If you have a special holiday tradition, extend it to your clients. Consider the impact of gifting a homemade or a special item. Maybe you enjoy gift wrapping in eco-friendly paper with fancy embellishments. Or sharing an experience.
As you look back on 2023, you owe it to yourself to reflect on who your ideal clients have been and how you will continue to deliver a stellar customer experience for them.
Who is your ideal client, and will they endorse you?
Is your client pleased with the service or product you delivered, and willing to share a testimonial or referral for your business? Can you easily request their “social proof”?
Third-party endorsements are ideal to use in your marketing, and they help you know your customers’ or clients’ voice, i.e., the words they use to describe what you do for them. This enables you to communicate with them in a language they find meaningful.
10 proven ideas to show appreciation
In return, let’s treat them to “the good china”… gift wrap and deliver an item they’d like or send a heartfelt note of appreciation for their contribution to your business in 2023. Here are some suggestions:
- Share a fav biz book you’ve read and why you enjoyed it. We do this 2-3 times per year. And in exchange, our clients give us their fav reads as well.
- Share a homemade treat, and the story behind it. I’ve shared my prolific rhubarb patch, originating in my grandmother’s garden where she served the strawberry-colored stalks raw dipped in sugar. The plant survived 30 years in a barrel and has found a new home in an ideal location, resulting in a prolific harvest. I’ve shared some early samples of rhubarb relish, which may just become my fav gift from the garden.
- Share a unique product for the office or home. I love sourcing new and innovative products and introducing them to our clients. These can often become inspirations for their own client gifting.
- Send a remarkable holiday card with a handwritten personal note. We’ve created our own custom holiday greetings for over 30 years, delighting all who receive them.
- Special anniversary years can be celebrated with a thematic branded item. Be subtle. You’re not asking your clients to be a billboard for your brand. Share an understated reminder of your brand, for example, a tone-on-tone logo or logo on the inside or back, where only your client or customer will see it, and think of you.
- Share a special treat for the office. Gift baskets full of goodies to be shared can be customized in your brand colours for maximum enjoyment and recognition.
- Journals or calendar agendas are great to share from November through January. Consider adding a branded pen to accompany your stationery product.
- Wearable apparel is tricky unless no sizing is required. For this reason, many prefer hats or tote bags.
- One of our clients adopted a coffee theme in their marketing. This prompted many coffee-themed gifts, such as coffee mugs, chocolate-covered coffee beans, and coffee-flavoured treats. What a great way to reinforce their brand and show appreciation to their clients.
- Plants can be a welcome option for an office. We partnered with a client on an amaryllis-themed holiday gift — an amaryllis plant accompanied by an amaryllis snow globe greeting. These spectacular plants can last up to 15 years with the right care – that’s a gift that keeps on giving.
Happy giving!
Enjoy the holiday season by showing your best clients how much you appreciate their trust, confidence, and business.
