term partners feel appreciated for their commitment and trust in your expertise.

4.  Expand Your Reach

Don’t limit yourself to just current clients. Gifting can also be leveraged to establish connections with prospects, too. A thoughtful token or shareable box of treats with a warm greeting shows initiative and willingness to go the extra mile — two attributes that raise the stock of any wealth advisor. Plus, if you time your gifts right, they can help trigger an influx of new work just when you need it.

Stand Out This Season

At Cane River Pecan Company, we understand that making a big impression on your most valuable contacts is important. That’s why we make corporate gift fulfillment simple and stress-free. From gift selection to customization and order support, our specialists can help you every step of the way to find the ideal pecan gifts and unique Southern specialties to delight everyone on your list this year.

Reach out to our gifting specialist today!

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The 5 Biggest Benefits of Giving Your Employees Gifts

There’s no doubt about it — happy, hardworking employees make the business world go ‘round. They drive production and ensure that customers receive a satisfying experience with the product or service.

But as time goes on, many businesses find that keeping employees engaged in their roles can be a real challenge. And of course, the more employees become disconnected, the greater the toll it takes on everything, from customer satisfaction to product output and sales. Simply put, if employees aren’t satisfied with the place they work, it’s going to show in the bottom line.

So how do business leaders begin to address the problem? While there are many things every company should have in place to address personal issues with employees — like a functioning and capable HR department —there are also everyday actions leaders can take to ensure their team feels seen and appreciated. One of the simplest ways to do this is through employee gifting.

Gallup studies show that recognizing employees for their hard work, skills and individuality offers businesses a wide spectrum of benefits. If you’re considering starting an internal gifting program at your organization, here’s some potential perks you can look forward to:

1. BOOSTED PRODUCTIVITY

As it turns out, employees who have something to look forward to or gain from going the extra mile tend to do so — which helps increase your bottom line. By giving routine recognition for hard work and exemplary performance, you set the standard for the entire workforce and encourage everyone to put their best foot forward in hopes of a reward.

2.  CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE

Milestone gifts and weekly, monthly or even quarterly productivity rewards act as constant reminders to your employees that their work matters and can earn them additional prestige, money or rewards. This helps keep them on track for things like monthly work goals, daily timesheets or other productivity metrics that may otherwise be hard to maintain long term.

3.  ENHANCED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

The majority of your customers first come into contact with your employees — not you. With that in mind, ensuring your workers are happy and engaged in their roles is essential to maintaining good standing with all of your external audiences. Employees that feel valued and important are more likely to do their jobs better and give customers a positive — perhaps even memorable — experience.

4.  LOWER EMPLOYEE TURNOVER

Why do employees leave companies? It can be a hard question to answer because, the truth is, they leave for many reasons. However, it can’t be denied that a major contribution to turnover is simply unhappiness. A Harvard Business Review survey found that employees that stay at their jobs for longer than six months post-survey were 31% more likely to say they found their work enjoyable. Create a place people enjoy working in, and you’re more likely to hold onto your pool of talent.

5.  HIGHER ENGAGEMENT & ATTENDANCE

When we envision our brainstorming sessions and company-wide meetings, we often see a room full of smiling faces eager to offer ideas and get involved. Waning work interest from your employees often presents itself as forms of apathy, distraction and absenteeism. Keep workers passionate about your business’s goals and aspirations by giving rewards to those who help reach milestones or contribute valuable ideas that move the chains up the field.

Happy Employees Make Successful Companies

When a company’s success rides on the motivation of its employees, staying connected to everyone on your team becomes a top priority. If you’re looking for ways to encourage your crew, boost morale and gain loyalty, a gifting program can make all the difference. 

At Cane River Pecan Company, we are corporate gifting specialists. With our collection of gourmet pecan gifts and southern specialties, we offer a variety of options to delight and reward your entire team. Explore our selection online or reach out today by calling 1.800.293.8710 to see how we can help customize a solution for you.

