Friday, January 8, 2010

Use The Power Of Giving To Market Your Business

By Don Wong

Awareness about corporate gifts is much lesser than that of personal gifts, which are given to people close to you. These gifts, unlike gifts to friends and family, are given to customers or employees to demonstrate gratitude for their patronage or service.

Corporate gifts are typically expensive things and they do not feature any business symbol or brand name, as their purpose is not marketing or promotion. On the other hand, a variety of gift items are often given away for marketing purposes, for example, stationery objects, storage devices, or key chains. In such cases, the gifts are usually marked with the company's logo before they are given away to employees or potential customers.

At the time of giving a corporate gift, it is critical to keep in consideration the interests of the person to whom the gift is being given, and to tailor it accordingly. Firms typically like to give personalised and high worth gifts to their key customers, but internally they normally distribute a moderately expensive, but useful gift.

The impact of the corporate gift on the rapport with a customer or a team member depends on how valuable the person perceives the gift to be. However, gift-giving is sometimes regulated by the law, so a quick check with your legal department is worthwhile.

Preparation for giving corporate gifts involves figuring out a budget, arriving at the number of gifts, and looking for offers available in the market for a bulk purchase. The preparation is more important with respect to employee gifts, even more so if your company is a mid-sized or large corporation. It is important to make sure that there are sufficient gifts to express your appreciation to every worthy employee.

In conclusion, the custom of giving a corporate gift to your customers and employees is a good way to build strong working relationships. However, two things must be kept in consideration - the law and your expenditure.

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