I was at a networking event and one of my vendors came up to me and gave me a gift.  It was a box of chocolate covered Oreo cookies with the VirtuArte logo on some of the cookies and her company logo on others.  The gift was not wrapped and it had a pre-printed card.  I thanked her for the gift.  As she walked away I thought to myself this person doesn’t know me.  If she did she would have known I don’t eat desserts or candy very often.  I also figured I was one of many clients to whom she had given the same gift.

Here are a couple of tips for giving a business gift:

Don’t give a gift just to give a gift. If you are going to give a client, colleague or employee a gift, give them something that has meaning to them and will be appreciated.

Get to know the person. Building on point #1.  In my post dated 14 November 2017 I give a list of questions to answer.  If you take the time to answer these questions for each of your gift recipients you will know what kind of gift to give each person.

This is a “thank you” gift, not a promotional gift. Don’t put your logo on the gift.  When was the last time you received a birthday gift with the name of the person who gave it to you engraved on it.  If you must have something on the gift that ties it to your company do something subtle, such as using ribbon in your company colors.

Wrap to “Wow.” In last week’s blog post I wrote about creating a gift giving experience.  Part of that experience is in the presentation of the gift.  Spend time wrapping the gift.  People receive gifts with their eyes.

Hand write a card. The reason for giving a gift is to express your appreciation for the business relationship you have with that person.  A pre-printed card doesn’t have the same effect on the recipient.

What is going to happen to the box of chocolate covered Oreo cookies?  I’m not going to eat these cookies.  Paul, my significant other, doesn’t like chocolate so he won’t eat them either.  I ended up giving the box to Paul to take to the office and his colleagues ate the cookies.

I know this isn’t what my vendor had in mind when she thought about giving me a “thank you” gift for my business.  However the truth is, this is what happens to a lot of “business gifts.”  The item is often put in a drawer or closet, given away or thrown away.  If you are going to spend the money on a gift, give something that will be displayed or used by your client.  Every time they use or look at it you will be thought of.

Copyright : Wavebreak Media Ltd

Before you give your next “thank you” gift, take the time to think about what will be meaningful to your recipient.

The post Business Gift Giving Tips To Make a Lasting Impression appeared first on VirtuArte.

Copyright : Ed Sweetman

Recap of the Intentional Gift Giving Process

My past few blog posts have given you a step-by-step process on how to become a more intentional Holiday gift giver and reduce the stress of Holiday gift shopping at the same time.  A quick recap:

• Step #1 — Make a list of all the people you are thinking about giving a gift to.
• Step #2 — Prioritize the names on your list.
• Step #3 — Answer the questions listed in the 14 November 2017 post for each person on your list.
• Step #4 — Decide what you are going to buy for each person before you start shopping.

If you haven’t completed these four steps I would recommend you spend some time going through each step.  When you start your actual shopping you will be focused, know exactly what you are looking for and know where to go to purchase each item.  You may spend more time at the beginning of the process, but you will spend a lot less time shopping.

Step #5 — Creating the Gifting Experience

Now that you have purchased all of your gifts, it is time for step #5 — creating a “gifting experience.”  You have spent the time finding that perfect gift for each person on your list; don’t ruin the gift by hastily wrapping it.  The gifting experience starts with a beautifully wrapped gift.  Presentation matters.  As John Ruhlin, author of Giftology, says, “wrap for wow.  People receive gifts with their eyes.”  A beautifully wrapped gift says “I value our relationship.”  If you feel you don’t wrap gifts well, then ask someone who does.  To impart more meaning to your gift, as well as a greater impact, add a handwritten note.

Copyright : milkos

Hand deliver or Ship?

The gift is now ready to be given.  The question is are you going to hand deliver the gift or are you going to ship it?  If you can, hand deliver the gift.  You are then part of the “gifting experience.”  You can see their reactions when you give them the beautifully wrapped gift, read the note and then open the gift itself.

Copyright : Vadim Guzhva

If you are going to ship the gift, be aware of the last date you can ship in order for it to be delivered before the Holiday.  This year Christmas Day is on a Monday, so that can complicate last minute shipping and delivery.  A late arriving gift does not make for a great “gifting experience.”

This Holiday Season be an intentional gift giver rather than an incidental gift giver.  There is still plenty of time to work the “intentional gift giver” process.  Remember when you are deliberate in thought and intentional in your gifting, you will see an incredible difference in the reactions you get.  Take the time to choose with an authentic care, and the real gift will be in the giving.

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