For individuals and families the holiday season is probably the most expensive time of the year. Parties here and there, visits and vacation, and gift giving everywhere; all these contribute to the ever growing list of what to buy, what to do, and where to go.
But spending big during the holiday season is not limited to private citizens alone; businesses also anticipate this time of the year to give corporate gifts as a way of strengthen ties with their clients and partners, and as a means to give thanks to the support and patronage to their services or products. But unlike private individuals who tailor their gifts to each person, businesses often give one and the same corporate holiday gift to every intended receiver-at least to a certain types of businesses.
Some businesses on the other hand give individualized corporate holiday gift to each recipient. Just the same, all corporate holiday gifts circulating everywhere, whether it is individualized or mass produced, have the tendency to give a useless gift or insult some of the recipients.
So what now are the elements of a good corporate holiday gift?
There are 3:
1. The right gift with the right intention,
2. The right gift to the right receiver, and
3. Timing
Any company does not invest money and give away corporate gifts for nothing. They do it for several reasons. And those are: to give thanks to clients or costumer, to keep a good business relationship with partners, and to promote their business to as many people as they can, which is why the right gift should send the right message to the recipient.
A corporate holiday gift with marketing purposes may contain a company logo that is discreetly located on the item. An obvious marketing strategy featuring a large company logo on the gift may provide a different impression-often negative.
For personal corporate holiday gift, the company should be able their purpose and send transmit it to the receiver through the gift.
What is the right gift to the right receiver? Perhaps many companies are having trouble with this question. But the simple rules in gift giving should always apply: know the recipient very well; his likes and dislikes; his interests and favorite brands; his cultural background and traditions; and his preferences. For general holiday gift, the item should appeal to the general recipient.
No matter how expensive or attractive your gift is, giving it on a wrong timing will ruin it all. Of course, gifts are not given by someone who knocks at somebody else's doorsteps in the middle of the night. Timing is essential so as the approach. If it is a personal gift to a partner, give it when the mood is good and when the day is pleasant. A gift given in the busiest time of the day would easily be forgotten. A gift given late during the day where the recipient is too tired can be left out. As a general practice, a corporate holiday gift is given in the morning or during personal visits and parties.
Of course, the rightness and wrongness of timing should depend on how well the business knows the recipient.
There is no early or late time to give someone gifts but if it is for the holidays, send it during the holiday, not before and definitely not after.
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