Is your organisation planning festive season gifts for staff, clients or associates? Corporate gifting has become a year-end tradition, almost an obligation, to celebrate mutually beneficial relationships.
A thoughtful and appropriate gift can strengthen relationships, but the wrong one can just as quickly damage them.
The meaning of a thoughtful and appropriate corporate gift
A thoughtful gift shows you've considered the other person's needs, values and how your gift might impact them. An appropriate gift fits the occasion and the relationship. Getting both right means thinking not just about what's useful, but also what could cause discomfort or harm.
There is plenty of interesting literature and discussion about thoughtfulness in gift giving.
For example, gift-giving often misses the mark because givers and recipients are focused on different things: givers tend to think about the act of giving itself, while recipients focus on how useful, meaningful, or valuable the gift actually is to them.
What makes a good corporate gift?
A truly thoughtful and appropriate gift is one that:
- is matched with their preferences and needs;
- is suitable within the context of a relationship;
- will be valued by the recipient; and
- will not cause any harm or distress.
