Is Christmas the best time to give gifts & cards to your business clients?
Are you an employee of a business?
Do you own your own business?
When do you give or receive gifts?
I always received gifts or cash bonuses from my employers during the Christmas season.
All my friends stated that's when they gave and received gifts and a few even stated it made a major impact on their sales and profit.
I decided to test gift giving and Christmas cards to see what effect it had on sales. Now this was a few years ago but my guess would be that it will hold true for most of you.
Not sending a Christmas card or giving a gift had no effect what so ever.
Why? I believe it's due to all your competitors doing the exact same thing you're doing. There sending a card or giving chocolates or a gift of the month.
When everybody is basically doing the same thing, there will be little results.
Is there a way for business customers to remember you?
To make an impact with customers and employees, try surprising them.
You do this by giving them a gift during a holiday when no one is expecting a gift and when we give the gift it will no longer become an expectation, An example would be bonuses during the Christmas season.
I found the time to give gifts were Valentines's day, Memorial day, the 4th of July, and Labor day.
To know what gift to give them you'll need to know what they really want. You do this during the course of your conversations with them by asking about their likes, their family, what they did on vacations. It's rare when I find people not wanting to talk about them selves and there interest.
Also talk to their personal assistants. Be thoughtful and ask them about the same. They will also give you insights into their bosses. Don't be like a lot of salesmen I know who state they don't talk to the secetary and will do anything in their power to get around them. Most of them have a lot of influence with their bosses and not being friendly and nice will work against you. It's just bad manners and bad business.
Let me know your thoughts on the above & if you give gifts or Christmas cards to your customers? Did you have improved relations, no effect one way or the other, or did they remember your gift and cards?
Thanks for reading.
Recent Comments
15
Gifting exists in all cultures for different reasons and the timing is also different. However today, due to compliance and concerns about corruption, these practices are facing a threat. I have customers returning prizes they won in seminar lucky draws and also rejecting Christmas hampers. Latest was a customer rejecting lunch due to new company policy. We went “Dutch” meaning pay for our own meals!
- Stanley
Policies are becoming more prevalent in large companies due to the concerns you mentioned. I usually find smaller and medium-size companies did not have those types of policies in place. Thanks for reading my post and bringing up the above concerns.
There is a time of joy and giving, love and goodwill bloom in this season so why not take advantage of the double whammy. It's good for your future and for the business. So yes I think so.
I have always gotten gifts for the holidays but as an employee I never was expecting them at all. Just was an added bonus to the holiday seasons. Thank you for the great words.
Douglas
So true. A bonus is a great gift for Christmas & I wish everyone felt like you. Thanks for reading my post and the comment.
Secretaries make or break your chances in most offices
Tim being nice never costs anything
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Great post, Bob, made me think about some things!
Jeff
Thanks, Jeffrey,