How Gifting Can Fit into Your Sales & Marketing Strategy

If you’ve ever received a surprise gift, you know how delightful the experience can be. Opening an unexpected package and finding a thoughtful gift inside can make your entire day and easily put a smile on your face.  

A surprise gift from a business can do the same thing, fostering a relationship between client and company and creating positive feelings toward the brand.  

But a corporate gifting strategy is more than just a thoughtful gesture—it can also be a critical component of your company’s marketing strategy and growth.   

Why Corporate Gifting Marketing Strategies Matter  

Sending thoughtful, personalized gifts can help you establish authentic connections with prospects and enhance your relationships with previous customers. When it comes to new clients, a gift marketing strategy is one of the few options that enables you to create a more personal touchpoint.  

According to a recent survey, 70% of participants said that a unique gift would encourage them to work with a business, and 80% agreed that a thoughtful gift establishes positive feelings toward the gift giver.  

In short, marketing gifts are a great way to show appreciation and gratitude to both potential clients and long-time customers. A small surprise, like a gift card to a local coffee shop, can make a huge difference in your sales and marketing efforts.  

Taking the time to invest in a thoughtful and comprehensive corporate gifting strategy can: 

• Boost awareness of your brand and service or product offerings 
• Encourage customer loyalty 
• Generate leads 
• Increase both referrals and sales 
• Strengthen relationships with other companies and partners 
• Improve the perception of your brand 
• Show current and future clients how much you appreciate their business

A Full-Funnel Gift Marketing Strategy 

Gifting has a place at every level of the funnel and can increase your sales whether you’re dealing with cold or warm leads.  

Top of the Funnel 

People at this stage may not have had any significant interaction with your brand, and gifts for potential clients can help make the right first impression and encourage engagement. Send a gift as an incentive for scheduling a meeting or demo. This works for cold leads as well as warm leads, who may have encountered your company at a conference or other event.  

Middle of the Funnel  

So now the prospect has scheduled a meeting. How do you ensure they show up to hear your pitch? A small gift can help make that happen, reminding the potential client of your commitment and thoughtfulness. You can begin to generate positive feelings toward your brand that will ensure they want to hear you out.  

Bottom of the Funnel 

Once prospects reach this stage, you can use your gift marketing strategy to encourage trust and interest in you and your brand. A simple, thoughtful gift can remind people that your company values its customers and inspire them to sign a contract or make that purchase.  

Building Effective Corporate Gifting Marketing Strategies 

When done properly, gifting can be the perfect marketing and sales tool to nurture warm leads and build lasting relationships with potential clients.  

The key phrase is when done properly. 

Here are just a few tips for developing the right gift marketing strategy to help your organization grow and thrive.  

Add a personal touch 

The best and most effective marketing gifts don’t feel generic; they feel thoughtful and specifically chosen for the recipient. Time to toss out all those branded water bottles and T-shirts and instead focus on providing your prospects and clients with a delightful and surprising gifting experience.  

Pay attention to what each person talks about in conversation. This is the best way to glean information about their interests, hobbies, and passions, which you can use to choose the right gift. Always include a handwritten, personalized note thanking them for their time and support.  

Build gifting around the sales cycle and client value 

How and when you send a gift to a prospect will largely depend on where they are in the buyer journey. For example, if someone is at the top of the funnel, it’s best to send a more generic gift. But if you know the person better, you can select a more personalized and creative gift that the client is sure to remember.  

Similarly, you want to plan your gifting budget based on the value of the prospect’s business, as well as the individual’s position in their organization. You wouldn’t always give the same gift to an executive that you would give to someone in a more junior role.  

Understand your prospects and clients 

Building a buyer persona is key to gaining insight into what surprises and timing would work best for your gift marketing strategy. Take time to research and compile information on your client base and ask questions like: 

• What do they enjoy doing in their free time?  
• Where do they live?  
• What do they do for work? 
• What are their values (think family time, animal lovers, volunteer work, etc.)? 
• What professional and personal achievements are they most proud of? 

The more you know about your customer base, the more easily you can customize corporate client gifts that will surprise and delight them.  

Take advantage of less common holidays 

Everyone expects a gift during the Christmas season, but your corporate gifting strategy can really stand out if your surprises come at more unexpected times.  

Keep an eye out for less celebrated holidays, like Earth Day, or just fun days, like National Donut Day or International Coffee Day. You can tailor your gifts to these occasions and surprise the recipients with a delightful package on a day they likely don’t associate with gift-giving.  

Fit gifting into your sales strategy 

It’s called a gifting strategy for a reason. Be strategic about when you send gifts. Instead of sending a marketing email and following up with a cold call, send gifts to prospects in between. Doing so can help you stand out and keep your business top of mind with potential clients.  

Adjust your sales and marketing strategies to include gifting as a key component. You may be surprised at the results you see.  

Use an automated gifting service 

Selecting, storing, and shipping gifts for every prospect and client is a daunting task, especially if your company has a huge sales list. Fortunately, automated gifting services like Client Giant handle all the hard work for you and even provide you with reports to easily track and review your results.  

All gifting is fully automated, and each thoughtful touch is curated by our team, so you don’t have to lift a finger. You can even track shipment and delivery in real time with your personalized dashboard. 

Emphasize appreciation and gratitude 

Your corporate gifting strategy can be the perfect way to celebrate your clients’ wins—and boost chances of renewal business. A thoughtful gift at the right time can remind customers of how much you appreciate the opportunity to work with them and show that you value their trust in your organization.  

If you have a client who is on the fence about renewing their contract or purchasing again, send a strategic gift to remind them why you’re the best in the biz. This personal touch can help you stand out from the competition and remind them why your company is a valuable business partner.  

Make the Professional a Little More Personal 

Not everyone gets excited about a sales pitch, but everyone loves to feel valued and appreciated. Your gift marketing strategy can help prospects engage with your brand and even boost attendance for virtual and in-person events, like webinars, workshops, and conferences.  

Remember that your customers are bombarded with marketing offers every day, just like you. They see ads when scrolling through social media, watching TV, or just walking or driving down the street. If someone slows down and picks your business out of a crowd, a thoughtful gift is the best way to say, “Thank you!” 

By investing in a thoughtful corporate gifting strategy, you can see real results as you build and foster authentic relationships with prospects and clients. With unforgettable gifts, your customers will remember you, your business, and what you can do for them.