Customer Engagement & Gift Giving

With the holidays right around the corner, you’re probably busy thinking about gifts for your family and friends, and maybe even your Customer Success team. But, what about showing your clients how much you care?

Let’s face it: in the customer-centric business landscape of SaaS companies, your customers are the lifeblood of your organization. Whether they’re a new account or they’ve been with you for the long haul, every customer wants to feel appreciated, and giving your customers gifts this holiday season can show them how much they mean to you.

Not only that, but you may find that giving customers holiday gifts can actually help you with some of your bigger Customer Success goals, by boosting customer engagement.

This article will discuss:

• Why give gifts to customers?
• What types of gifts should you send customers?
• How should you send customers gifts?

Why Give Gifts to Customers?

Giving gifts to customers is an individual choice, and your company may have a policy on it already. So first, be sure to check with your manager, to adhere to your company’s individual gift-giving policies. Also, be sure your customers are allowed to receive gifts. Many organizations, especially in the public sector, have very strict policies about receiving gifts.

But beyond that, why would you want to give gifts to customers in the first place? On one hand, gift giving does come at a fiscal cost, and it sets a precedent, meaning your customers may come to expect regular holiday gifts from you. But there might be many benefits to giving gifts to customers.

Customers want to feel seen and appreciated, just as we all do. If they receive a personalized gift from you, they’re bound to feel appreciated, and that appreciation might translate into some additional perks for you. For example, they may become a more engaged customer, if they feel like you genuinely acknowledge them. You might also experience a boost of customer loyalty, increased retention, or greater customer advocacy. Research has found that gifting impacts the psychology of business, with small gifts leading to increased sales revenue. One study also found that gift giving influenced reciprocity and feelings of trust.

Whether it’s through gift giving or other methods, showing customers that you care about them on the individual level can be useful for strengthening your relationship in the long run.

What Types of Gifts Should You Send Customers?

When you’re thinking about gift giving this holiday season, you may get a little bit stuck when it comes to your customers. If you’re debating what types of gifts you should send your customers, there are really two approaches you can start with: a generic approach, or a personalized approach.

A generic approach might look like your company sending all of its customers the same gift, such as a marketing product from your organization. While this might get the job done, it’s likely that a personalized approach to gift giving will land better, and seem more genuine to your customers.

Taking a personalized approach to gift giving means that you’ll need to spend a little time thinking about each of your clients. You can use your domain expertise and active listening skills to help you come up with a personalized gift that is perfect for that individual customer. But the good news is, as a Customer Success Manager, you definitely have the knowledge necessary to send them the perfect personalized gift.

How Should You Send Customers Gifts?

When you decide to send your customers gifts, there is a logistical approach to tackle, and there are a few options for how exactly you can send your customers gifts. The first method is direct, and certainly personal, but it does require some leg work on your end. You can order the gifts to your office or home, wrap them, and send them individually to your clients.

This will definitely carry a personal touch, and you can even include a handwritten note card, as the icing on the cake. You also have the option to mail gifts directly from the supplier to your clients. If you do this, be sure to select the “gift” option if it’s available, so the price is obscured, and don’t forget to include a personalized message.

The next option is to use a gift-giving service. There are plenty of options and resources available for exactly this purpose, with many companies specializing in giving personalized gifts to clients. Postal.io, for example, allows you to upload a list of your clients and their addresses, and they take care of the rest. If you don’t want to take on the process of picking out gifts and ordering them, choosing a service like this can help ease the stress of gift giving, but still carries a personal touch.

Do’s and Don’ts of Customer Gift Giving

• DO check with your company’s gift-giving policy, and make sure you’re aware of any policies that would preclude your customers from receiving gifts.
• DON’T assume that all of the benefits of giving customers gifts will be fleeting or surface level.
• DO understand that customers like being appreciated.
• DON’T disregard the impact of sending personalized gifts.
• DO remember there are gift-giving services if you’d like assistance.

Originally published at https://successcoaching.co on December 1, 2020.