Remember when you were a kid and the only thing you had to worry about over the holidays was to make sure you were on your best behavior and that you left Santa a nice note with some cookies for his reindeer before bed so that when Santa arrived he would leave you some presents as a reward for your good behavior? As I get older, the list gets bigger as to what needs to be done and way more stressful – trees to decorate, parties, cookies to bake, an overwhelmingly long list of people to buy for…With less than two weeks left go, I thought I might give you some helpful tips for choosing a meaningful holiday gift for your clients.
Hopefully you’ve already created your annual client holiday gift list. If not, it is time to get moving and remember that whether they’ve been “naughty or nice,” all your clients should get recognized. It is the perfect time of year to not only say “thank you” for the past year’s business, but you should also use the holidays as a marketing tool to encourage more business in the new year. Here are some ideas on how to succeed in picking the right gift:
Have the courage to engage your audience.
Don’t be generic. You want to take a personal approach. Share your story. It can be a summary of your year or a specific event that stands out but the goal is to inspire a dialogue. Whether your year was filled with successes or challenges, this is a chance to really show them what you’re all about.
Inspire an emotional response.
While all clients enjoy keepsakes like a bottle of wine or a box of cookies, you may want to try to something a bit more unique and intimate this year. Something a little more relevant to your business. Why not show your clients what matters to you by giving a donation to a charitable organization in honor of your clients. Take your time and research a few different organizations. The goal should be to pick a cause that is in line with your company’s brand values and initiatives. The more meaningful the connection the more impact it will make.
Make it about your brand.
Do you own a construction company that prides itself on keeping the customer involved? Why not send a gingerbread house kit to all your clients and challenge them to a build-off that you can document through social media. You could build your own and do an online video to show the steps. It will inspire their creativity and shows that you are reliable and willing to help them through the process. Is your company a “green” business? Then make sure you avoid over-packaged goods as gifts or even traditional holiday cards. It needs to be something that won’t end up in the trash. Maybe you should think about an email campaign instead or check out this cool “green” holiday promotion I discovered while I was getting ready to wrap some presents the other night. It is from Timberland and is quite clever. It is step-by-step tutorial of how to use your shopping bag as wrapping paper. They supply the bag (which they gave me when I made my purchase) and a little tag to identify who it is from. All you need is scissors. tape and some ribbon. It is perfect for this company whose tagline is “Make it better.” Their goal is that “through the people and places we touch, we do our share to create a better world and a more beautiful planet.”
Regardless of whether your holiday promotion is meant to help boost sales or simply strengthen relationships, it should be a reflection of your brand, story and promise. With these simple tips, you can turn holiday business gifts into the gift that keeps on giving—giving you more business, that is.
~ Bethany Howell, art director
