Planning Ahead for Intentional Gift Giving

However, no matter when you give your gifts, to be an intentional gift giver, you need to prepare.  Waiting until the last minute can lead to buying the first available thing that remotely fits, and often it is received that way.  In addition, personalized gifts that are either custom-made or specially ordered require ample advance planning to assure an on-time arrival.  This will be even more important this year.  Items may take longer to arrive due to the pandemic.  Instead of a rushed, less personal approach to demonstrating your appreciation for valued clients, partners, vendors and employees, consider taking some concrete actions now to prepare for the Holidays. These same actions can also help you with gifts for family and friends.

Start With a List of Valued Relationships

It may seem obvious that you should have a list of people to whom you want to give gifts this year.  But often, we keep that list in our heads, where it doesn’t get any action.  Instead, write it down.  Go through the valued relationships that you have in your business and write down the people who make that relationship happen.  Next to each person, write a few things that you know about the person.  Jot down hobbies, interests, personal style and other details that can help you come up with a unique gift that will be well received by this valued person.

Do Your Research to Personalize Every Gift

If you find that the information is sparse, then start listening and paying attention to details about this person.  For example, if she’s a woman, then note her jewelry style — gold or silver?  Dainty or statement? In conversation, has this person mentioned a book or DVD that they might enjoy receiving?  How about a favorite sports team or a love of theater?  Does this person prefer beer or wine?  Tuck this sort of information into the back of your mind and add it to the list you’re already developing.  Knowing what your gift recipient likes and dislikes will go a long way towards making sure that the gift you pick will be treasured or never seen again.

Create Gift Options That Reflect Personal Preferences

For each person on the list, write down one or two things you might want to give that person.  Try to tie the gift possibilities to that person’s interests.  Play around with ideas that fit different gifting budgets.  Consider whether there are issues like special orders that make purchasing a little more complex.  Now you have a shopping list, well in advance of the gifting season, and you have the time to buy the perfect, unique gift that will truly demonstrate how much you value the relationship.

How VirtuArte Supports Strategic Holiday Gifting

It’s not enough to have a great list.  You’ve taken some great, concrete steps towards giving memorable gifts.  Now it’s time to start searching out and buying the gifts themselves.  Instead of waiting until the last minute, set aside time to make your purchases so you aren’t rushing just before you want to give the gift.  This year, there may be limited quantities of certain items.  We’ve all seen what has happened with workout equipment.  By being deliberate and intentional in your gift-giving efforts, you will find that this important part of your gift-giving plan takes less time and results in some great successes.

Hand-delivering gifts adds to the gift experience, but if you can’t ship your gifts as early as possible.  Due to the pandemic, UPS, FedEx and especially USPS have been stretched.  We’ve all experienced delays in getting our packages during the year.  Add to this an election year with the increased number of mail-in ballots, and end-of-the-year shipping could experience further delays.

Do you need some help with your Holiday gift plans?  Contact VirtuArte here to set up a free consultation.

The post How to Create a Thoughtful Holiday Gift Plan That Builds Lasting Relationships appeared first on VirtuArte.

With all of the Holiday themes rolling out at coffee shops and stores, the pressure is rising to identify your holiday gift recipients and decide what to give. Before rushing to buy a gift, start by asking why you are giving a gift. Is it because everyone else is giving gifts at this time of year, or is it because you want to show your clients how much you appreciate their business? If you are gifting to show appreciation then here are some additional considerations.

The Best Client Gifts Are Personal

Gifts are about strengthening your relationship with your client. Gifts should be about the client. It’s not about you and it’s not about your business. Christmas is still four weeks away, so there’s time to think about who will be receiving gifts from you and make the effort to find out about the client. The best gifts are personalized and have meaning to the recipient. Bear in mind that the gift doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, expensive gifts aren’t necessarily great gifts.

