How Corporate Gifts Can Help You Boost Sales

Building strong relationships with customers and prospects is essential for keeping your sales strong and your business growing. Corporate gifts are a powerful tool for showing your appreciation to existing customers, increasing brand exposure and expanding your customer base. Putting your company’s name on promotional merchandise has never been easier. You can buy personalised corporate gifts directly from established manufacturers/suppliers such as Camaloon.com/en and save yourself money, time and energy. Besides putting your logo on items you find interesting and useful, you can even design your own stickers that your customers can attach wherever they like.

How to choose corporate gifts

When selecting corporate gifts, you want to make sure that they really hit the mark. You should give something that your prospects and customers will appreciate, and there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all gift. There are many factors to consider in order not to throw away money down the drain, such as:

• who the gift is for,
• whether it’s practical,
• too cheap or too expensive,
• appropriate at the time.

It’s not the same whether you’re attempting to gain new customers or encourage existing ones to continue doing business with you. Because you already know your existing customers, tailoring gifts to their wants and needs is much easier. This is, of course, more difficult with new customers, but it’s not an excuse for not trying. You should know who your target audience is and try to figure out what gifts they would like. Don’t waste your money on useless stuff that piles up. If your gift isn’t practical, it might end up accumulating dust on a shelf, at the bottom of a drawer or worse, in the rubbish. This is a common mistake that you can avoid by asking yourself if your gift is something that people will actually use. Set aside a reasonable amount of money for your corporate gifts. Spend neither too little nor too much. Cheap and low-quality gifts might make your customer feel undervalued and expensive ones might make you seem wasteful and fail to provide a return on investment. Etiquette experts advise spending no more than £18 per gift. Don’t give out flip-flops in the middle of winter! Nobody wants to be reminded that it's too cold to go to the beach. By the time summer arrives, those flip-flops will have also faded from your customers’ minds. If it’s Christmas time, don’t be a Grinch and give something Christmassy. Flip-flops can wait. 

When and where to hand out corporate gifts

Here are a few suggestions for strategically increasing customer engagement and brand recall, and, as a result, sales.

Reward customers on special occasions

Shower customers with corporate gifts on special occasions such as holidays, when large orders are placed or whenever it feels right to surprise them with a meaningful corporate gift. Corporate gifts bring about good feelings, build emotional connections and establish brand loyalty over time. The gesture inspires trust and an unconscious desire to reciprocate. This means that clients will continue to do business with you or perhaps increase their business with you. When customers feel cherished, they will remember it. You will also generate positive word-of-mouth and attract more sales from customer referrals. Unsplash

Reward loyalty

According to research, by retaining just 5% more customers, you can increase profit by 25% to 95%. Consider using corporate gifts as part of your retention strategies. The most common cause for clients switching brands is a sense that they are not appreciated. You need to do what you can to create a mutually beneficial relationship and make it harder for them to switch. Give your repeat customers well-made corporate gifts to show your gratitude. If you have a customer who has not ordered in a while, sending a gift is a great way to reconnect. It is important to invest in developing brand loyalty and turning customers into repeat buyers.

Promote a new location Celebrate the opening of a new shop or office by giving out a corporate gift to anyone who comes in. You want to give those curious prospects something to make a good first impression and also to remind them of your business once they leave the premises. Carefully selected corporate gifts will impress your prospects and turn them into customers. If they are highly practical, they will provide brand exposure with every use.

Network at business events

Companies distribute corporate gifts at expos, conferences and trade shows as part of their marketing strategy. Set up an eye-catching event booth or table to attract visitors from all over the room. Hand out personalised goods on their own or as part of a gift bag. Think of your corporate gifts as an addition to, or even a replacement for, a traditional business card. If you choose wisely and make sure your gifts are functional, they will serve as a constant reminder of your company. Besides leaving a lasting imprint, they can motivate people to contact you and ask about your products, as well as spark buying decisions.  Unsplash

Sponsor locals

Step up your branding game by supporting sports clubs, non-profits or events with corporate gifts. You can donate, for example, t-shirts to local teams or cups for community events. If possible, try to choose causes that align with the ideals of your business. Associate yourself with those that benefit communities and build a socially responsible reputation for your brand. Fostering community relationships will result in valuable exposure and improve the brand recognition of your company. It will lead to new customers and have a positive impact on your sales.

Run a social media campaign

Combining corporate gifts and social media platforms can help you get your message across and generate revenue. Launch a marketing campaign that uses promotional products and a social media strategy. Create content that features your branded products and engages your target audience. Invite people to tag who they would like to share gifts with and generously give away as many gifts as you want. So many people will hear about your company, and you will undoubtedly see the results in your bank account. Unsplash

Reward employees

Many companies often focus too much on prospects and customers. They overlook the fact that it is their personnel who may go above and beyond to provide unique shopping experiences for their customers. Employees who feel undervalued are less motivated. Recognising and rewarding employees, even with small gifts, can create a sense of purpose and loyalty and encourage them to put in more effort. You can set goals for your employees to meet to earn some company-branded swag. When you value your employees’ dedication and hard work, they will be more driven and this will increase sales. Pump up that sales team!   Unsplash

Appreciate partners

Aside from employees, many other people contribute to the success of your company. Send corporate gifts to your partners to express your gratitude for their cooperation. Celebrate partnership anniversaries or milestones. Your partners will surely appreciate the gesture, and if anyone ever asks them, you want them to say nice things about working with you. Who knows when they might recommend you to a customer?

Eco-friendly corporate gift trending There is a growing trend in environmentally conscious customers who want to do their bit and are careful about who they buy from. They want to know that they are supporting environmentally friendly businesses that are mindful of the world's resource shortages and increasing rubbish. By giving earth-friendly gifts, you tell your customers that you care about them and the future of our planet. Well-made, beautifully designed sustainable gifts are great conversation-starters and will benefit your brand’s reputation among the environmentally aware. Now is the time to invest in environmentally friendly corporate gifts made from sustainably sourced materials. Unsplash

The bottom line

Gifting helps companies win over prospects, keep existing customers and influence sales. Corporate gifts are nowadays highly customisable and simple to order. They are one of the most cost-effective and reliable ways to win the battle for attention. By giving out useful and branded gifts, you will show that your company cares about its customers and strengthen business ties. Your employees and partners deserve some praise for their hard work and lead to increased revenue. Eco-friendly corporate gifts will get you bonus points with your current and prospective customers! Successful corporate gifting fosters emotional attachments to your brand, resulting in higher brand recall and revenue.