Clementine Hunter: A Louisiana Folk Art Legend

Clementine Hunter was one of the most unique and inspirational folk artists of the 20th century. A self-taught artist and former plantation field hand, Hunter became a household name in her native Louisiana and was celebrated nationwide for her vividly colorful and charming depictions of plantation life. Sometimes referred to as “the black Grandma Moses” (another famous self-taught folk artist) she made a substantial impact on the art world.

Hunter was born in 1886 or 1887 (her exact birthdate is unknown) into a Louisiana Creole family living at Hidden Hill Plantation in Louisiana. She worked in the fields there along with her parents and six brothers and sisters before moving to the historic Melrose Plantation in Central Louisiana at the age of 15. There Hunter worked picking cotton for many years. She only went to school for 10 days before deciding she preferred working in the fields to school work – and as a result Hunter never learned to read or write.

In 1924, she married local woodchopper Emmanuel Hunter, who would eventually teach Clementine how to speak English (she could only speak Creole French before). Over the years, Hunter bore seven children, and was said to have picked nearly 80 pounds of cotton on the day she gave birth to one of them (she finally stopped working, went home and called for the midwife). A few days later she was back in the fields picking cotton.

By the late 1920s, Hunter had left the fields and began working as a cook and housekeeper at Melrose Plantation. In those days, the owner of the plantation had created an artist’s colony on the grounds – and many famous painters and writers came there to live and work on their craft. As fate would have it, Hunter found some brushes and paint that New Orleans artist Alberta Kinsey had left behind. Shortly thereafter, Hunter – who was now in her 50s – used them to create a depiction of a river baptism on a window shade. This was the unlikely yet amazing beginning of Hunter’s career as an artist in 1939.

Painting from memory, Hunter recreated scenes from her life as a plantation worker – picking cotton, harvesting pecans, washing clothes, river baptisms, weddings, funerals and more. Her style was bold, forceful and used vibrant colors – and she ignored the rules of perspective and scale followed by many other artists. Hunter was also unique in using many different materials as canvases – from discarded cardboard boxes to window shades, gourds, bottles and jugs, just to name a few.

While Hunter would eventually earn a reputation as a legendary folk artist, most of her life was lived in near poverty. She made small amounts of money by giving people tours of her home and the paintings there for 25 cents – and would also charge one dollar for taking a photo with her. She was selling her paintings for as little as 25 cents each by the 1940s, but by the time of her death in 1988 art dealers were selling her work for thousands of dollars. This never seemed to phase Hunter, as she always said she loved painting and didn’t do it for the money – and she often gave her paintings away for free.

While Hunter’s work serves as a record of her life and experiences, it’s important to note that her paintings are also a representation of the African American culture and everyday life in Central Louisiana during the early to mid-1900s. Today, her work is highly acclaimed and has been displayed in venerated museums including the Smithsonian Institute, New York Museum of Folk Art, Dallas Museum of Fine Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art, and New Orleans Museum of Art, among others.

Cane River Pecan Company is proud to offer a wide selection of products featuring the wonderful art of Clementine Hunter. This includes tins filled with our gourmet pecan treats, as well as plates, trays, platters and books featuring her work. We invite you to view our full array of items featuring the work of this Louisiana legend either in our corporate store in New Iberia, or on our Clementine Hunter features products page online.

How to Start a Corporate Gifting Program for Your Business

Updated: 11/10/2023

Corporate gifting is a memorable touchpoint that can lay the foundation for a strong relationship with employees, vendors, prospects, and clients. It’s a way to show your appreciation while also planting a nugget of psychological motivation to establish a lasting connection.

That’s not just hearsay. According to Deloitte, 78% of businesses believe that corporate gifts offer a substantial ROI in terms of brand recognition and relationship building. With that number in mind, imagine what a solid corporate gifting program can do for your company’s bottom line.

