Client Gift Ideas: How to Thank Customers Without Sending the Same Old Corporate Gifts

A good client gift should do one thing above everything else: make somebody feel appreciated.

It doesn't need to be extravagant, and it definitely doesn't need your logo printed across every available surface.

Whether you're thanking a long-standing customer, celebrating the end of a successful project or simply reminding an important client that you value their business, a thoughtful gift can go a long way.

The challenge is finding something that doesn't feel like every other corporate gift they've received.

Why send gifts to clients?

Most businesses spend plenty of time thinking about how to win new customers.

Keeping the good ones is just as important.

Client gifting gives businesses an opportunity to strengthen relationships outside the usual cycle of meetings, invoices and sales conversations.

There are plenty of occasions where it can work well:

• Completing a major project
• Celebrating a company milestone
• Thanking a client for continued business
• Renewing a contract
• Welcoming a new customer
• Christmas
• Anniversaries
• Referral thank-yous
• Events and launches
• Simply saying thank you

It doesn't always need an occasion either. An unexpected gift can often have more impact precisely because the recipient wasn't expecting one.

What makes a good client gift?

Start with the recipient rather than your own branding.

Would they actually want what you're sending?

Food, drink, chocolates and carefully selected treats work particularly well because they're easy to enjoy and can suit a wide range of recipients.

Presentation then makes the difference.

Receiving a nicely presented gift box feels considerably more thoughtful than receiving a collection of promotional products in the post.

The value isn't necessarily in how much you've spent. It's in how considered the whole thing feels.

Client gift boxes

Gift boxes give businesses plenty of flexibility.

For an individual client, you might choose something more premium and personalised.

For a larger customer appreciation campaign, you might create a consistent box that can be sent to dozens or hundreds of recipients.

The contents, packaging and budget can all be adapted depending on who you're sending to and why.

That makes gift boxes suitable for everything from a £25 thank-you through to considerably more substantial gifts for important accounts.

Make it personal

This is probably the easiest way to make a client gift stand out.

Include their name.

Mention the project you've worked on together.

Thank them for something specific.

Even a couple of sentences can completely change how the gift is received.

Compare a generic:

“Thank you for your business.”

with:

“Thanks to you and the team for everything over the last twelve months. We've loved working together and we're looking forward to the next project.”

The second costs exactly the same to print, but feels much more genuine.

Branded client gifts without overdoing it

There is absolutely a place for branding.

After all, you want the recipient to remember who the gift came from.

The trick is making your brand part of the presentation rather than turning the entire gift into an advert.

A branded sleeve, ribbon, card or box can look fantastic.

One carefully chosen branded product can also work well.

Putting your logo on every item inside tends to move things away from “thank you” and towards “promotional merchandise”.

Subtle normally wins.

Client gift ideas for different occasions

Different moments call for different approaches.

A simple thank you

A smaller box of quality chocolates or treats can be perfect when you simply want to acknowledge somebody's support or help.

Project completion

Finishing a significant project is a great opportunity to send something to the people involved.

For larger teams, a box designed to be shared around the office can work particularly well.

New clients

A welcome gift can set the tone for a new relationship.

It doesn't need to be large. The point is showing from the beginning that you value their decision to work with you.

Referrals

If an existing customer introduces you to somebody who becomes a new client, sending a thank-you gift is a simple way of recognising the introduction.

It's also considerably more memorable than another “thanks for the referral” email.

Christmas

Christmas remains the obvious one.

The downside is that your gift is competing with every other gift arriving at the same time.

This makes presentation, personalisation and choosing something worth receiving even more important.

Don't forget the people behind the company

One of the easiest mistakes with B2B gifting is treating the customer as a business rather than a group of people.

If you've worked closely with Sarah, James and Tom for twelve months, send something that acknowledges Sarah, James and Tom.

This is particularly important when you're sending a gift to a larger organisation.

Knowing who the gift is actually intended for – and making that clear – prevents it disappearing into a reception area without the people you've worked with ever knowing it arrived.

Sending gifts to multiple clients

Client gifting doesn't need to become an administrative nightmare.

For larger campaigns, the process can be organised around a recipient list containing names, addresses, messages and any relevant requirements.

Boxes can then be prepared consistently while still including individual details.

This is useful for businesses wanting to send gifts to clients across the UK without receiving everything at their own office first and then having to package and redistribute it themselves.

Build gifting into the customer relationship

The businesses that get the most from client gifting tend not to treat it as a once-a-year panic in December.

There are opportunities throughout the customer relationship.

A welcome gift at the beginning.

Something when an important project launches.

A thank you after a referral.

Recognition of a major anniversary.

And, yes, something at Christmas if appropriate.

None of these need to be excessive. They simply create additional positive moments between your business and the people you work with.

Make the gift worth opening

You don't need to reinvent corporate gifting.

Just make it thoughtful.

Choose something people will enjoy, present it properly, personalise it where you can and keep the corporate branding under control.

BoxxedUp creates client gift boxes for individual thank-yous through to larger customer gifting campaigns, with options for bespoke contents, branding, personalisation and delivery to individual addresses across the UK.

Looking for client gift ideas or planning a customer gifting campaign? Speak to BoxxedUp about your recipients, quantities and budget and we'll help put together something they'll actually want to receive.