The Best Way to Show Client Appreciation

When was the last time you showed your appreciation for your most loyal clients?

Giving gifts to clients is a great way to show that you truly value them, beyond just for the money they paid you! It is a way to thank them for trusting you with their time and/or money.

But beyond showing your appreciation and deepening your professional relationship, gifting to clients has several other benefits to both the client and to your business.

People do business with companies and brands that they know, like, and trust.

Sending client gifts, whether or not they are branded, will also help ensure that your clients keep you front-of-mind when thinking about another project or when asked for recommendations. Seeing the gift you sent them, whether or not it has your brand or company name on it, will make a positive association in their mind.

Plus, if you choose a gift that’s practical and useful, your clients will often be reminded of your great service. In this way, gifting is a really cost-effective way to advertise your business!

For example, my husband and I receive a magnet calendar from our realtor every January. Even though we haven’t worked with him since 2015, we still see his name and company logo every time we look at the refrigerator and, since we had a great experience with him, we will certainly remember his information if asked for a realtor recommendation.

Client gifts can also be personalized to show an extra layer of appreciation for their business. When sending a client gift, you can offer a personal message- something simple, like “Hey, Thomas! It was so great working with you this year. Please enjoy this (item) as a token of my appreciation for your business.”

Considerations

Before jumping into purchasing a truckload of gifts and sending them out to your clients, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

In no particular order, these things include-

Budget. When you are giving a gift, you should be looking for more deluxe or higher-ticket items than the things your business might give away for free to customers on a regular basis. Nobody wants a company pen as a gift! Instead, consider something such as a sturdy mug or an eco-friendly tote bag with a design that matches your brand’s colors or style.

Timing. Most businesses are sending gifts around the holidays, but if you want to really delight your clients, consider sending the gift at another time. Perhaps a birthday, the anniversary of your professional relationship, or an industry-related holiday.

Another good time might be at the closing of a contract; for example, the realtor we bought our house from gave us a Home Depot gift card when we closed on our house. I don’t remember the exact amount, but it was enough for us to purchase all of the paint we needed to repaint the downstairs level of our new house! It was very much appreciated.

Intention. Are you giving the gift(s) to truly surprise and show appreciation for your clients, or are you hoping to get something in return? It’s a fine line. Bribing clients with gifts is a slimy business practice and is a good way to ensure that you never hear from them again!

Take our realtor, for example- he gave us a valuable Home Depot gift card at the closing of our house, which felt very appropriate. He also sends us a magnet calendar every year, which feels appropriate.

However, if he were to send us a Home Depot gift card every year, that would feel very inappropriate. Or, if he would happen to hear that we were looking to sell our home and then sent us a gift card or extravagant gift, that would definitely feel like a bribe.

What’s the Next Step?

Are you wondering why I’m going on and on about client gifts? 😉

It’s simple- because I want to help you design them!

If you provide a service to clients or customers and want to give back (and grow your business and brand awareness at the same time), I want to collaborate with you to make the perfect gifts to delight and dazzle your clients!

I help service based entrepreneurs stand out among the masses by collaborating on custom designed products that can be given as gifts to clients.

For example, I have collaborated with an accountant who wanted client gifts to give her clients. Since she’s an accountant who works with small businesses, we went with a tax theme and we came up with this design to place on t-shirts and mugs.

We worked together to choose a font for the top and hand lettering style for the bottom. We also added her business name down to the bottom of the shirt, so that even though the T-shirt and mug are cute and will certainly be used and worn by her clients, it’s still branded and has her business name on it. This gift pulls double duty by showing her clients the appreciation they deserve while also advertising her business!

In a mock collaboration I did with the Kaffrin Roof company, I designed this tote bag to give as a client gift.

When I work with a small business to create client gifts, it is truly a collaborative process that results in the perfect item(s) that will both delight and be appreciated by the recipients.

If you are interested in working together to create the perfect gift for your clients, feel free to drop me an email (rebeccafletcherdesigns@gmail.com) or an Instagram DM!