What’s the most memorable gift you’ve ever received?
Think about it. Don’t worry, I’ll wait. 😉
When I was about years old, my grandma gave me a GIANT box filled with every art supply imaginable: paint, markers, crayons, construction paper, glitter, glue — you name it, it was in the box. I’ll never forget the happiness I felt digging through that seemingly-bottomless box of goodies.
For Valentine’s Day my senior year, my then-boyfriend bought me a giant teddy bear and decked it out with a dozen or more gifts and trinkets for me to discover one by one: Teddy was wearing a jacket, a necklace, bracelets, one of those 90s-style backpack purses filled with more fun surprises… all in my size! It was incredible.
What do both gifts have in common? They were creative, thoughtful, and centered around ME. That’s why, decades later, I still remember every detail. I bet the best gifts you’ve ever received share those same traits.
Now, ask yourself a second question: What’s the most memorable gift you’ve ever given to a client? Does it meet the same criteria of being creative, thoughtful, and centered around your client? What about the last gift you gave?
Gifting is an artform that, when leveraged correctly, can elevate your relationships, referrals, and revenue. It’s a business-building skill every sales and marketing executive should master.
Many people mistakenly believe that slapping their logo on something and creating hundreds of them to give away is a “gifting” strategy. It’s not. It’s, at best, a marketing strategy and, at worst, a way to waste money on junk no one wants.
When something has your face or logo on it, it’s not a gift — it’s a promotional item. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. When you connect your story with your client’s story, you can include your name or logo as a secondary message. For example, the wonderful woman who trained my dogs and watches them when I’m on vacation, made amazing gifts for all of her clients this past holiday season: Christmas ornaments with pictures of each client’s dogs. Instead of making a gift solely about her brand, she spotlighted where her brand and my life intersect: the love of my pups. She then turned that connection into a fun, memorable gift that — to be honest — is still sitting on my mantle in February because I couldn’t bring myself to pack it away with the rest of my ornaments. That’s the kind of impact you want your gift to have.
Client gifting doesn’t have to be complicated — it doesn’t have to be expensive, either. Even if you’re in a highly-regulated industry, you can “wow” your prospective and existing clients with thoughtful, creative gifts that let them know how much you care.
Want some ideas to get you started? I put together this free guide to spotlight 20 of my favorite gifting ideas for 2020 and beyond. I hope it will inspire you to get more mindful with your giving. Feel free to share this quick guide with anyone in your network as my gift to you. 😉