While sending gifts might seem simple enough, doing things by the books is a little more complex. Here’s how you can start a successful gifting program at your business.

1. Establish a Budget

Setting a firm budget for gifting is paramount. It’s the very first step in the process because all of your decisions moving forward hinge on the amount of money you can spend. Your budget will ultimately dictate who gets a gift and what kinds of items you can afford. Despite the best of intentions, sending a pricey present to every client, employee or vendor is just not feasible. And while it sometimes pays to shower clients with goods, going over-the-top for every connection can do more damage than good.

A successful gifting program is a little more selective, and your budget will be one of the first determining factors you’ll need to know. Think of corporate gifts as an investment for the future of a business relationship. The last thing you want is for that investment to go into the red.

2. Define Your Gifting List

With your budget in mind, you can start building your recipient list. The goal is to show your appreciation for the people who make your business successful. But of course, every client, employee and vendor’s impact is a little different.

Start by making a list of the individuals who bring the most value to your company. They could be longtime vendors or clients who consistently invest in your product or service. Those are the relationships you want to continue fostering most, and a more distinguished gift will ensure that your company is always on the top of their mind.

After that, you can move onto those who provide things you value. While these recipients might not be your most lucrative or high-producing, they have the potential to get there. Sending them a memorable gift could be the thing that pushes their contributions to your business even further.

After you build your recipient list, it’s good to separate those individuals into different gifting tiers. A hierarchical system will make choosing client gifts more manageable. It helps you find appropriate presents that impress while still keeping your budget in mind. For example, an affluent client whose relationship has a higher lifetime value will go into the highest tier. They could receive a more expensive gift because the value they bring to the company is more. Meanwhile, a lower-tier recipient will still appreciate something that’s both simple and tasteful.

3. Create a Corporate Gifting Program Policy

There’s a good chance that other employees will handle many of the gift-giving duties. To ensure that things go off without a hitch, it’s a good idea to create a company-wide gifting policy. Not only do your policies govern how gifts go out, but it simplifies the process and creates a similar experience for clients and vendors across the board.

The policy should outline your program’s gifting approach. For example, it can cover:

  • Who receives a gift
  • What gifting tier each recipient belongs to
  • How much money employees can spend
  • When employees can send gifts
  • How presents align with corporate values
  • Guidelines for choosing client gifts

The gifting blueprint can also include suitable gifting practices and the steps your employees should take before sending items out. From a legal standpoint, corporate gifting is quite complex. The SEC has strict rules for financial service providers. Laws exist for government officials and medical professionals, too. On top of that, recipients might work under distinct gifting policies that prohibit certain items. Your in-house corporate gifting policies should cover all of those unknowns. Have your employees verify what’s appropriate and what’s not.

4. Choose a Gifting Timeline

For an annual corporate gifting program, your timing makes all the difference. You don’t have to limit yourself to holidays or special occasions. Those gifts are predictable and have a much lighter impact compared to more thoughtful moments.

Consider when a recipient works with you most. Then, send a gift at just the right time. For example, CPAs are utilized most during the spring. So, they can send clients gifts at the beginning of the year to stay fresh on their minds around tax season.

The same principles can apply to seasonal vendors or clients who make a big purchase once or twice a year. By timing your gifts strategically, you can make a substantial positive impression your recipients will remember.

5. Selecting a Gifting Partner

Last but not least, you need to choose the right gifts. The corporate gift industry is valued at $242 billion and expected to reach $306 billion by the year 2024, so the possibilities are endless. While you can pick out individual items, working with a gifting partner is much easier.

Gift vendors offer a variety of gifts to meet all budgets and needs. Plus, they take care of the little details like order preparation, customization and shipping to a large list of recipients. These capabilities may seem trivial, but they go a long way to simplify things on your end.

