In 2016 the corporate gift market in the UK was estimated to be worth £78,300,000. That market has continued to expand.
It is estimated that 49.3% of workers in the UK will receive at least one corporate gift from a supplier. The average value of that gift is £50.
Gifts are an effective way of showing clients that you value the relationship you have with them. If you give the right gift that is, the wrong gift could be potentially disastrous. There is an etiquette to corporate gifting.
The first rule is make is whenever possible make the gift personal. Give a gift that someone will use. Avoid sending overly promotional items that will be thrown straight in the bin. The gift should have some utility value of be something that the recipient will derive some pleasure from. Food gifts are widely appreciated. Try to tailor to the individual if you can.
The second rule is know how much to spend. Some government departments and charities have a limit on the value of gifts that staff are allowed to receive.
Be creative. Give something that stands out, something that the recipient will remember getting and associate with the giver.
As this article in Forbes spells out you can send gifts all year round, it is not limited to Christmas. As gift giving etiquette is quick to point out you have to be sensitive to the beliefs of the recipient. Not everyone celebrate Christmas, respect others people’s beliefs.
It is not just religious beliefs that you have to be careful not to offend. With the rise in consciousness about the environment many people resent receiving items that will be discarded almost immediately. Friends of the Earth have started a campaign to get thinking people to think about what they buy this Christmas and how it impacts on the environment.
The easiest way to make sure that gifts do not go straight in the rubbish bin is to give people something that they will appreciate. It is not always possible to individually choose each gift, you may not always know the client that intimately either. You can get round this by using the expertise of companies that specialise in business gifts. Tap into their knowledge. This is the easiest way to make it appear that you have spent considerable time and effort personalising the gift.
This week I received a surprise business gift from a supplier to say thank you for a rush job that came out of the blue. It was definitely made me realise the extra effort that I put into the job.
And as I found out the cat loves the hamper box.
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