Saying Thank You Memorably And Meaningfully

It is important to show appreciation both to your staff and your clients and suppliers. As the year draws to an end, it is very common for businesses to give thank you gifts to their best clients, and I encourage business owners to consider how they show appreciation to their staff and suppliers. As this year has shown, you could have many people wanting to buy your products, but without the raw materials and the team internally to process and add value to those materials, it is impossible to deliver. 

Giving gifts is often tricky because in this season, it tends to be one of a multitude of gifts; and it can be difficult finding a gift for someone who doesn’t have obvious or apparent needs. If thought isn’t given in choosing the right gift, there is a high risk that people will not remember what you gave, or possibly even that you gave them a gift. Giving the right gift, however, can keep you front of mind throughout the coming year. Things to consider when you are looking to give a gift:

·        Have you collected and made a note of what various team members like and dislike, and are you aware of any allergies people might have if you are looking to give food. 

·        Additionally, are you aware of things you should avoid, being aware of personal choices such as halal or vegan foods.

·        Have you considered the environmental message that your gift supports and how it aligns with your clients’ ethics, alcoholic choices or viewpoints around that.  It is important to know these things as you do not want to be remembered for a negative reason. 

·        Personalised gifts can work well, as can supporting local and making that part of your messaging.

·        Donating to charities on behalf of the business is another effective strategy (for example in NZ at the moment there is a campaign running to plant a native tree as a gift).

Alternatives to gift giving can include hosting a team day; where appropriate, doing a factory tour; hosting a barbeque; or inviting your stakeholders to be part of an initiative in an outreach for good into the community.

Whatever you choose to do, ensure you have a systematic methodology for how you will choose which clients and people you will reward, and to what level. The more thought and planning you put in ahead of time, the greater the likelihood that you will be able to create something that is special and memorable for your people.