Corporate Gift-Giving Made Easy

By Sarah Velasco Gift-giving in business is one way of building relationships among clients, col leagues, and personnel. It is a means of strengthening ties and creating a posi tive image for your company. Gifts are usually given to show appreciation, to c ongratulate, to motivate, or to express an apology. Despite the goodwill involved, however, most of us find gift-giving to be a vex ing task. Deciding on what gift to give is already a challenge, but factor in t he need to remain within the bounds of professionalism and the fun fizzles out. Hopefully, these few simple guidelines will make it easier for you. 1. Think of your purpose Knowing why you are giving the gift makes it easier to think of what is appropr iate. For instance, a gold watch is traditionally given to retirees, or a box o f cookies may go with a sincere apology. 2. Give it a personal touch Pay attention and consider the recipient's interests and hobbies. Is he or she into the organic trend? Then why not include a book on growing an organic veget able garden? Or if the person is into golf, then put in a helpful book on how t o make that swing even better. The recipient will surely appreciate the thought that you've put into your gift. And don't forget to enclose a handwritten pers onal note with it. 3. Consider the company's policy Some companies have concrete rules on gift-giving and receiving, while others h ave informal and unwritten policies. Just to be sure, you may want to check wit h their HR first, or even with the secretary. Since it's still part of business, some companies opt to have their logos inclu ded. Although this is discouraged, if you really need to have your logo to go w ith the gift, keep it small. 4. Avoid going beyond the limit The company's budget limit, that is. Make sure that your gift is not too expens ive so as not to make the recipient feel uncomfortable. You also don't want to give the message that you're bribing someone! 5. Keep in mind the cultural differences What may be a decent gift in this part of the world may be offensive in another . For instance, the Japanese have more ceremonious gift-giving practices than t he Americans; while the Arabs and other Muslim countries find it offensive to b e given alcohol, knives, and anything that has something to do with pigs (leath er made out of pig skin, pork, pig figurines). 6. Consider a corporate gift basket If you really don't have time, then giving a gift basket may just be the soluti on to your gift-giving dilemma. Gift baskets can be customized and come in very presentable packages. They typically contain an assortment of little edible it ems that can be shared with the rest of the office staff. Not only that, creati ng a personalized basket by contacting a gift service company is just a phone c all or a few clicks on the Internet away. 7. Check the delivery details If you're having the gift delivered, make sure that you give the correct addres s and recipient information. You wouldn't want your gift to be delivered late o r to bounce back to your doorstep just because you wrote the wrong info. Instru ctions should also be given on what to do with the gift in the absence of the r ecipient.