Find the Perfect Pick at Cane River Pecan Company

Ready to start your company’s gifting program? Cane River Pecan Company offers a wide range of gourmet pecan gifts and Southern delicacies to surprise anyone on your list. Plus, they have a team of corporate gifting specialists who can help you choose client gifts and prepare your order. Check out our website today and start fostering those all-important professional relationships.

The Importance of Thanking Vendors

Managing a business can be complicated. We set goals and work hard to meet them, but success is rarely achieved as a stand-alone venture. Instead, our products or services often depend on the quality goods and services that our vendors provide. Usually, our best vendors become almost a part of our organization—supplying the “secret sauce” that enables us to do what we do so well time after time.

Because these business relationships are so vital to our own successes, a genuine thank you every once in a while is a worthy investment. Vendor appreciation is a vital way of expressing that gratitude and maintaining healthy business partnerships long into the future. These displays of appreciation can benefit both giver and recipient in pleasantly surprising ways.

Confirmation of Approval:

A gift offers concrete reassurance that you’re happy with your vendor and the level or quality of the services that they give. Payment is often viewed as just the price of doing business, and verbal thanks may be perceived as no more than polite professional courtesy. However, an actual gift conveys unmistakable sincerity and approval. Your gift may even boost your vendor’s confidence, leading to more successes for both of you.

Culture of Respect:

When gift-giving becomes a part of your company culture, it conveys a positive perception of who your team really is. You’re successful, and you’re willing to recognize the people who helped make it possible by recognizing them. Everyone loves a winner—especially one who shares—because success promises possibility for everyone. Your vendors will want to be a part of what you’re doing and hope that they might one day be able to give back to you.

Standing Out:

You’re almost certainly not a vendor’s only client. More likely, you’re one of many. Sending a unique gift can set you apart and bring awareness that you have something special to offer. When a vendor takes the time to understand exactly what you actually do and how they fit into that process, you become more than just another entry on their accounts receivables.

Brand Recognition:

The gift you give speaks volumes about your brand. You may be known in your own specialty realm of business, but corporate gifting gives you another way of crossing into other disciplines or industries to form additional partnerships. When you associate yourself with a local brand that has an impeccable reputation, for example, that in turn reflects well on you and your brand.

Communications and Priorities:

The right timing on a corporate gift can be just the thing to bring you to the forefront of someone’s memory when a new project comes along or a colleague asks for a referral. You may not be able to be constantly present, but tasteful gifts that connect can keep you fresh in your vendor’s mind. If they know that you’re thinking of them, they may be more likely to think of you, too.

Shared Word of Mouth:

Personal referrals and testimonials are priceless, and so are gifts that are shareable. Sending a client or vendor a gift that they can easily share with others is another way of spreading good will. When the gift is shared, your name will be too, and the quality of your gift will speak for you even when you’re not able to speak for yourself.

Stoke the Happiness:

Giving to express gratitude makes us happy and improves relationships. Employees are more motivated to work for managers who say thank you. In relationships, people are more willing to discuss concerns and be more interested in a positive outcome when a partner makes them feel appreciated. In short, expressing gratitude for what we have often brings even more good things to us.

Make Them Feel Special

Corporate gifts for vendors are a way of building on what you already have and creating something even better. With stability, trust and boosted confidence, vendors may be more inclined to improve business partnerships or even expand them. Deals may be easier to strike, and terms may be more favorable.

Saying thank you is easy, and holidays, business anniversaries and milestones are perfect opportunities to thank the people you depend on. If you would like to know more about corporate gifts for vendors or easy ways of expressing appreciation in your business partnerships, explore Cane River Pecan Company’s collection of corporate gifts. You’re sure to find unique gifts to delight any vendor and show your appreciation.

SOURCES:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier

https://www.firstrepublic.com/articles-insights/life-money/build-your-business/five-reasons-client-gift-giving-is-good-for-business

Gift Outside of the Box This Year

End-of-the-year holidays represent the big-bang corporate gifting finish to another work year. So, why—as we anticipate a bright new year—do we let the other 260 or so workdays drift, becoming stale and flat? This year, for your employees, trade trite desk trinkets and lukewarm gimmicks for some outside-of-the-box gifting ideas that will keep your corporate family charged and motivated all 365 days.

