Monday, February 1, 2010

Use The Power Of Giving To Market Your Business

By Don Wong

Awareness of corporate gifts is much lesser than that of personal gifts, which are given to friends and families by individuals. The rising business practice of giving special gifts to clients is not known to people as the gifts given by people to loved ones. Corporate gifts are very different in that they grow customer and brand loyalty often for a very small price. After all everyone loves to receive a gift.

Corporate gifts are usually costly items and they do not carry any company symbol or brand name, as they are not meant for marketing or promotion. However, sometimes organizations also give employees and prospects promotional items such as pen drives, mouse-pads, key-chains and stationery items that are marked with the business logo.

While giving a corporate gift, it is critical to keep in mind the interests of the individual to whom the gift is being presented, and to customize it accordingly. Although exclusive and costly gift items are given to key customers of the company, the company personnel are usually given a standard gift, which is not very expensive, but has good utility.

The apparent worth of a corporate gift is its most critical feature. It is this factor which has the desired impact on the client or employee, helping to build and maintain a good working relationship with them. Referring to in house lawyers of your company before giving corporate gifts is a good idea, because in some countries the law might prohibit it.

It is advisable to plan corporate gift-giving beforehand by setting a budget, estimating the number of gifts to procure, and looking for bulk deals with retailers. In terms of gifts to clients, planning may not be as important, but for gifts to be given to employees it is necessary. You should procure the right number of gifts so that no employee whom you wish to thank is missed out.

To sum it up, giving corporate gifts is a smart business practice, which helps you develop a closer and healthier relationship with both your employees and your customers. Always keep the legal and financial factors in mind.

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