How Gifts Can Be Used to Increase B2B Client Retention

How Gifts Can Be Used to Increase B2B Client Retention

We recently spoke about how our corporate gifts can be used as part of your marketing strategy to grow your business.

While acquiring new customers is essential, growth is impossible if you can’t retain your current customer base as well.

Today we’d like to shed a little light on how our gifts can be used to increase customer loyalty.

How to use gifts to increase client retention

There’s nothing more important when it comes to increasing loyalty than making your clients feel like their business means the world to you (because it should!). It costs more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain a current one. Plus, if they’re happy with your product or service and feel appreciated by you, your current customers can provide you with valuable testimonials and referrals. In order to get this type of engagement from your clients, you’ve got to demonstrate why they shouldn’t buy from anybody else.

When your clients feel like you value their relationship, they’ll be more likely to be repeat customers. An unexpected gift will put a smile on your client’s face, and every time they enjoy your gift, they’ll think of you! This also helps you stay top of mind with your clients - even when you’re not working on a project together.

Top gift ideas to help increase your client loyalty:

• Send a gift at the completion of a project to say thank you for doing business.
• Send a gift at the holidays to say thank you for another year of collaboration, and to look forward to the next year.
• Send a gift to a client that’s celebrating a company milestone. Not sure how to keep track of your clients’ milestones? You can set a Google Alert to keep track of mentions of their company in the news, follow them on social media, or subscribe to their newsletters.
• Pick a stressful or busy time of year that your client might be excited to receive some surprise goodies. For example, if your client is an accountant, send them a gift during tax season to raise their spirits.

Tips for optimizing your gift’s impact

1 - Timing is everything!

We all know that Christmas is a great time to give gifts. However, since gifting is almost expected at Christmas, your gift will likely be one of many your clients receive in December.

In order to truly stand out from the pack, we recommend sending Christmas gifts as early as possible (the first week of December is optimal). That way, the gift arrives before most people take time off, and it will likely be one of the first to arrive. This timing leads to a much more memorable experience for your recipient.

You can also consider gifting at more non-traditional times of the year. For example, we’ve done successful and innovative custom corporate gift programs with clients for Valentine’s Day and International Women’s Day.

If it’s hard to imagine giving gifts at a time other than Christmas, consider shifting to a Thanksgiving gift, when appreciation is meaningful and on trend.

2 - Consider Personalization.

When your goal is to stay top of mind with your clients, adding a personal touch can go a long way. Many of our clients add branded gift basket packaging to increase brand recognition. Adding your branding to our gifts is also a great way to make sure that the positive experience of receiving a Saul Good gift is immediately tied to your brand.

If you’re not feeling the custom branded packaging, we also have the option to add branded cards and a host of other branded items inside the gift. Contact us for more information about adding branding to your gifts.

3 - Tailor Your Gift to the Receiver (As much as possible!)

We know it can be hard to choose the perfect gift for your clients - especially when sending gifts to multiple recipients and locations. However, there are a few ways you can make your gifts as personal as possible - even if you’re placing a bulk order.

Is the gift going to a group to be shared, or to an individual? If the gift is going to a group, the items inside the gift basket need to be shareable. If it’s going to an individual, think about where this individual might use their gift - olive oil and jam are hard to use in the office but are perfect for making delicious meals at home.

Can you write a personal greeting message? Every Saul Good gift includes a greeting card that includes space to write a personal message. A message like, “Merry Christmas” might be convenient for you if you’re sending out 100 gifts, but it doesn’t feel personal to your recipient. Think of ways your message can feel personal to your gift recipients - and if you need help, check out How to write the perfect greeting card message.

In conclusion, gifting, when done thoughtfully, can be a powerful way to retain your top customers. Business is all about relationships and staying top of mind with your clients is a great way to build your business, year over year. No matter what you do, do it with some thought and intention to appreciate with meaning. You’re bound to get some great results and connect with your clients in a fun way.

Need some inspiration to get you started? Learn more about our corporate gift baskets, or browse our Canada gift baskets.