5 Simple Steps to Revolutionize Your Client Gifting


Do you want to elevate your client gifting program, but don't know where to start? Do you have a hard time pinpointing what's not working?


Many corporations are in the same boat, and with the holiday season close at hand, everyone is trying to come up with the best corporate gifts.


Let's take a look a look at some common gifting mistakes so you can see why your corporate gifting program might not be working and how to fix it.


The Problem with Corporate Gifting

First, you need to understand the main problem in corporate gifting! Corporate gifting is tricky because it has to balance two interests - the clients and the corporations.

Clients want to feel appreciated and special, not like a referral machine used to increase your bottom line. On the flip side, corporations want to give gifts, but those gifts need to increase relationships, referrals, and produce a respectable ROI!

This is where the friction in corporate gifting comes into play. How do you create a corporate gifting strategy that puts the client first, but also produces an ROI? How do you step away from traditional corporate gifting to a new model that will beat the competition and create lasting a business relationship?

The Copper Fox Gifting Model

We saw the struggle with traditional client gifting models and decide to create something better -- a thoughtful corporate gifting system that offers great client gifts with more marketing impact for your business.

Now, let's take a look the 5 key strategies of this new business gifting model that you must follow to break away from traditional gift giving and create the client loyalty you've been dreaming of.


Key 1:
Remove Corporate Branding

This is first and foremost rule to follow in corporate gifting. In order to stay in front of clients, most marketers think you have to include company branding on everything. This is a huge mistake that most corporate gifting programs make. If you want your corporate gifts to be truly effective, it's important to avoid any sort of branding.

Why, you might ask?

Because the gift feels like nothing more than a marketing ploy, which is the exactopposite of what a gift should feel like. You wouldn't put your last name on a gift to a client, so don't put your company name.

Gifts are meant to make people feel special and to let them know they are appreciated. Gifts with a logo are like gifts with someone else's name, they are quickly discarded.

Because so few companies can resist the urge to include their branding on their client gifts, this one key action will get you miles ahead of the competition. Do what no one else dares, and you will get what no one else has - unsurpassed client loyalty.

How to Brand a Gift the Right Way

Now, this doesn't mean you have to leave your brand out entirely! You just need to include your company information in a more appropriate place. For example, include your logo on a custom gift card or gift box packaging.

Take the plunge and do something different from the competition! Offer a personalized gift without company branding and see for yourself what the results are. We think you'll get more "thank yous" and more referrals than with any previous client gift! Your clients will know you think about them as individuals and not just potential customers.

Key 2: Use Unique Gifts

If you want to stay ahead of the competition and have outstanding marketing results, it's not enough to send a gift; it has to be an exceptional gift that will make a lasting impression. It's no secret that many marketing gifts end up in the garbage. Cookie cutter gifts often have no value to clients and are quickly forgotten about.

So why do corporations continue to send the exact same gift to every customer on their list?

Because most companies don't have the time or manpower to deliver a personalized gift.

The lack of personalized gifting misses the mark the power of sending corporate gifts is greatly diminished. Generic gifts are often seen as afterthoughts and are quickly discarded or regifted.

Giving a personalized gift doesn't have to be complicated! In fact, we streamline the process so it doesn't take much longer than picking out a generic gift! You choose a unique item from our shop and we personalize it with each client's family name or the address of their new home. Personalized gifts are much more likely to make a positive impression. Your client can't help but feel appreciated after you took the time to have their family name engraved on a walnut charcuterie board. This feeling of appreciation goes a long way in building and maintaining strong relationships with clients.

Key 3: Send Great Gifts that Stay in Your Client's Home & Office

Gift Cards and food items are always popular items for gift giving, but the problem is these gifts don't last. Gift cards get spent and candy and food get eaten (or worse, thrown away).

If you want to stay top-of-mind with your clients, you need to send gifts that aren't consumed and forgotten about a few weeks after they're given. This is how you skyrocket success in your corporate gifting program. By sending customizable gifts that clients keep in their homes for years, you get 100x the ROI of traditional gifts because the client thought about you 100x more!

Personalized Corporate Gift Ideas

Here are our top 4 gift ideas to send clients.

1) Charcuterie & Cutting Boards

For example, if you send your client one of our walnut charcuterie boards engraved with their last name, they will think of you every time they get it out. Candy gets brought out once or twice before it is gone. A handcrafted charcuterie board makes a perfect gift because it is used hundreds, if not thousands of times.

Not to mention the referral potential personalized gifts can initiate.

When the charcuterie board you gifted is used for hosting, your client's friends and family will ask where they got such a beautiful serving piece and your name will come up.

