Each year we enter a season of giving and thankfulness as it winds down.\u00a0 One of the things that come\u00a0out of this is a sort of season of customer appreciation.\u00a0 The challenge in this attitude is finding the best way to show our appreciation without coming off too sappy.\u00a0 We want to thank our customers and build loyalty, not overwhelm them with more selling.<\/p>\n
The first decision to make with this customer appreciation “gifts” is whether we slap a logo or other brand label on them.\u00a0 Do we give our customers a notebook with our logo on it?\u00a0A nice drinking glass with our motto?\u00a0Or some other knick-knack\u00a0that is a glaring reminder of who gave it?\u00a0 I think the answer to this question can be found in our other seasonal gifts.<\/p>\n
Do you buy your relatives a gift stamped with your name?\u00a0 Do those gifts you give, scream the source of them?\u00a0 No, you often give something that is about the recipient instead.\u00a0 Now, there is a consideration of how to handle gift-giving from a company.\u00a0 When you stamp your label on an item, it can be filed under marketing.\u00a0 I think this is understood by most people, so it is not seen negatively.\u00a0 Therefore, if you want to put a logo on an item, try to make it subtle.\u00a0 There are good examples of this all over where a typical logo is replaced with one for marketing purposes.\u00a0 You can fall back on the golden rule (sort of) in this situation.\u00a0 Ask yourself if the emblem is unobtrusive\u00a0or subtle enough that you would use the gift in public without\u00a0feeling “odd.”<\/p>\n
The size or value of the gifts is always part of the consideration as well.\u00a0 There are industries where limits are placed on gifts, and that makes it easy.\u00a0 However, I find it far more common to be in a sort of Wild West of gift valuation.\u00a0 In these situations, I think it is a heart decision.\u00a0 How generous do you want to be?<\/p>\n
It is easy to use some sort of percentage of profits from a customer as a rule of thumb.\u00a0 For example, take five percent of the profits earned and use that as a measure of what to give.\u00a0 That feels a bit cold and calculated though.\u00a0 I think you will find a better response when you focus on utility first and then find a value that fits.\u00a0 A personal example was a gift of laptop bags for customers.\u00a0 It started with the idea of those backpacks being desirable.\u00a0 Heck, I even got one for myself that I use daily.\u00a0 Then I looked at options that fit my rough budget.\u00a0 The focus was the gift, not the sales appeal or monetary valuation of it.\u00a0 This approach helps build a rapport as it shows thoughtfulness instead of simply a business relationship.\u00a0 Customers like to be appreciated for more than just their wallet.<\/p>\n
The last facet of gift-giving I want to visit is the delivery.\u00a0 I think we all agree that hand-delivering the gifts is always best.\u00a0 It is a personal touch and a chance to show our sincerity.\u00a0 You might also see it as a chance to sell to your customers.\u00a0 I have seen this a lot from consulting companies.\u00a0 The gift then becomes an excuse to get a few minutes of time from decision makers.\u00a0 I recommend you avoid this at all costs.\u00a0 You will get a lot more loyalty out of giving a gift with no strings (or sales) attached than one more shot at a sale.<\/p>\n
Business and personal life often coincide in the modern world.\u00a0 The season of giving is no different.\u00a0 Just make sure you come at it with the right attitude.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Each year we enter a season of giving and thankfulness as it winds down.\u00a0 One of the things that come\u00a0out of this is a sort of season of customer appreciation.\u00a0 The challenge in this attitude is finding the best way to show our appreciation without coming off too sappy.\u00a0 We want to thank our customers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":506,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[40,22,21,39],"class_list":["post-505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-consulting-strategies","tag-business-development","tag-communication","tag-consulting","tag-marketing"],"yoast_head":"\n