With Christmas around the corner, you might be thinking of the clients or customers that have served you well over the year and what gesture you might like to make in order to thank them for their business throughout the months. Here are some top tips on the types of gifts or gestures you can give to boost you to the front of your favourite client’s minds and encourage them to return to you at the start of the new year;
Self-Sustaining Terrarium
A self-sustaining terrarium is often a desktop-sized glass bottle or enclosed vase that is hand-made with moss, lichen, pretty stones and some plant life, given a few drops of water and then sealed. The lifecycle regulates itself to recycle and provide moisture for the living organisms in the terrarium, making it very easy to keep and beautiful looking gift. Make it yourself for that personal touch or have one commissioned with your client or customer name along the top of the bottom (so it doesn’t block any of the gorgeous internal detail).
Business Resource
With the world becoming more digital and online every day, resources are increasingly moving towards subscription basis to ensure businesses are not missing out from improved software and necessary updates. A kind gesture is to pay for a year’s subscription to a resource used by your client or customer. Maybe they require stock images, videos and graphics, making Shutterstock an ideal choice or they might require video editing and photo manipulation software, which an Adobe subscription would be perfect for.
Charity Donation
Donations are always a welcome gesture and contribute to positive press for both you and your client, consider carefully the amount you could donate to a charity on behalf of your customer, and be sure to choose a cause that you both fully support. Some businesses are already partnered with certain charities which makes it easier to make a donation, especially one you want to keep a surprise. Alternatively, you could choose a charity that is actively campaigning for a recent natural disaster or ongoing internal conflicts, such as donating to the Syria appeal or the Pittsburgh survivors.
Make It Personal
Although it’s not always possible, making a gift extra personal to the business or individual you intend to receive your gift is an excellent way to make a gratefully received gesture and put you at the forefront of their mind in the new year. If you are gifting solely to a director or manager, consider their personal interests, maybe they enjoy golf or are a lover of gourmet foods. If there is a small team, consider their collective interests, do they like meeting together outside the office or hold team bonding exercises in the office, gift them something that can contribute towards this. An office activity, for example, table quizzes, video games or on the larger scale, a pool table or air hockey table (where room allows), out of the office could include a 3-course meal to an upscale restaurant or an excursion to a local attraction like a theme park or zoo.
Say It with Food
It’s hard not to enjoy a tasty gift that can be enjoyed by a number of people. If your customer or client has a small or medium team, consider giving a gift basket, it can be handmade with personally selected delicious treats or pre-made with plenty of online and brick-and-mortar shops offering festive gift basket options. Gift baskets can be customised depending on the number of people you are buying for or you can multiple to satisfy larger teams or teams spread across a few different locations.
There’re still a few months to go until Christmas so while it’s certainly not the time to panic, you want to ensure you have your festive client gifts planned or all bought and ready to go before we get too far into the season. While giving gifts is a great way to be remembered, you also don’t want your gifts to be a hollow gesture so spend some time finding out what your favourite customers enjoy and treat them to something useful or gratefully received this holiday season.