2) Luxury Gift Boxes

Gift Boxes are an easy gifting solution that produces a great wowfactor. Receiving a gift in a well-presented box feels so luxe. We offer gift boxes of all types and sizes to help you go the extra mile in making your clients feel like a celebrity.

3) Personalized Candles

Personalized candles are a great client gift idea, and are an easy way to celebrate a special occasion in your client's life without going over budget!

Did your customer just post a picture of their new home on Facebook? Send them a housewarming candle to congratulate them! Have a new client you just started working with? Send them a personalized thank you candle to let them know how excited you are to work with them.

4) Engraved Leather Frames

Everyone wants to make and keep special memories with family and friends. Our custom leather frames are a great way to send corporate gifts that end up in a client's living room forever. Is your customer's daughter about to graduate from high school or college? Send a personalized frame graduation frame with a note of congratulation. Did your customer just have professional family photos taken? Send a custom family photo frame to display their new photos in.

5) Custom Walnut Coasters

You can't go wrong using personalized coasters as gifts for clients. Coasters are always being used and never get put away. There isn't a better way to stay in front of your customers than by giving them a beautiful and useful gift they will use daily for years to come.

If you're looking for the perfect way to stand out, go for custom coasters. Your customers will be sure to thank you for it!

Key 4: Send Gifts at Unexpected Times

A strong corporate gifting strategy must leverage milestone gifts to make an impact outside of the usual holiday gifting timeframe. Companies can create more impact with their marketing dollars by sending gifts outside of the holiday season. Sending corporate gifts year-round is a smart gifting strategy for several reasons.

1. It fosters strong client loyalty.

Milestone gifts for clients celebrate unique and fun moments that are overlooked in most business relationships. It's a unique opportunity to connect with clients on a personal level that is hard to do in business relationships. It's important to remember that lasting client loyalty is created by staying in touch on a personal, not just business, level.

2. It’s unexpected & fun.

Let’s face it: most people expect to receive gifts during the holidays. But receiving a gift in the middle of summer or on a random Tuesday can be a pleasant surprise that really makes an impression.

3. It sets you apart from the competition.

If everyone is sending a holiday gift basket to their clients, you just blend in with the crowd. But if you’re one of the few businesses that sends gifts year-round, you’ll definitely stand out from the pack.

Our corporate gifts are specifically created to stay in your client's home as long as possible so you see outstanding marketing results with your holiday gifts.

Personal gifts (the focus of our company) are the best options for successful corporate gifting because they are useful, stylish and personal. Your clients can use these custom gifts in their homes or offices, which means they'll be reminded of your company every time they see them.

Key 5: Personalized Notes

The gifting process is not complete without a personalized note for the recipient. If you're like most people, the majority of your interactions with clients are probably done electronically. Don't miss the opportunity to connect in a more meaningful way! A few kind words that tie in a word of congratulation on a recent event in your client's life will not easily be forgotten. Not to mention this is a great time to use company branding.

Done-for-you client gift notes

At Copper Fox Co., we know how time-consuming handwritten notes can be, so we have a quick and easy solution - gift note templatesto get you started! We have notes for every occasion that can be personalized for your client. You don't have to be good with words to send the best corporate gifts because we take care of the hard part!

With our easy gifting service, you can connect with your customers on a personal level without spending hours drafting handwritten notes. We can even print the notes on premium paper and send them to your customers so you don't have to manage any of the logistics of sending gifts.

Putting it all Together with Copper Fox

While using any one of these 5 keys will drastically increase the effectiveness of your corporate gifting program, using all 5 will skyrocket it!

The only problem is how do you find a gift that checks all five boxes?

AND

How do you send unique corporate gifts without blowing your budget or spending oodles of time you don't have?

The answer is simple, let us handle it! We offer so many services that make customer gifting easy, scalable, and budget friendly.

Easy & Scalable

All you have to do is create a list of clients, pick a design, and we do the rest! We can even mail your gifts out individually with a custom note from you. The process takes so little time you can scale your gift giving to include 10 clients, 100 clients, or 1,000 clients!

Budget Friendly

We have a product to fit every budget. Our gifts range from $20 budget options to $100 luxury items in a gift box for the VIPs on your list.

Fantastic Support

Client gifting doesn't have to be overwhelming! We have an amazing team that is here to help you every step of the way. Want to know what the best gifts are in your budget? Just ask! We are here for all of your gifting needs.

Connect with Us

Here at Copper Fox we never run out of client gift ideas. Whether your giving gifts to impress a new client or want to create loyal customers for life, we are here to help you create a successful corporate gifting program that increases response rates and delights your clients.

See what we can do to elevate your corporate gifting by emailing Brittney, our corporate gifting manager, today.