1.  Surprise Parties

Ice cream or cake, popcorn or sushi—everyone loves a little time to put everything on hold, indulge a bit and bond. Making it unexpected or just because amps the emotional impact.

2.  Life-Event Parties

Birthdays, weddings, new babies, anniversaries, buying a home, starting or expanding a business and promotions are a few of the most common milestones that mark each person’s unique journey.

3.  Tickets to Local Events

Venues range from minor league baseball games, theatrical performances and movies to festivals, home and garden tours, and haunted ghost treks. Plus, you’re supporting fellow businesses and the local economy.

4.  Box Subscriptions

A hot new trend, monthly box subscriptions are available for everything from socks and chocolate to jewelry and power supplements. Employees can pick their favorite box for a monthly surprise.

5.  Additional Vacation Days 

When a team pulls off the impossible, reward them with an additional vacation day or 8 hours of annual leave. Acknowledge that long hours deserve time off.

6.  Reserved Parking and Car Detailing

Earning a choice parking spot is nice, but ensuring that the wheels occupying it are squeaky clean speaks volumes about your regard for your employees and your company’s values.

7.  Desktop Sweets 

How nice is it to find a candy kiss, wrapper of pecans or warm cookies on your desk for no reason at all? Someone took the time to place it there—just for you.

8.  Lunch Extension Passes 

Everyone appreciates a free pass on a hectic day fraught with personal errands limited to business hours. Reward exceptional work with an extra lunchtime hour that just might save someone’s day.

9.  Team or Group Gifts 

Present teams with an outing gift card or budgeted amount that lets them select the reward, time and venue. They can pick anything from an afternoon bowling to a new piece of office equipment.

10.  Surprise Gifter

One small, distinct, anonymous present to one person each day until everyone has been gifted is the idea. Because no one ever knows who will be next—or learns the giver’s identity—it’s a forever mystery.

11.  Field Trips 

Arrange a visit to one of your vendors, customers or any other off-site location. It’s a fun way of switching up the pace while expanding big-picture awareness and institutional knowledge.

12.  Goody Trophies 

It all starts with a vase-like trophy that gets filled with goodies specific to the recipient’s tastes. The recipient gets to keep it for a week, but then gets the honor of choosing the next recipient.

13.  Continuing Education Classes 

Offer full or partial reimbursement or payment for skill classes, which could range from professional certifications to art classes to personal finance instruction.

14.  Gas Cards and Transportation Vouchers 

Gas cards are great gift options for anyone with a vehicle. Likewise, transit or taxi cards are a nice thank you for extra effort or inconvenient hours. For really special occasions, don’t forget limos.

15.  Hobby Gift Certificates 

Sponsor a hobby or interest week, complete with a gift certificate prize to help support the recipient’s habit. Professional development with a personal twist aids team-building and talent-spotting.

We hope you’ve gained some inspiring ideas that you can tweak and twist. It’s all about boosting employee satisfaction, vendor investment and customer loyalty. Keeping the atmosphere positive results in the best gifts of all—something to hope for and a reason for everyone to show up and give their best. If you’d like more ideas or assistance with your corporate gifting strategy, call Cane River Pecan company at 1.800.293.8710, or visit our website. We have options for every occasion, every budget, every day and every reason.

Want to learn more about effective corporate gifting? Explore the origins and techniques of this southern practice by downloading our complete guide below! 

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Louisiana Gifting

Cajun, Creole or transplant, Louisianans revere food as a powerful staple that unites family, strengthens friendships and forms new bonds. We serve our best because we understand that life’s most basic necessity is also one of life’s greatest pleasures. Cane River Pecan Company specializes in helping people express their gratitude through personal and corporate gifting, but a number of other Louisiana-based companies do as well. Order a ready-made box or basket, or choose from several purveyors to craft a custom creation. Whether you’re local to Louisiana or a business based abroad, gifts rich in culture and taste are appreciated across the board.

