The Importance of Sending
Corporate Gifts to Clients and Employees

There's a basic pattern to business relationships which, if done right, will have a direct and positive impact on the customer retention, internal company culture, and brand recognition of your company. Client gifts are one of the best ways to strengthen and maintain these relationships, but it can be a difficult task to master.

Olive & Cocoa is here to answer your questions about why sending business gifts is so important, and the incredible value you can gain from taking advantage of this networking opportunity.

The Know Like Trust Cycle

Well established companies know that gifting is part of the sales cycle. Whether you meet a client at a trade show or by referral, establishing the Know Like Trust cycle is an essential and delicate process, and corporate gifting helps to move the relationship along. A well-seasoned sales person can nail the "Like" phase within the first or second interaction they have with the potential client, but the "Trust" phase comes with time and, more importantly, impressionistic behavior.

The Beginning of All Things: The "Know" Phase

Before you can establish and strengthen any business relationship, you must first gain an introduction to the potential employee or client. This can happen through open applications, internal leads, trade shows, referrals, and much more. What's important is that your company makes itself  "known" to the individual/client in one way or another. This is where strong brand recognition and long-term customers work in your favor.

Once you gain this introduction, you must now go one step further. Get to know the person you're talking to on a deeper level. Figure out what they are like, problems their business may be having, and mutually beneficial ways to help ease that burden. Having these intimate conversations will help establish the trustworthiness and reliability around your company, making the next phase even easier.

Make a Good First Impression: The "Like" Phase

If you make a good first impression, you'll soon be on the receiving end of friendly behavior which you can then reciprocate, reinforcing that person's initial good impression. This creates a self-fulfilling feedback loop, and is crucial for showing that the ideals of your business align with the cause or motivations of your client. Consider this: When we meet someone new, the region of our brain that's activated is the same one that's responsible for assigning prices to objects! Our brains literally assign "values" to people or businesses based on the interactions we have with them, which then influences our decision to either integrate them into our social network or move on. Sending a client or employee a gift at the right time is a great way to make a lasting good impression and establish yourself as someone they want to continue doing business with going forward

It Strengthens Relationships: The "Trust" Phase

Trust is all about the words and actions of both parties after a business relationship has begun. It is what allows people to believe that a company has their best interests at heart, and is a crucial element of retaining long-term clients and employees. A gift sends two important messages: It presents a symbol of who you are as a company, while also showing the recipient how much the business truly values them. These kinds of gestures show clients/employees that you care, which will lead to reinforcing mutual trust. Recall a time when you received a gift from an employer or business partner and how it made you feel. Did it strengthen your relationship with them? Your answer to that question has a lot to do with the experience of opening the gift. Providing a beautiful gifting experience can build trust and loyalty that lasts.

TIP: Send a thank you gift to new clients to get them excited about working with you.

Gifting Keeps You On Their Mind

According to consumer researchers, Cheng, Meloy, and Polman, three essential qualities make a business gift memorable: (1) a carefully selected gift, (2) a personal message, and (3) a monogram. By including these three qualities in your gift, you will not only remind the recipient that you are thinking about them, but also show that you put thought into the gift itself. Giving experiential gifts is thus identified as a highly effective form of prosocial spending, and can greatly improve the relationship between company and client. In addition, sending corporate gifts with your company logo on them will further retain your spot at the front of the client's mind, helping your company integrate itself further into the client's life. Corporate gifts for employees should also be seen as a priority, as it provides immense value by demonstrating that you are grateful for them and the value they provide to your business.

Client Gifting is Smart Business Behavior

Over sixty-percent of companies purchase corporate gifts for clients during the holidays, and nearly forty-percent purchase these gifts for employees. The point being, gifting is regular business practice! Sending your clients or employees something extra special to show your appreciation helps to promote goodwill, generates a positive ROI, and increases perceived brand and business value.

Each year, more and more companies are choosing Olive & Cocoa as their go-to gifting specialists. Why? Because our business gifts are more than gifts--they tell a story and promote personal connections. Based on discussions we've had with companies who have used our service, 94% of corporate executives report a positive impact on their business as a result of sending Olive & Cocoa gift crates. Over 80% of that same demographic believes business gifting offers other intangible benefits as well.

The Olive & Cocoa Difference

Olive & Cocoa is dedicated to providing memorable impressions by presenting high quality products, beautifully. Your clients will receive their gift in a hand-crafted wood crate decorated with thick satin ribbon. They will see a personalized note tucked inside, thanking them for being part of something great or congratulating them on a new accomplishment. It is our passion to make giving and receiving gifts a beautiful experience. We unconditionally guarantee the presentation and quality of our gifts upon delivery, and we are here to make certain that both the giver and their recipients are 100% satisfied.

TIP: Check out our monogrammed gifts here; personalizing the gift to the recipient is a great way to give something memorable.

Branded Gifts Make a Lasting Impression

To make a lasting impression, consider branding your logo onto the gift you send. A hand crafted wood crate from Olive & Cocoa has a way of sticking around long after the gourmet food inside has been devoured. A corporate gift that arrives with your company logo on it will likely be repurposed in the recipient's home or office where they will see it every day. Constant exposure to your logo coupled with the pleasant memory of opening the gift, builds you up in their mind as a company of goodwill. Olive & Cocoa brands gifts in the most classy way possible, with our Custom Logo Hot Iron Brands.