Sending Corporate Gifts: Worth it or Not?

If you are in Business Development or Sales and are looking to get more meetings with your prospective customers, then you have probably gone down the path of Corporate Gifting. Whether you send a gift card for coffee or conduct more in-depth research (my preferred method) and send your prospecting something much more personal, this tactic can open doors. Today, we are going to provide you with some data points that we found on Corporate gifting and also look at relevant platforms you can leverage to make this as easy and automated as possible. Let’s go…

We will start with what we found in the research:

Studies and Surveys:

• 2023 State of Corporate Gifting Report by Giftsenda: 52% of gift recipients consider a corporate gift a reason to do business with the company. Additionally, 76% of employees prefer gifts they can share with family or teams, potentially influencing colleagues or decision-makers.

• Deloitte study: Companies implementing effective recognition programs, which often include gifting, achieve 31% lower voluntary turnover and 56% higher employee productivity. While not directly focused on prospecting, these improvements in morale and loyalty could indirectly benefit external interactions.

• Postal.com survey: 35% of respondents reported giving more corporate gifts since transitioning to remote work, highlighting the growing emphasis on building virtual connections.

Data Points:

• Reachdesk case study: A B2B software company using Reachdesk reported a 30% increase in meeting bookings after sending personalized gifts to prospects.

• Sendoso case study: A marketing agency using Sendoso saw a 40% increase in conversion rates from leads to qualified prospects after implementing a strategic gifting program.

• Goody case study: A media company using Goody experienced a 25% increase in response rates to cold outreach emails after sending small, thoughtful gifts.

Key Takeaways:

• Corporate gifting can positively impact engagement rates, especially when personalized and aligned with recipient interests.

• Gifting can lead to more meetings booked, qualified leads generated, and potentially, deals closed.

• The success of gifting campaigns depends on factors like budget, platform, gift selection, and personalization.

Recommendations:

• Conduct a pilot program: Test gifting with a limited group of prospects to measure its impact on engagement and meeting bookings.

• Personalize your gifts: Choose gifts relevant to the recipient's interests and needs for a stronger impact.

• Track and analyze results: Monitor engagement metrics and adjust your gifting strategy based on data insights.

• Integrate gifting with other prospecting tactics: Combine it with personalized outreach emails, social media interaction, or follow-up calls for a multi-pronged approach.

Next, what are some of the top corporate gifting platforms and how are they different and unique?

1. Sendoso: Designed to support B2B sales and ABM, and provide a sales accelerant. It has an impressive reward rate of 10% and several other discounts and bonuses. It also offers free standard shipping and no annual fee. One unique capability of Sendoso is that it offers Sendoso Experiences like virtual wine tasting, yoga class, magic show, and more that your recipients can enjoy at home with their families and friends.

2. Tremendous: Tremendous is a platform that enhances engagement through gifting and integrates with existing systems. It offers versatile options for gift selection and insights for measuring effectiveness. It fosters genuine client relationships and is easy to use from both the perspective of the person ordering the gift cards and the recipient. One unique capability of Tremendous is that it allows you to curate custom gift catalogs for your recipients, which can include your products or services.

3. Reachdesk: Reachdesk is a direct mail marketing solution that provides a way to deliver gifts and direct mail to build deeper connections with customers, prospects, and employees. It has a gift card and marketplace selection, but the interface is unintuitive. One unique capability of Reachdesk is that it can tell whom and when needs to be gifted, and what their contact details are by integrating with HiBob, Bamboo HR, Workday, and several HRIS platforms.

By implementing a well-planned and strategic corporate gifting program, you can potentially improve your prospecting success and build stronger relationships with your target audience.

Remember: The key is to use gifting authentically and thoughtfully, not as a bribe or manipulation tactic. Focusing on building genuine connections and demonstrating value will likely yield the best results in the long run.