Continue reading Louisiana Gifting

9 Ways To Stand Out in Holiday Corporate Gifting

From Halloween on, the two remaining months are a mad dash to the year’s finish line for both individuals and businesses. Third-quarter reports are in, shifting the focus to fourth-quarter earnings, the year’s bottom line, inventories, taxes and plans for the new year. Meanwhile, a holiday extravaganza of parties, outings, mixers and gifts goes full bore. Amid it all is the seemingly unavoidable dilemma of corporate gifting. Business can be tough, but gifting in business settings doesn’t have to be.

Making the List

Some companies admit to spending hours agonizing over what to give and who to include while others hope the holidays slide by, attracting as little notice as possible. Nevertheless, the holiday bustle will swirl, with tokens of appreciation acknowledging entrepreneurial partnerships, client loyalty and jobs well done. As the gifts fly, how to stand out becomes the name of the game. Partners, clients, vendors and employees are all giving and taking. Piles of boxes and bags appear in lobby reception areas and crowd corporate credenzas. Does anyone even remember who gave what? If you do it right, they will – and they will appreciate it, too.
Continue reading 9 Ways To Stand Out in Holiday Corporate Gifting

The Art of Corporate Gifting – Meaningful, Ethical Tokens of Appreciation

presentDifferent Sectors,
Different Rules

Showing heartfelt appreciation to people who deserve thanks is vital to a company’s continued success. It can also be a bit like walking on nutshells. You want to build professional bridges with employees, clients and colleagues, especially around holidays or other milestone occasions. Regardless of industry or sector, however, rules and etiquette have become the watchwords of the day, part of a balancing act between ethical behavior and compliance with the law. Legal, ethical corporate gift giving hinges on:

  • Federal, state, and local laws.
  • Professional industry association guidelines.
  • Individual company policies.

Most industries have either laws controlling gifting in the workplace or guidelines and accompanying company policies to ensure gifting remains ethical. In general, a gift must be a gift, and modest is best.

What Is a Gift?

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines define a gift as “the transfer of property (including money), or the use of or income from property without expecting to receive something of at least equal value in return.” In simpler terms, the giver must truly be giving a gift – sans strings, future influence or control. The higher the value of the gift, the greater the perceived expectation will be of owing something in return.

Gift Taxes and Value Continue reading The Art of Corporate Gifting – Meaningful, Ethical Tokens of Appreciation

The Timing and Importance of Employee Gifting

10_2ColorCstm_6920Creating a Happier Workforce

You can run any type of business in the world, but if you don’t have happy, productive and talented employees, success is a tough nut to crack. After all, your employees do the hard work of running your business on a day-to-day basis. If they’re not happy, it will show in your bottom line. One of the simplest ways to encourage greater employee engagement and loyalty is to show your workforce that you care through employee gifting. Gifts don’t have to be expensive or high tech to help employees feel more invested in your company. Even the gesture of a small token can boost morale.

Reap Considerable Benefits from Employee Gifting

Gifting is the practice of giving presents or mementos to employees who deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments, on special occasions or just because. Many businesses also engage in gifting around the holidays in an effort to thank their workforce for another year of success. Not all business leaders believe in the idea of employee gifting, but those who do can notice great results from the practice. Giving employees gifts has been found to have a wide range of benefits. Some of the most compelling include:

  • Greater employee satisfaction and fewer overall employee complaints

  • Increased individual productivity

  • Better teamwork among employees

  • Better customer relations

  • Reductions in employee turnover

  • Fewer stress-related illnesses among employees

  • Reductions in workplace accidents

  • Reduced absenteeism

Choosing the Right Times & Occasions for Gifting Continue reading The Timing and Importance of Employee Gifting