It's a Gift
Grab your Santa suit and load your sack with all the useful gadgets and goodies that will help your clients remember you in the new year.
URL:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2001/november/45290.html
Giving clients holiday gifts is more than a good idea, to hear
Leann Phenix talk about it: "It's a 'must
do,'" says the CEO of the Austin, Texas, literary
publicity firm that bears her name. "From the first year of
our company's existence, we have given gifts even when cash
flow was tight," she says. "We did so in the beginning to
help people remember us. We continue to give gifts not only to stay
visible, but also because we are genuinely thankful when people
help us. It makes us feel good to give, and it makes the receiver
feel good."
The good tidings have spread: Phenix & Phenix Literary
Publicists has grown from a start-up in 1994 to 11 employees and
close to $1 million in revenues last year. And the company has
honed its gift-giving skills in the process. Well before the
holidays, Phenix already has a list to check twice. "We want
the gifts we give to make a lasting impression," she
explains.
Many small-business owners share her attitude. The most recent
American Express survey on small-business gift buying estimated $5
billion would be spent wishing clients, employees and vendors
"happy holidays." More than one-third of the nearly 800
business owners participating in the survey said they would buy
holiday gifts, spending an average of $1,800 each.
Sure, that was in flush 1999—but even in tougher economic
climates, business gifts are a wise investment. "Gifts will
never take the place of good service, outstanding product and
integrity, which are foremost in any [business] relationship,"
says Lynn Tucker, president of Corporate Presence LLC, a
Baltimore-based corporate gift service company. "But all
things being equal, entrepreneurs should never underestimate the
edge they gain with a memorable gift."
Who should be on your gift list? Generally speaking, anyone who
has helped your business grow is fair game—clients,
employees, friends or special vendors, such as a landlord, postal
carrier or printer. In the American Express survey, more than half
of small-business owners said they thought gift-giving led to
increased sales, while 71 percent said corporate gift-giving was an
important part of their annual marketing efforts. In other words,
you probably can't go wrong by being too inclusive.
Once you've decided who gets gifts, what do you give? Gifts
should reflect your business, says Robyn Spizman, a gift expert in
Atlanta. "For example, if you own a travel company, consider
giving something like the latest travel clock or gadget,"
Spizman suggests. Whatever the gift, she says, "the key is the
words that go with it to illustrate your thoughtfulness, like
'Working with you has been a wonderful
adventure.'"
It might not be inappropriate to do a little self-promotion in
your gift-giving as well: maybe a well-placed company logo?
"Every business is looking to promote itself, even when giving
a gift," says Mike Levin, who sells customized corporate gifts
for iGo Promos in Boynton Beach, Florida.
This year, food items are expected to make popular personalized
gifts. Boxes of cookies or chocolates, or popcorn tins imprinted
with your company's logo are in demand, according to
industry-watchers. "Food has always been a standard for a
holiday gift," says Marvin Spike, vice chair of the
Advertising Specialty Institute in Trevose, Pennsylvania. "It
can be shared, and people remember you if it tastes good."
To make promotional gifts stand out, put a twist on old
standards. For example, if you're giving a coffee mug, opt for
an unusual material (such as stainless steel) instead of ceramic,
suggests Kelly Dugan, owner of Dugans Inc., a customized gift
company in Kent, Washington.
A good starting point for information on personalizing holiday
presents is the Advertising Speciality Institute, a trade organization
and one of the largest players in the promotional products
industry. Also, click on the Promotional Products Association International
site.
There are other factors to consider when developing your gift
list. You can't give every client the same gift—some will
receive less expensive presents, some will get pricier ones. From
the outset, categorize your recipients and determine what kind of
gift they'll get. Take shipping expenses into account, too,
when developing your gift budget; this cost is often
overlooked.
Keep track of what you've sent in the past, because
repeating yourself can be something of a faux pas. Choose gifts
that are professional. If dealing with overseas recipients, be
careful not to violate their cultural or business protocols.
There are lots of issues involved in choosing the perfect gift.
If you feel overwhelmed by the effort, consider hiring a corporate
gift consultant. These professionals can find creative presents
that fit your budget while still making the statement you want. A
gift consultant can also help you make decisions such as whether to
include your company's logo on a gift or when to send a
present. He or she can also handle the logistics that you and your
employees may not have time for, such as wrapping, shipping and
tracking packages.
Presentation is key to a successful gift. This includes the box,
the wrapping, the message and even the timing. A creative
customized present delivered a day late is less effective than a
trite present given on time.
Even if your client doesn't reciprocate with a gift (or more
business), Uncle Sam will reward your generosity. You can deduct
the value of a business gift up to $25 per person annually. Keep
records of all your gift purchases, and consult with an accountant
before declaring these items on your taxes.
Of course, if you're giving presents just to take a
deduction on your income tax return, you're probably missing
the point. "We don't give [gifts] for the sake of a
deduction, but for their powerful effect to create a warm feeling
about our company," says Phenix. "So rarely do
[entrepreneurs] remember to sincerely say 'thank you.'
These two words are extremely powerful and work wonders in creating
long-term, mutually satisfying relationships."
Please desk-dwellers with accessories that gracefully combine
form and function.
