Client gifting and all that goes into it can bring up a lot of confusing feelings for us gentle, feminine business owners.
We want the gift to be given at just the right time where it doesn't seem bribe-y, or is too rushed or too delayed.
We question if gifts are truly an investment back into our business, or if they're just a kind gesture that isn't necessary in our client experience strategy, and if the money is much better-suited to be put towards our paycheck for our family.
We worry about how much time it might take us to put together a truly memorable, meaningful gift.
We convince ourselves that the gift we invested so much time and money into won't even be appreciated by our client in the way we had hoped.
And so, unless it's a very special client whom we really would like to woo, we all too often decide to forego the client gift, keep the money, and opt to assume the effort is not worth the meaningful touch-point.
Because our clients hire us for the services we provide, not a gift, right?
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Yet, you're reading this post for a reason, yes? The title compelled you to read on. Because the desire to show your thanks, appreciation and encouragement to your clients keeps popping back into your head. But you have 2 questions...
1) Why does "implement client gifting" keep making its way onto my to-do list?
2) How can I make client gifts simpler and a streamlined part of my client experience strategy without adding to my stress load?
The Purpose Of Client Gifts Reframed
We, as gentle business owners, first need to reframe our minds around client gifts. They are nearly always presented to us as a marketing tactic; a way to spread word about our business, or make our business look good. And marketing tactics can make us feel cringe-y, uneasy, and can present themselves as just another to-do on our never ending list. "I have to send client gifts." is our way of thinking.
But what is a gift? A quick Google search will tell us:
gift (noun): a thing given willingly to someone.
Willingly.
A client gift given because you feel you have to is not a gift, it is, then, a marketing tool.
A client gift given willingly is a true gift. And we give gifts willingly when we focus on the recipient, not ourselves in the gift-creation process.
Our mindset reframed: Client gifts are not a marketing tactic; they're not about me or my business. "Implement client gifts" keeps showing up on my to-do list because I deep down want to connect with my clients on more than just a transactional or service level. I want my clients to feel heard, appreciated and encouraged in more ways than my services alone can offer.
4 Stressless Ways To Implement Client Gifts Into Your Client Experience Strategy
Below, I've listed out 4 ways that will make your client gifting simple, and keep the gifts in alignment with your values and client experience goals. You can pick and choose which ways work for you and your business, and combine or separate them as you need.
Way #1: Use the same gifts every time.
Don't over-complicate the shopping process. You client gifts can be unique and special to each individual client, and still be the same gift you give to all of your clients. But remember, you want to make the gift about them, so here's what you do:
Come up with a gift design that you know will make each client feel seen and cared for. You'll know what will make them feel this way by looking at the service they've come to you for.
Example: Let's say you're a realtor, and you plan to give each client a gift at their home closing. Your client, of course, will have a new home that they'll be moving into, that's why they hired you. So, a fantastic gift idea would be a moving day survival kit! Stock up on beautiful, reusable storage baskets, toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, napkins, plastic forks and spoons, utility knives, and whatever else you can think of to make the moving day that much easier for them. You can pre-assemble 5, 10, 15+ of these survival kits a year, stack them in a closet, and grab one on your way to the home closing! It's so simple on your end, but will connect with your clients on a deeper level than if you had given them nothing or a gift with your company's name on it.
Way #2: Gift at the same time, every time.
It's easy for client gifts to slip your mind as you go through each client experience flow. This is because, typically, client gifts are their own stand-alone item; if it's forgotten, nothing in your well-oiled system will be affected.
Because of this, client gifts should be given at the same time, every time. This may take a little bit to get used to, but once it's in your routine, you won't forget. It's like flossing your teeth (if you're in the dental field, kindly skip ahead to Way #3). You probably don't currently have "flossing" as part of your morning routine (and if you do, try applying what I'm saying to cleaning the lenses on your glasses every morning), so if you decide you'd like to start flossing every morning, it might take a week or two to get flossing implemented into your daily routine. But, after it's been implemented and you've gone a while with flossing in the morning, you'll really notice when you don't floss. Something will just feel "off" or like you forgot something, because you did. Same goes for when you give your client gifts at the same time, every time.
Way #3: Keep shipping supplies on-hand, and use USPS pick-up.
As with keeping gifts on-hand, if you need to ship each gift, be sure to keep enough shipping supplies on-hand for the amount of gifts you've stocked up on. You can even pre-package the gifts when you pre-assemble them, so all you need to do is add the shipping address label, slip your card in, tape the package shut, and it's all ready to be shipped.
And, did you know you don't have to go to the post office to ship a gift? Really, really. USPS.com has been a life saver for me in my business. As long as they offer pick-up in your area, you can schedule for your gift to be picked up the next day at no cost. Simply set the package out on your front porch and they'll grab it when they're in your area. (champagne glasses clink)
Way #4: Use a gifting service.
If you've made it this far in this blog post and you still feel like you won't have time to create client gifts, you don't think you'll be able to make your gifts look as aesthetically pleasing as you'd like, or that you'd truly prefer to have someone else take over your client gifting process, I'd love to help you.
I specialize in creating memorable gifts for business owners to gift to their clients; gifts for intentional connection. As you need, you can shop my pre-designed gifts where I've, you guessed it, pre-designed luxury gift designs for you to purchase. You can also shop Build-A-Box where you can pick and choose which luxe items you want in each gift. Both the pre-designed gifts and Build-A-Box come with the option to have a custom engraving placed on the lid of my signature wooden keepsake gift box. I also handwrite every card for you, and ship your gift directly to you or your client.
If you're wanting to order in bulk and have me keep your gifts on-hand for you to do staggered shipments over a specified period of time, we can chat about my bulk or custom gifting services as well.
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I hope this post was helpful in your journey towards consistently gifting your clients intentional, memorable gifts! As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
xx Kelsey
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