But here we are, in the countdown, and you want to give a holiday gift. The question is how to go about choosing something personal and meaningful to the client. The easy answer is: pick up the phone and find out how they’re doing. Ask question like, “What are you doing for Thanksgiving,” or “Do you have any winter holiday plans?” In other words, ask questions that will elicit information that will foster ideas for a gift. If you know they like to read or listen to music, ask what they’ve been reading or listening to lately. If you see them in person, pay attention to what they are wearing and doing. Do you notice funky socks, particular colors or a fondness for cigars? These are all major hints at a great gift that will truly fit the recipient.

Choosing a Holiday Card That Feels Meaningful

For a relatively new client, you may not have the established rapport to have learned about them personally. This makes giving a personalized gift harder, but instead of going generic, send a personal note in a holiday card. Then, plan to give an appreciation gift next year at an unexpected time, such as in February or March, once you’ve had a chance to get to know the client a bit better. For a business client, it may not be a great idea to send the holiday card you are sending to your friends and family. Photos of the kids and vacations are meaningful to your intimate circle, but they are ultimately about you, not the client, particularly one who is just getting to know you. Stick to a holiday-themed card, and make an effort with the handwritten note you include. A card with a plain signature is not enough, and it will get lost in the piles of cards from other people.

Start With a Holiday Gifting Plan

If you still want to give a holiday gift, the best approach is to have a plan. Make a list of all the business contacts for whom you want to buy a gift, and then brainstorm, investigate, and compile a list of gift ideas for each person. Figure out your budget and get shopping. If you are feeling panicked and overwhelmed by the whole process, let VirtuArte help! Contact us here or give us a call at (866) 228-3497, and we will be happy to help you put your list together and talk through possible gift options. We can work with your budget and truly make your gifts memorable to your valued clients this year.

The post The Holiday Countdown Is On: How to Give Meaningful Client Gifts appeared first on VirtuArte.

1. Don’t Give Generic Gifts

A generic gift will not be memorable.  For example, when a respected client receives a gift card, it may go into their wallet, but when it comes back out to be used, you can be certain they won’t remember who gave it to them. Gifts that could be given to anyone, like gift cards, a bottle of wine or a fruit basket send the unfortunate message:  “you didn’t spend any time thinking about me.”

2. Don’t Give The Same Gift Every Year

Some professionals and businesses make a point to give the same gift every year.  Even if the gift is somewhat unique, it does nothing to further your connection with the client on the receiving end.  A yearly, repeated gift takes no thought, and even if you think people will like or expect it, it has no personal meaning for the recipient.

3. Don’t Give VIP Clients The Same Thing You Give Everyone Else

Your best clients, the anchors who drive your business, deserve appreciation for the important role they play.  If you are giving the same gift to all of your clients, then nothing pulls the VIPs out of the crowd to highlight how much they are appreciated.  An out of the ordinary client deserves a gift that is also out of the ordinary.

4. Don’t Give Food

This is a tough recommendation, but food and beverages are not a good idea.  Around the Holidays, everyone is eating and sharing meals, snacks and treats.  A gift of a fruit basket or an assortment of edible goodies will be shared with the entire office along with all the other “food” gifts received.  No one will remember who gave the gift while it is being eaten, and once finished, it will be forgotten.  In other words, this kind of gift has no impact on your customer.  Another problem with food and drink is the limitations you may not know about your client.  Do they have food allergies, do they drink, are they on a diet?  You don’t want your gift to be memorable solely for running up against these issues.

5. Don’t Ignore Presentation

A gift in brown paper and twine won’t cut it when you are trying to have a positive impact.  A great gift can be diminished by being poorly wrapped.  If you are not a skilled gift wrapper, have someone else do it, including the ribbon.  Add to the effect of the presentation with a hand-written, personal card.  If your handwriting isn’t the best, then ask someone else to do it, or, at the very least, make sure to print out your note and sign with a different color pen, so it is clear that you personally attended to the gift.

6. Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute

Lastly, and certainly not least, get your gifting done early.  Shopping at the last minute, without a plan, is always stressful particularly during the Holidays.  Rushed purchases will show as less thoughtful and more “whatever was left on the shelf.”  A well planned gift will be well received, and the opposite is true too.  Also, mistakes can happen in the last minute gifting, like wrapping the wrong gift or leaving on the price tag.  These mistakes may be forgivable, but they are the wrong kind of unforgettable.

