5 Corporate Gifting Clichés To Avoid

How to leave an impression on your clients

Victoria Pi
Giftpack
4 min readAug 17, 2020

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How do you connect with your clients to show your gratitude for their contribution? A no-brainer and effective solution is sending them a gift! A purposeful and well-thought-out gift can strengthen your relationship with them to keep your business top-of-mind. Practicing corporate gifting reaffirms your clients the extent you value them and appreciate their partnership.

Sending an impactful gift sounds like a daunting task, but we’re here to help you to simplify it. Follow the list for 5 corporate gifting clichés to avoid and make your next gift memorable.

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  1. Over-promotional gifts

You want to distinguish your clients from other groups. Gifting them branded items like mugs or pens you would give away at trade shows or events won’t relay that message. This is not the time to shower your brand name all over your gift. Less is more when it comes to branding your gift. Consider no more than 1–2 logos on your gift. Enough to let them know it’s from your company but not feel like it’s a marketing ploy. Gifting something outside common company swag asserts that your clients are more than just typical customers.

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2. Impersonal gifts

Too often clients receive common one-liners along the lines of “thank you for your business with us” that apply to everyone along with a gift that misses the mark. You want your clients to feel unique, which translates to gifting something that conveys the feeling of importance. Understand your clients by putting yourself in their shoes and thinking about their needs. Give something practical to their liking and add an aspect of personalization. The small act of handwriting a card with a tailored message can go a long way in communicating your appreciation. It reveals that you took time out of your day to think about them.

There are different corporate gifting services to help take care of your gifting needs. Giftpack AI specializes in scalable personalized gifting for businesses. Giftpack analyzes your client’s characteristics using AI technology to select gifts tailored to their preferences. You won’t have to worry about your gift being too boring, inappropriate, or impractical.

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3. Holiday season gifting

Everyone starts exchanging presents when the holiday season hits. Your gift might end up being one of many and get lost in the frenzy of celebrations. Sending it outside the holidays lets your client know you care about their business all year round. Consider sending a gift when your company hits a milestone to thank your client for helping or when your client achieves something extraordinary. Demonstrate you care about their successes just as much.

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4. Poor presentation

Sending a poorly wrapped or mislabeled gift may harm the relationship you have with your client. Although wrapping paper and gift decorations seem excessive to some, it highlights the amount of detail you are willing to go through to deliver a gift. Not only does a cleanly wrapped present with added embellishments look sophisticated and beautiful, but also is a physical representation of your gratitude. Part of the experience is uncovering the gift, so think about the kind of feelings you want to invoke when your clients unwrap the gift. Reliving the sensation of wonder and amazement never gets old when it comes to gifts.

5. Not observing religious & cultural beliefs

Pay attention to your clients. Leave the right impression the first time by doing your research to send an appropriate gift. Not everyone celebrates the same holidays or observes the same traditions. For instance, different cultures celebrate New Year at varying points in the year. Acknowledge the diversity that exists within your client demographic when picking what to send. Your client will thank you for respecting their beliefs and be more inclined to maintain business relations with you.

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