Should I give a corporate gift to the business or to an employee?
One of the options you have when you are ready to
get corporate gifts for companies you are hoping to turn into clients is
whether you should give the gift to a specific individual that is in charge
of approving the contract, or if you should gift the gift(s) to a large
group inside the company that you may benefit from impressing.
The answer to this question is difficult, because
the type of gifts you were planning on sending and how far you are in the
sales process will affect who you choose to send the gifts to. But the
following criteria may help you make the decision.
·
How Far Are You in the Sales Process?
If you are very far in the sales process, and you
only need to win over a single individual before getting that contract
signed, sending the gift to one person is acceptable. However, you may also
want to win over the staff that is going to be using the products, because
keeping them interested in what you have to offer is more likely to improve
the individual’s decision.
·
What Are the Corporate Gift Rules of
the Company?
You should always check to find out the company’s
rules regarding corporate gifts. Some companies do not allow gifts to be
sent to individuals, so the answer will be made for you. Make sure you know
their specific policies so that you can make the best decision regarding
these gifts.
·
Do You Know Who the Individual is?
If you are trying to target a specific department
inside of a larger company and do not yet know exactly who will make the
final decision regarding whether or not to use your company’s product, you
may want to target everybody, so that ultimately when you find the right
individual they will have already been exposed to your brand and will think
of you in a positive light.
·
What Are the Gifts?
Your gift choices will affect whether or not you
should give the gift to a person or group as well. The less expensive the
gift, the more you should buy it for the entire staff. If you are
considering one, single, large purchase, sending it to an individual may be
a better idea for you. Also, if your gift is highly useful, original and
unique, it may be a good idea to send it to as many individuals as possible
because your brand will become a permanent part of their desk.
Overall, there are no hard and fast rules about
whether the gift should be sent to an individual or a company. But if you
consider all of the above questions regarding the gift, you should be able
to make a good decision about how best to approach the corporate gift giving
process at that specific company. Your ultimate choice should be the one
that best improves your chances of landing a contract, so make sure you have
considered all of your options in depth.