If your customer appreciation program includes Holiday gifting, make sure to do it right.  The reason you are giving a gift is to show the customer how much you appreciate them, and the best way to do that is to be thoughtful and intentional in your gifting process.

Want to know more about a successful Holiday gift giving program?  Click here to set up a consultation about how you can strengthen your client relationships.

The post Common Holiday Gifting Mistakes for Clients appeared first on VirtuArte.

I’m not a big proponent of giving gifts to your valued clients at the end of the year.  Your gift becomes just another of the many received by your client.  I tell our clients to give their gifts before Thanksgiving or in January.  No one else is giving gifts at this time, and yours will stand out.

However, no matter when you give your gifts, to be a thoughtful gift giver, you need to prepare.  Waiting until the last minute leads to buying the first available thing that remotely fits, and often it is received that way.  In addition, personalized gifts that are either custom-made or special orders require ample advance planning to assure an on time arrival.  Instead of a rushed, less personal approach to demonstrating your appreciation for valued clients, partners and vendors, consider taking some concrete actions now to prepare for the Holidays.

Start With a List of Valued Relationships

It may seem obvious that you should have a list of people to whom you want to give gifts this year.  But often, we keep that list in our heads where it doesn’t get any action.  Instead, write it down.  Go through the valued relationships that you have in your business, and write down the people who make that relationship happen.  Next to each person, write a few things that you know about the person.  Jot down hobbies, interests, personal style and other details that can help you come up with a unique gift that will be well received by this valued person.

Do Your Research Before Choosing Gifts

If you find that the information is sparse, then start listening and paying attention to details about this person.  For example, if she’s a woman, then note her jewelry style — gold or silver?  Dainty or bulky?  In conversation, has this person mentioned a book or DVD that they might enjoy receiving? How about a favorite sports team or love of theater?  Does this person prefer beer or wine?  Tuck this sort of information into the back of your mind, and add it to the list you’re already developing.  Knowing what your gift recipient likes and dislikes will go a long way towards making sure that the gift you pick will be treasured and not trashed.

Create Thoughtful Gift Options

For your next step, for each person on the list, write down one or two things you might want to give that person.  Try to tie the gift possibilities to that person’s interests.  Play around with ideas that fit different gifting budgets, and consider whether there are issues like special orders that make purchasing a little more complex.  Now you have a shopping list, well in advance of the gifting season, and you have the time to buy the perfect, unique gift that will truly demonstrate your appreciation.

Shop Early for a Seamless Gifting Experience

It’s not enough to have a great list.  You’ve take some great, concrete steps towards giving memorable gifts.  Now it’s time to start searching out and buying the gifts themselves.  Instead of waiting until the last minute, set aside time to make your purchases so that you aren’t rushing just before you want to give the gift.  By being deliberate and intentional in your gift giving efforts, you will find that this important part of your gift giving plan takes less time and results in some great successes.

Do you need some help with your Holiday gift plans?  Contact us here to set up a free consultation.

The post September Is the Best Time to Plan Your Holiday Client Gifting appeared first on VirtuArte.

Are you …

• Always thinking about the next sale?
• Having difficulty creating client loyalty?
• Not getting the repeat business or referrals you want from your current clients?

Well maybe it’s time for you to start thinking about client appreciation.

If done well, client appreciation is an integral part of the sales/marketing strategy of any business.  After all, it costs five times more to land a new client than to maintain the relationship with an existing client.  It’s not enough to interact with the customer only when a sale is happening.  A good client appreciation strategy should include regular check-ins that are not “chasing the sale” but a genuine “Thank you for your business.”  In order to stay top of mind with your client, you can include in person meetings, telephone calls, e-mails, handwritten notes, videos and intentional gift giving.

