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Good Gifting |
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This month is the ideal time to come up with your holiday gift-giving list for clients and employees. Take our experts’ suggestions and you won’t disappoint.
Digital picture frames are sure to be the hot executive toy this holiday season. Available from asi/87805
Can’t remember what you gave valued clients and employees during the holiday season last year? That’s ok, they probably can’t remember either. The fact is, most companies put little thought into holiday gift selection, and miss out on a major branding opportunity in the process. That won’t happen to the thoughtful readers who wrote to us, asking our experts’ advice on the perfect gifts for clients and employees. Whether your budget is $5 per gift or $150, there’s an item here that will have gift recipients singing your praises and thinking of you fondly all year long.
Q We’re a boutique accounting firm that last year sent all of our top clients a basket of chocolate goodies as an end-of-year thank-you gift. While I think they appreciated it, this year I’m looking for a holiday gift that will really make us stand out from the pack. Budget is about $75 per gift. Any suggestions?
A “Wow, what a terrific budget!” says Karen Winograd, president of GiftKwest. With that kind of cash to toss around, the company should consider something a bit unexpected, such as a wine opener or other type of wine accessory, she says. One hot idea: Couple an engraved wine opener with a bottle of wine etched with the client’s name and a special message thanking the client for his business. For a really nice touch, ditch the gift wrap and present the gift in a monogrammed wine bag. “This type of personalization shows you took the time to think about the gift,” Winograd says.
If you’re not sure whether or not your customers are wine enthusiasts, Bret Bonnet, president of Quality Logo Products, recommends a high-tech toy that’s predicted to be hotter than ever this giving season: a digital picture frame, which is like a powerpoint slideshow of photos contained in a frame. With a digital picture frame, either metal with a laser engraving or plastic with a silk screen, you can get your logo in front of your clients every day as they boot up the picture frame. “This is a terrific gift, because it will definitely get space somewhere, either in the office or in the home” thereby ensuring your gift will be remembered, Bonnet says.
Want to stick to something a little more traditional? You can’t go wrong with a leather binder, according to Winograd. You can personalize the binder with a client’s initials on the outside and a message on the inside. “Anytime you can put someone’s name or initials on the gift, it will make them feel special,” she says.
“Personalization shows you took the time to think about the gift.”
– Karen Winograd,
GiftKwest
Q I used to give expensive bottles of wine to my sales team around the holidays, but I’ve come to realize not all of them drink wine. In fact, many re-gifted the bottles I sent! What gift can I purchase for my sales reps that will have universal appeal? I’d like to spend about $50 per rep.
A David Morrison, president of Corporate Elements, suggests giving team members useful items that will be sure to be used over and over again. One surefire item: a mini tool kit in a nice leather zippered pouch. Computer accessory gifts are also a big hit no matter who the audience is. “Everyone is a laptop warrior,” Morrison says, “and these gifts come in very handy.”
Gift cards are great gifts, especially if they are specific to the recipient’s likes. Available from asi/70303
Rich Killian, president of RK Incentives, is a strong proponent of gift cards. According to Killian, the keys to making gift cards a successful gift are choice, personalization and public recognition. He recommends giving your sales reps a variety of gift cards from which they can choose. “Depending on the type of gift card you’re giving, you should give them a choice of three or four of the major retailers or chains out there.” Any gift cards given should be personalized, be it in a personalized envelope or accompanied by a note recognizing the rep’s accomplishments, Killian says. When appropriate, the recipients should also be recognized in front of his or her peers. “This goes a long way toward making a gift card a special gift,” he says.
Q I work for a large financial institution and want to give logoed holiday gifts to clients this year so that they’ll see our company name year-round. What’s a gift that can include our logo – and be useful enough that our clients will hang on to it?
Desk sets make great gifts and ensure your logo will have prime office real estate. Available from asi/73010
AThe goal of any gift to a client should be that it is something they want to hold on to. To achieve this goal, Morrison suggests a classic desk ensemble, which could include a clock, business card holder, desk blotter and pen and pencil holder. Morrison is a big proponent of this gift because “it will be right in front of them every day and it can be easily branded with your company’s logo,” he says.
If you want to move outside of the box a little bit, Winograd suggests a kaleidoscope.
“This gift is something very cool and unique,” she says. “They can put it on their desk and play around with it when they need a break.” Another bonus: It will likely come in a strange-shaped box, which makes it all the more likely that your client will open it as soon as it arrives.
Q Help! I have a small budget but want to reward my (mainly female) telemarketers at the close of the year. I can only spend about $10 per person. What’s a great gift that won’t seem cheap?
Flip-flops are a female-friendly gift as women can wear them around the house or to pedicure appointments. Available from asi/73525
A Bonnet has the perfect gift for this reader: Flip-flops. “Women tend to love them, and they definitely won’t seem cheap,” he says. Females tend to use flip flops all year long, Bonnet says, toting them to pedicure appointments and wearing them around the house. An added bonus is that the flip-flops can be branded on the bottom with the company logo. “Every step someone takes in them is a message in the sand with your company’s logo,” Bonnet adds.
If you’re looking to be cost-effective, Winograd suggests a fleece blanket. “A nice fleece blanket can be used in the office, home or car or taken out and used at a picnic,” she says. It’s easily logoed and is definitely something they will keep.
Mugs can be given alone or with hot chocolate mix or gift certificates for gourmet coffee. Available from asi/90075
Thermal mugs are also a good choice when the budget is a little tighter. “They have some really beautiful thermal mugs out there these days,” she says. “You can either go with something that’s more traditional or there are some mugs out there that have a really hip look,” Winograd says. If you’ve still got a few dollars to spare after purchasing the mugs, fill each one with a packet of gourmet hot chocolate or a gift card for a cup of Joe at a local coffee shop.
Reprinted with permission of Successful Promotions, copyright 2006
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