When it comes to business-to-business (B2B) relationships, creating and maintaining strong connections is paramount. B2B gifting is a great marketing strategy that will improve both client relationships and employee engagement.

There are many options for corporate gifting. From baskets filled with merchandise to represent your brand to personal or luxury gifts to show new and existing clients how much you appreciate them. 

Learn more about the benefits of B2B gifts and best practices of gifting here.

Why Send B2B Corporate Gifts?

Relationship building

With both new and existing clients, relationship building is essential. Corporate gifting is a fantastic way to nurture relationships and build long-standing loyalty with clients.

Brand differentiation

If you want to stand out from competitors, B2B gifting is key. Stay top of mind with your clients and showcase your brand identity.

Gratitude expression

Gifting is a great way to show appreciation and gratitude for your partnerships with your clients. With a variety of client gifting options, you can choose something that is either personal, practical, or both.

Emotional connection

Gift-getting evokes positive emotions, and the recipients will associate those with your brand. This will make your partners feel valued and understood and will strengthen your bond.

B2B Gifts: A Simple Idea That Simply Works

The best business-to-business relationships are built on results and appreciation. Everyone likes to feel they are doing a good job, and they do it for the satisfaction of providing an excellent service. They take pride in what they do. And of course, excellence and success lead to tangible rewards in financial terms. If there is any justice in the world, being great at what we do brings economic benefits.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t instinctively want recognition. A pat on the back and a “well done, thank you” are the kind of thing everyone is accustomed to – and craves, deep down. They don’t pay anyone’s mortgage, but they make people feel good, and that is important in these competitive and stressful times.

It’s the human touch, which is in danger of becoming a thing of the past. When everything is done online and by video calls, you may not actually meet an important client in the flesh, so there is a danger the whole thing feels like a process that happens by magic – but not in a good way. It can feel as though it would have happened anyway, regardless of who they chose to work with.

The basic idea is known as offline engagement, but even that term runs the risk of sounding impersonal. You want your valued clients to feel appreciated. You want them to come back when they need the same or something similar in the future, whether that be in six months or ten years. All that time, you want them to remember who it was that did that excellent work for them. You want them to tell their friends, their colleagues, and their contacts who might need what you do at some point.

Keeping in touch can be difficult if you are restricted to emails and it can be uncomfortable and seem weird if you call them out of the blue because there is a difference between a client and a friend. Ideally, there will be a friendship aspect to the relationship, but ultimately, it’s a professional one. Importantly, though, if you keep in touch somehow, it shows you didn’t just take the money and run, on to the next one.

Without meeting in person, you may never know if you share an interest in music, fashion, baseball, or whatever, but you can still come across as a decent, caring person at a good company that gets the job done. They can get a sense of kinship from a well-chosen gift that arrives at a significant time – maybe the anniversary of the signing of a contract or the completion of a project.

How can you fit this kind of acknowledgment into your busy schedule? Your people have got enough to do, so don’t impose this on someone at management level, and don’t leave it to one of your admin staff. Get a dedicated gifting business to do it, that’s the answer: a company that specializes in this.

B2B corporate gifting is now a proven way of fostering and maintaining business relationships that might otherwise fade into the past. And that is a terrible waste of past work and achievements.

Getting yourself a B2B gifting platform keeps you on top of this, and after the initial setting up process, it all happens automatically, with no effort on your part.

How Does B2B Corporate Gifting Work?

First, catch your specialist. You need a company to work on your behalf. A company with fresh ideas and great experience in this important field.

The gifting business is expected to be worth $312 billion by the end of 2025, up from $242 billion in 2012. That means there are plenty of people jumping on the bandwagon, but if you want one of the pioneers, who have been instrumental in the development of B2B and global gifting, we are right here. Client Giant is the name, and while there are Client Giant competitors, they don’t have the experience or the resources we do.

There are many things to consider in addition to the gift itself. Cultural considerations are important. Just as, in these days of a multicultural and largely non-religious USA, you have to be careful who you send Christmas cards to, so you need to be sure your gift arrives at an appropriate time and is an appropriate item in itself.

You may need to keep in mind things like sustainability and eco-friendly qualities. With the best will in the world, it is easy to upset people nowadays, so choosing a gift is not the straightforward task it once was.

What Kinds of Gifts Can You Send?

With any gift, it is vital to convey the right message. B2B gift ideas need to be of good quality and appropriate value. They can be tailored to a client’s own special interests, or they can be simply a nice idea that will be well received. Nothing cheap and mass-produced. Something that will be appreciated and reflect well on the giver. Maybe a practical gift for the office, rather than something personal to be taken home. On the other hand, depending on the client, that personal angle might be the right idea.

One very different option is to make a donation on the client’s behalf to a charity you happen to know they support.

It’s All About You and Your Clients

The role of the company implementing your gifting strategy is to do that quietly and anonymously. The gifts go out with your name on them and your message, with no one else taking the credit. This is between you and your clients, and the relationship should not be diluted by any mention of a third party.

Because there is a third party involved, though, you need to give them specific, detailed information about what you need and for whom. Once that is done and a schedule is agreed upon, you can relax, safe in the knowledge that your good name is in good hands.

Best Practices for Corporate Gifting

To maximize the impact of corporate gifting, it’s important to be strategic in your approach. Consider the recipient’s business ethos and preferences to ensure that your gift is well received. Be thoughtful of the gifts you are giving. Your gift should create an emotional connection and strengthen your bond without your partners thinking you are trying to buy their loyalty.

As with non-corporate gifts, you should consider the person you are gifting to and show respect. If you are unsure of whether a gift will be well received, you could offer a choice or simply donate to their favorite or partnered charity.

Consider your relationship with the client before you gift. A B2B gift with a personal touch will be best received. If there is an interest that you genuinely connect with, it would be beneficial to focus in on this in your gifting. This shows that you’ve really thought about the gift, and it will be appreciated.

Whether you are gifting for the holidays or sending a regular gift, there are many options to consider. From custom gifts that are personal to the recipient to gift cards, baskets, plants, tumblers and more. Rest assured that with a little consideration, corporate gifting will be well received and improve solidify relationships.

Learn More About Gifts for B2B Relationships

Be sure that your gift is well received by getting in touch with Client Giant. Stay on top of your gifting and ensure that your client relationships remain strong with our help. From one-off items to ongoing gifts, we have you covered. Get in touch with the team today.