How the Customer Experience Impacts Loyalty

Think about your experience at a restaurant.  If your food is delivered, your waiter can just sit back and wait to clear the empty dishes or sail by with a perfunctory inquiry about the food.  Or, your waiter can make a real effort to find out how the meal is going, check on water glasses, offer more drinks or bread and otherwise contribute to your experience at the restaurant.  Which kind of service gets the bigger reward?  The answer should be obvious.  The bread and water offered by the waiter may seem simple, but these gestures, free of charge to the customer, make for a memorable, pleasant experience, as well as a big tip!  The extra attention that gets rewarded when dining out is the sort of attention that will keep your clients loyal and invested in your success.

What Is Client Appreciation?

Client appreciation programs have the same impact.  It has been shown that 68% of customers who stop doing business with a company do so because they do not feel appreciated.  An appreciation gesture — that phone call, handwritten note, or gift — at an unexpected interval puts the humanity back into the business relationship.  It creates a connection with the customer that goes beyond the sale, it builds trust and gratitude.  When a client feels appreciated, they want to continue the relationship, resulting in repeat business.  But also, a customer who feels a genuine connection with you and your business can become an advocate for your business — promoting it through referrals and positive reviews.

Why Investing in Existing Clients Pays Off

When thinking about client appreciation programs, some people balk at the time it takes and the cost. However, the success rate of selling to an existing client is 60-70%, while the success rate of selling to a new client is 5-20%.  Don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish when it comes to your client relationships.  Given the time, energy and expense of landing a new client, investing in the relationships of your existing clients will inevitably be less expensive and more productive.

Be Thoughtful With Every Appreciation Gesture

At VirtuArte, we feel that a customer appreciation program should be intentional.  This means that every appreciation gesture needs to be thoughtful.  Take the time to call your client and find out how they are doing.  If you are going to send a card, handwrite it with a personalized message.  Sending a video?  Again, personalize it.  If you decide to give a gift, make the effort to find a gift that shows you’ve paid attention to the client as a person.  This makes the gift memorable to your client.  Use your periodic check-ins to do more than assess how the client is doing; use them to show your client you really appreciate their business.

Want to know more about how you can show your customers how much you appreciate them?  Contact us here to set up a consultation about customized client appreciation programs to strengthen your client relationships.

The post Client Appreciation Is Key for Building Loyal Business Relationships appeared first on VirtuArte.

Use Video Chat to Maintain Personal Connection

It seems like overnight, everyone discovered zoom and the many other video conferencing solutions out there. While the reason for the dramatic increase in video communications is that it is the next best thing to an in-person meeting. Video chats allow you to see facial expressions and other nonverbal behaviors. Consider scheduling a check-in with your clients via video chat. This should not be a sales call. Rather, it is an opportunity to find out how they are doing and if there is anything you can do for them. Don’t forget to maintain professionalism in your appearance and decorum during the call. If you truly don’t like video chats, then pick up the phone and call your clients.

The Impact of a Handwritten Note

At VirtuArte, we consistently get the feed-back that handwritten notes are among the most impactful ways to communicate appreciation. The personal touch and the effort that goes into the note are both apparent and welcome. The key right now is to give thanks to you clients for being a valued part of your business. You want to let them know you are thinking about them, and you are there if they need anything. If you don’t have a mailing address, send an e-card, but be sure to include a personal note that shows you have taken the time to truly consider each customer.

Strengthening Relationships With Virtual Gifts

There’s no reason to interrupt your client gifting strategy right now. In fact, you should consider the impact a thoughtful gesture can have during a time of crisis. Some recommendations include:

• An audiobook
• An e-Book
• Online Subscription to a magazine or newspaper
• An online course
• Podcast

Take the information you have been gathering about your clients and use it to personalize each gift. Send something that reflects the client’s interests.

Creating Shared Experiences With Virtual Meals

Friends and families are gathering online to have virtual meals together. You can offer the same opportunity to touch base to your clients. However, take this gesture a step further with a client, and make it a business lunch that’s your treat. How? Buy lunch from a restaurant that is local to your client and have it delivered. Order your own lunch, and then log onto and enjoy a meal together. If you want to meet up for a drink, instead of doing a run of the mill happy hour, consider doing a virtual wine tasting. Again, you can order a delivery to your client and then have a wine steward join online for the experience.

Why Personalized Communication Matters More Than Email Blasts

Just like any other gesture, it is more meaningful if you personalize your email communications. Sending out an email blast to clients will get your communication lost in the noise of the clients’ inbox. Be thoughtful about your Subject line, and make sure to lead with a highly personalized sentence that makes it clear you are making a genuine effort to connect.

If you need assistance in implementing any of these ideas or want to brainstorm further, contact me at dmyers@virtuarte.com or at 202.297.9524

The post How to Stay Connected With Your Clients During Uncertain Times appeared first on VirtuArte.

With the arrival of the new year, many businesses breathe a sigh of relief that they have finished with the year-end rush to get holiday cards and client gifts out the door.  With the big push completed, now may be a great time to consider your client gifting strategy and explore business gifting approaches that increase the impact of each gift and make a lasting impression on your clients.

Unique Gifts Have The Biggest Impact

I think a unique gift will have a greater return on your investment.  A few years ago, a client came to me because he said he wanted to give a gift to a customer who was also somewhat of a mentor.  He presented me with some ideas about the customer’s likes and interests, gave me a price point, and, after some research, I was able to make a few suggestions, including a mask from an area that my client knew his customer was interested in.  The result was even better than expected.  The customer almost became emotional and specifically expressed appreciation for the thoughtfulness of the gift.  The gift had a huge impact on my client because he took the time to make the gift unique and spontaneous.  He gave some thought to the customer’s tastes, and he hand-delivered a gift selected with the intention of being meaningful.  I don’t think a unique gift has to be expensive.  Taking the time and effort to come up with a customized gift for your customer will have an impact that far exceeds the cost.

Put Your Budget Into Spontaneous Gifting

My client’s gift had an additional impact because the client gave it to his customer in February — it wasn’t competing with any other holiday gifts, and it clearly showed that a specific thought went into the gift.  Even the best of client gifts can get lost in the shuffle at the end of the year when packages are arriving from all sorts of partners, vendors, and other business associates.  While there is no reason to forgo the holiday gift altogether, consider a more spontaneous gesture.  This will show that you have the client specifically in mind rather than checking a name off a list.  A gift that doesn’t relate to an event or a holiday conveys the message that you keep your clients top of mind at all times.

A Generic Gift Can Backfire

The problem with a lot of end-of-year gifts is that they are purchased in bulk, and it shows.  A bottle of wine or a food basket won’t be as effective as a personalized, unique gift for several reasons.  First, everyone is doing it.  Going the predictable route with your gifting will result in the gift being added to a pile of gifts from other businesses and possibly getting regifted.  Second, the recipient may perceive that, for all the business they’ve given you, this generic gift doesn’t reflect much in the way of appreciation.  Third, while unintended, a generic gift can convey the impression that you don’t know or care enough about the client to give a gift that you know they will like, particularly if the client doesn’t actually like the gift you gave.

Knowing The Etiquette of Gifting

A promotional gift is different from a “thank you ” or appreciation gift.  For promotional gifts, the intention is to create additional customer awareness, so it is appropriate to increase brand visibility with a logo on the gift.  However, if giving a gift to an existing client to express gratitude or appreciation, then it should not be a promotional item — it should be a gift demonstrating that you put some thought into the client’s interest and needs and came up with something that wasn’t sitting in your storeroom.

Gifts are an important marketing tool.  The investment in a gesture towards a customer or client will help that client feel valued and understood.  To achieve this outcome, approach your client gifting strategy thoughtfully and intentionally.  A unique gift, timed to be noticed and given with care, will have a lasting impact in building customer loyalty.

Want to find that perfect, unique gift for a valued client?  Contact us here for more information about working with VirtuArte.

The post Maximize the Impact of Your Client Gifting Strategy appeared first on VirtuArte.