As a company, you want your clients and employees to feel valued, appreciated and noticed. But with busy schedules, hybrid work models and budgeting cuts, it’s not always so easy to do so. That’s where gifting comes in. Sending corporate gifts to your clients and colleagues is an easy way to show you notice their loyalty and support. But, much like catering to their dietary requirements, your gifting budget is an important aspect to think about. You don’t want to waste profits, nor do you want to offend your business partners with a low-budget gift. So, how much should you spend on gifts? We tackle this subject in this edition of our gifting etiquette series.
Why Gift Your Clients?
Before we delve into budgeting, let’s discuss the many reasons why you should spoil your colleagues and clients with a gift. There are several benefits to gifting your clients, no matter your business. One of the biggest reasons is to keep up client retention. Keeping your current clients happy by making them feel special is far more cost-effective than acquiring new clients. Afterall, 80% of future profits comes from 20% of your existing corporate clients (Savoca-West, 2022). And, what’s more, gifting can help customer conversions. By sending a memorable corporate gift to potential clients, you’re helping convince them of your quality as a future service provider.
Why Gift Your Employees And Colleagues?
Gifting employees and colleagues can have several benefits, from improving the work environment to building trust. By sending gifts, whether it’s Women’s Day spoils or even Workers’ Day presents, employees feel appreciated for all they do, which leads to higher sales because motivated employees are more enthusiastic employees. In fact, studies have shown that 70% of employees actively work harder when they feel appreciated (Malan, 2022).
What Are Appropriate Gifts?
In order to reap the benefits of corporate presents, you need to start with the right gift. This can depend greatly on whether you’re looking for gifts for clients, or employees. Other factors to consider are your budget, the occasion and even their preferences. Whether it’s a Boss’s Day gift to show your appreciation, or a year-end gift to show your loyalty, a personalised gift or even branded merchandise goes a long way to show just how much you value them. Just remember to keep certain details in mind when choosing their gifts, such as the receiver’s diet and religious beliefs.
How Should You Budget For Client And Employee Gifts?
Budgeting for gifts can be a bit tricky. You don’t want to spend too much money on a gift and seem overindulgent or wasteful. Nor, do you want to not spend enough, thereby leaving your clients and partners feeling undervalued. According to our corporate gifting department, the average amount companies spend on gifts for clients and employees is between R400 and R600 per gift. While, this may seem like a low budget for some, and a high budget for others, this isn’t the only important factor in gifting. As the old adage goes, “it’s the thought that counts”.
So, when it comes to choosing the right gift, it’s important to think about who you’re sending it to and the reason why you’re sending it, so you can make appropriate gift decisions. Choose personalised presents, or branded gifts and greeting cards to create a unique marketing approach, that will help your relationship with your employees and clients grow. Statistics show that up to 57% of gift recipients say that a gift can affect their perception of a company (Savoca-West, 2022). So, choosing the perfect gift can ultimately affect the company’s bottom line. However, when it’s chosen correctly, a corporate gift can also be a unique way to market your business, that sets your company apart.
How Should You Budget For Corporate Gifts?
There are many factors that contribute to choosing how much to spend on corporate gifts. It’s a good idea to start by calculating how many gifts you will be ordering; this includes presents for your employees and client base. However, larger businesses might not be able to gift everyone. In this case, you can choose who exactly to spoil based on KPI results or how long they’ve been with the company. Alternatively, think about how important they are to the business, or if they’ve given referrals. If any employees or regular clients don’t make your list, be sure to send them a personalised card, so they don’t feel unimportant.
Next, you need to decide how much to spend. You can choose to give everyone a gift of the same value, or you can give clients who spent more a gift of higher value. And, lastly, you want to make sure your gift is appropriate for the season, person and occasion, you don’t want to send a nut hamper to someone with nut allergies, or a festive gift for someone’s birthday. Great options include personalised apparel, branded bags, drinkware, like mug sets and printed water bottles, stationery sets and even gadgets gifts.
It’s Not The Value That Counts, But The Thought Behind It
Corporate gifts can be a useful tool for a company for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s been a busy year and you’d like to thank your employees for all their hard work, to advertise your brand to clients, or to increase client and employee retainment. With the right gift by your side, you can convert leads to customers, boost your retention strategy, retain valuable customers and employees and create a unique way to generate brand awareness. There really are a lot of ways corporate gifting can benefit your business.
Savoca-West, K. (2022, October, 5). [Corporate Holiday Gifts | 5 Reasons Giving is Important]. Received from https://batchusa.com/blogs/news/corporate-gifts-5-reasons-giving-is-important (Accessed 17 October 2022).
Malan, L. (2022). [5 Reasons Why To Give Gifts To Employees Frequently]. Received from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-reasons-why-give-gifts-employees-frequently- (Accessed 17 October 2022).
