Gifting the business way

Every company, irrespective of size or the industry it operates in, should have a equitable corporate gift giving plan.  Corporate gift giving is discipline, not a science.  Fortunately its conventions and requirements are not difficult to master.  The aim of this concise chapter is to assist you in developing an appropriate agenda for your company.

Even if your intent is only openhanded - such as, donating a vacation gift just because “you want to reward your faithful employee base”, appropriate corporate gift giving produces a favorable return on your investment. 

Often it is the little considered presents that have the largest resonance on company attitude.  The equivalent of the company director – apparently without due consideration - saying “take Friday afternoon off so you can get a jump on the weekend traffic!”   It accords the crew to see that the company has a human face and that they as a crew matter.

Just think of the goodwill created by the company supplying a festive turkey or ham.   Even a personally written card on an employees birthday costs very little but engenders goodwill throughout the entire office personnel.

When considering baby shower gifts you need to see the long term child's view AND the mother's. Rather than have your gift relegated to some crowded drawer space, take the time to see that it takes pride of place, long-term. Silver spoons and rattles may be cute for the first year or so, however the teenager will not want that gift prominently displayed when their friends come around.

Sometimes birthday gift ideas do not work out too well if you don't know what passions drive the recipient. Find out their tastes before committing. Perhaps they are heavily into music, so a magazine subscription to Heavy Metal Grunge Monthly may turn out to be considered the coolest present they ever received. If they are Vegans, they may not appreciate an annual subscription to Guns and Ammo magazine.

There are so many choices when it comes to wedding gifts and it is so easy to get it wrong. The major issue with this is that all the presents are put on common display at the time of the wedding to show all the relatives what the gifts were. If your present is the WRONG one, everyone that knows the couple also know your faux pas!

Long term, it is important to carefully select groomsmen gifts since these are probably the best man's closest buddies and may influence them longer than many marriages. The groomsmen are often the most prominent characters at the AFTER-marriage ceremonies when people let their hair down. If your present has any 'quirks' then it will probably be heard about over the PA system at some time in the late-night proceedings! It is often difficult buying gifts for men when you do not know them too well. It can say a lot about what you think of them. If you get something that is intellectually based such as a New York best-selling novel, the sports jock will clearly know that you know very little about him. If you get a subscription to Sports Illustrated, the budding classical pianist may also question how well you know them.