Tips for How to Send the Perfect Corporate Gift

Tips for How to Send the Perfect Corporate Gift

There are only a few more weeks until the holidays, so it's time to start planning what gift to give to your most important clients, co-workers and business partners. You're tasked with finding a unique, but recognizable, professional, but not too stuffy, inexpensive, but not too cheap, gift to send out to your annual list of recipients. Oh, and did we mention it needs to be different from what you sent last year?
To help make things easier, below are a handful of tips to help you find a gift that will make a lasting impression this holiday season. Follow these simple tips and you'll be sure to wow recipients and be the talk of the water cooler.
1. Be Original – Nobody wants to be the umpteenth person to send a tin of broken chocolate chip cookies or oversized popcorn (which we all know goes stale after a day of people snacking on it and forgetting to put the lid back on properly). An original and tasty treat will send employees flocking to the break room for a taste.
2. Show Professionalism – Corporate gift-giving is not the time to get crafty. Save the quirky and home-made gifts for the white elephant gift exchange. A properly packaged and professional-looking gift says "I am a grown-up and I wanted to send you something GREAT this year to say 'thank you' for working with me."
3. Mix It Up – If you're sending a gift to an entire office or department, be sure to offer something to please everyone. Send a variety of options so that everyone will have something to enjoy.
4. Avoid Perishable Goods – You know that box of pastries that arrived at 4 p.m. on Friday that nobody saw until Monday morning? They're old now and nobody wants them. If you send food, make sure it has a reasonable shelf life and won't go bad in a day. If you're not certain, ask if the item you want to purchase will be good for several days or comes in individually-packaged servings.
5. Have Enough to Go Around – Think about how many people will be receiving your gift. If you're just buying for one person (like your boss), don't get an XXL fruit basket packed with enough bananas to feed 20 people. The same goes for larger groups. If it's an office of 50 people, don't send a dozen monogrammed mouse pads, as some people will not get one and feel left out. Not sure how many to buy for? Call the receptionist. These often undervalued employees are the key to knowing what will please everyone.
6. Get in Early – This one is important. Send your gift to arrive the first or second week of December. Why? Because everyone else will send theirs to arrive the third week and they will pile up at the office and be overlooked. Whatever you do, don't send it the last full week of December. No one will be in the office that week. But you know that… you already requested off for that week.
7. Send a Note – You don't want your nice gesture to be a secret one at the holidays. Order a gift with a personalized note and get an estimated delivery date. Early on the day it's set to arrive, let the recipient know you're "sending a little something to say Happy Holidays." That will cause people to keep an eye out and may even inspire a "Treats in the kitchen from our favorite vendor!" email that can lead to new biz next year.
Source: Sweet Secrets Chocolate™