If there’s one thing every business is working towards, it’s being efficient with their time. We want to get the most done, provide the most value to our customers, and have the best revenue. So, we make systems for everything – monthly reports, onboarding, meeting schedules, etc. We love systems at beCAUSE minded. But how does that work with something as personal as gifting? Doesn’t that need to be done from scratch each time? The answer is no.

While gifts are personal, the bigger strategy around client gifts can be systemized relatively simply. Follow the steps below to create a client gifting process that is efficient and effective.

Creating a Client Gifting Program 1. Put together a budget.

How much will you allocate for corporate gifts? The cost of client gifts will likely be related to how much that client has spent with you. Normally, the higher the revenue, the higher the budget. If you’re having a hard time knowing where to begin, check out our blog on how much you should spend on client gifts.

2. Plan out the cadence.

Will you send gifts annually, quarterly, or after a contract renewal? Will the orders go out in bulk on a particular day, or will they be based on a client’s contract date, birthday, etc.? Once you figure out the frequency of the gifting, go ahead and put those dates in the calendar. This is a simple, but important step. For many businesses, if it isn’t on the calendar, it doesn’t get done.

Creating a Client Gifting Program 3. Identify the gifts.

Often, with clients, you don’t know them well enough to get them a highly personal gift. Or perhaps you are purchasing for 200-300 clients during holiday and simply don’t have the bandwidth. What are a few corporate gifts you believe most people would really enjoy? Avoid the obvious, and overdone, branded corporate gifts. Find something unique, that you would enjoy receiving. Keep those ideas in mind, then feel free to veer off the path when you have a great idea for a particular client. The point is to try to make this process simple so you don’t miss sending a gift because it’s too time consuming.

4. Assign someone to order/send the gifts.

Who is in charge of keeping up with the orders? Is it the business owner, the admin assistant, the sales manager? Decide who the point person is. Will that person place the order and sign their name, the office name, or their supervisors name? These are small details, but knowing who is in charge of client gifting will help maintain accountability for the new system.

Creating a Client Gifting Program 5. Document what was sent and when.

It’s a little embarrassing when you refer to a gift someone gave you and it’s clear they have no idea what you’re talking about. So, if you have an admin helping you with your gifting orders, make sure they send you a message to let you know what was sent and when so you are prepared to acknowledge it if the gift comes up in conversation later.

6. Read the thank you messages.

If you have a great system for corporate gifts, you’ll know it based on the thank you notes you get from your clients. If it’s a miss, you may hear nothing, or you may get a short thank you. If they love it, they will make sure you know.

Client gifts don’t have to be the source of headaches. They can be both thoughtful and streamlined if you put the planning in ahead of time.

How long do you normally spend planning out client gifts? Do you use some kind of system for it?