Strategic Event Gifting: Make the Most of Your Meet

How to Make the Most of Event Gifting

Every connection and point of contact with a potential client or customer is critically important. That’s why we need to make the most of our time and resources to make a positive impact. It’s also vital to retain current clients. With corporate gift giving and strategic event gifts, it’s possible to make a lasting impression. 

Wondering how to use strategic event gift-giving to give your sales team and company a competitive edge? Start with high-end, branded gifts--and Merchology can help! We’ve gathered some tips and custom client gift ideas for you, so let’s jump right in. 

What is Strategic Event Gifting?

Strategic event gifting involves giving corporate gifts during or immediately after an in-person or virtual event. This could be a trade show or conference, for example. 

Events create ample corporate gifting opportunities. There are several ways to do corporate gift giving well, and it all comes down to thoughtfulness and timing. 

For instance, you can choose to bring giveaway gifts to your next corporate event to capture the attention of potential customers. You can also send logo-branded swag directly to the leads who attended your virtual event. Whatever you choose to do, these corporate gift strategies can help you successfully give or send gifts your prospects will love.

 

Understand Your Customer and Connect With Them

Giving gifts to your customers and prospects could create a lasting connection they won’t soon forget. That’s especially true if you take the time to really understand who they are and connect with them authentically. Relationships are foundational to making sales and retaining clients, so don’t skip this part. 

Ultimately, getting to know your target customers well will help you better select corporate gifts they’ll appreciate. Giving the same gift to every person you follow-up with might not be noticeable to them, especially if you’re sending high-quality items. However, you can be sure they will notice if you take time to find the right strategic event gifts for them. 

Find the Right Custom Gifts for Your Customers

It takes time and consideration to find the right gifts for your customers. Client gifting isn’t necessarily one-size-fits-all. The customers and clients you’re courting are unique individuals, so you’ll want to make adjustments to your gifts based on their preferences and personality. 

Gifting goes beyond just preferences, though. For example, sending logo-branded food items seems like an inexpensive way to give a prospective client or customer a nice, fun gift to build up goodwill. 

But what if a particular customer has food allergies and can’t eat the candy or cookies you sent them? In that case, asking ahead of time would be a good idea. If your client can’t eat a particular food, it might be best to steer clear of those types of gifts and try a stylish tote bag or insulated mug.

By the same token, a potential customer might be sensitive to fragrances. You might want to check before sending along a scented candle or essential oil kit before you place an order. While it might seem nice to send a surprise gift, your prospect will appreciate your thoughtfulness in learning whether the intended gift is a good fit. Even better, consider letting them choose what they’d like you to send them! 

For in-person event gifting, this might mean having a few different strategic event gifts to choose from. If you’re sending individual follow-up gifts to specific people after the event, you have more flexibility to personalize the items. If that’s the case, you can provide your prospects and customers with a survey to capture their preferences. 

Finally, know your budget and shop responsibly. Whether you stick to a per-item or bulk budget, you’ll be able to strategically plan your corporate gifting. And, selecting a gift that’s both socially and environmentally responsible will show potential customers how much you care not only about them, but about the planet, too.

 

Schedule Shipping to Get Your Gifts on Time 

If you don’t plan ahead for client gifting, the time it takes to ship your gifts can seriously delay your timeline. You’ll want to make sure you have everything shipped in plenty of time. That way, you’ll have everything you need ahead of your next trade show, conference, or in-person event.

On the flipside, if you plan to send out individual gifts to your recipients, you’ll need to check estimated shipping times so each gift will arrive with its recipient when you intend it to. In cases of client retention or an attempt to close an important deal, being too far off can be a huge miss. 

Wondering when your packages will be delivered? You can find shipping information here to help you plan. We do offer rush processing if you’re in a pinch!

Shop Custom Gift Boxes at Merchology

Looking for custom client gift ideas your leads will love? We’ve got you covered. Here are a few of our favorite MerchBox gift boxes to get you started. (Even better, each MerchBox comes in a lite variety to fit your budget!) 

• Raise a Glass MerchBox- This fun MerchBox includes two tumblers, a metallic shaker set, coasters, stainless steel ice cubes, and a set of drink mixes--perfect for mixing delicious drinks at home! 
• Zippity Zusa MerchBox - This MerchBox has all the essentials for strategic event gifting: a polo shirt, water bottle, cap, and backpack! 
• On Par MerchBox - Great for golf lovers, this MerchBox contains golfing essentials such as a logo-branded golf balls, athletic cap, golf towel, BruMate Hopsulator Trio, golf tool key holder, and a polo shirt.

 

Don’t see a gift box that fits your needs? There are other MerchBoxes for different occasions, and they’re both convenient and easy to order and ship! Their prices and products are customizable, too, so get in touch with us and a Merchologist can help you out. 

Contact Us at Merchology!

Want to learn more about smart, strategic gifting? Need custom MerchBoxes to send your prospects after an event? Contact a Merchologist today!