The Golden
Arch Combination Clock and Business Card Holder
(888-922-9039) is an elegant place to store business cards and tell
the time. Price: $30. (All
prices street)
Avery's
Doubleclick (800-462-8379) is a two-in-one writing
instrument with pencil and pen, but it also functions as a stylus
for use with a client's personal digital assistant.
Price: $8.95.
An inexpensive Desk Calendar (800-366-3645) will entertain its
holiday recipients with the cartoon misadventures of corporate
antihero Dilbert or any number of other wacky characters and
topics. Price:
$10.99-$12.99.
Mont
Blanc's Elegant Meisterstuck Letter Opener
(800-995-4810) features a gold edge and a sleek, black finish. It
can be personalized. Price:
$245.
An elegant Customized Crystal Cobalt Vase
(888-249-0420) by the Martin Glass Co. makes a particularly nice
gift. Etch your company's logo onto the vase for $100 extra.
Price (without etching):
$664.
Cushion the potholes along a road warrior's path with these
gifts that make travel a pleasure.
The Buckwheat Pillow (800-813-7624), a small pillow
filled with buckwheat hulls and covered in all-natural fibers,
conforms to the head and neck to reduce stress and tension.
Price: $55.
No more early-morning wake-up calls from the front-desk staff.
The Travel Zen
Alarm Clock (800- 779-6383) provides a gentle awakening
with long-resonating, pure tone acoustic chimes. Price: $89.95.
For longer trips where space is often at a premium, Swiss Army's
Upright Mobilizer (888-658-0717) is the solution. This
durable, thoughtfully designed carry-on has plenty of room for both
clothes and gadgets, and comes with a rugged lock. The medium-sized
bag fits in most overhead compartments. Price: $480 for medium bag.
Atlantic Luggage's Upright Virtual Office
(888-658-0717) has room for even the biggest techno-geek's
arsenal of equipment. This spacious carrying case comfortably holds
a computer and plenty of peripherals; wheels mean easy
maneuverability in any location even when fully loaded.
Price: $169.
Kensington's FlyLight (800-280-8318) plugs
into a laptop to illuminate the keyboard in dark environments, such
as airplane cabins on red-eye flights. It uses less than 90 seconds
of laptop battery power per hour. Price:
$19.99.
Everyone enjoys a few indulgences during the holidays. The
tasteful gifts below will make a big impression.
A Fruitcake from Collin Street Bakery
(800-292-7400) features Texas pecans, pure clover honey,
pineapples, papayas, white raisins and cherries. Price: $16.95.
Cookies
from Chris's Cookies (201- 438-4440) come in several
delectable varieties, including chocolate chunk, oatmeal maple and
peanut butter. Price: $21 for a tin of
12.
Brownies from
Selma's ( 800-992-6654) are dense, moist squares loaded
with dark and white chocolate and Heath Bar Crunch. Price: $20.95 per dozen.
Praline Pecans from Savannah Candy Kitchen
(800-443-7884) are sweet pecan confections with a distinctively
Southern flair. In addition to the traditional variety, they're
also available covered in white and dark chocolate. Price: $19.95-$29.95 for a box of 18.
Cheesecake from Junior's Restaurant in
Brooklyn (800-958-6467) is an 8-inch, 3-pound indulgence
available in a variety of mouth-watering flavors, including
raspberry swirl and apple crumb. Price:
$27.95.
Starbucks (800-STARBUC) offers a variety of
gift baskets, coffee samplers and more. The blends sampler gift
basket features a half-pound each of French Roast, House Blend,
Caffè Verona and Christmas Blend whole-bean coffees in an
embossed holiday tin. The new Starbucks Card smart card lets
businesses purchase and reload cards for client, customer or
employee gifts. Price: $22.95 for blends
sampler.
Take a look at the latest in high-tech gadgets sure to make
someone's life easier (or just more fun).
The Portable Diskonkey (866-347-5665) is a storage
device that doubles as a key ring and pocket clip. It's about
as light as a pen but can store up to 32MB of data. Price: $69.99 for the 16mb version; $99.99 for
32mb.
The Digital Relay Drive from Sony
(800-571-7669) is a portable, battery-operated CD burner and CD/MP3
player in one. The sleek gadget lets you burn your favorite tunes
or critical data from any laptop, PC or Mac and then retrieve that
data and rock out to those songs on the road. Price: $399.
The RCA
REB1100 (800-336-1900) is a portable e-book reader that
lets recipients choose anything from their favorite Stephen King
novel to today's issue of The New York Times. Price: $299.
A gift for that really special client, the Sharp DV-L80U Portable DVD Player
(800-237-4277) has an 8-inch LCD screen and enough battery life to
watch all 3 hours, 24 minutes of Gone With the Wind. Price: $1,600.
The Atek Super
Mini Optical Mouse (888-889-9990) is an ideal substitute
for the difficult-to-use laptop computer mousepad. Only 21¼2
inches long and 1 inch wide, it's specifically designed for
mobile computing. Price:
$49.95.
Christopher Elliott is Entrepreneur's "Biz
Travel" columnist.
Contact Sources
- Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists
4412 Springs Rd., #102, Austin, TX 78759, www.bookpros.com
Copyright ©
2009 Entrepreneur.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy