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Guidelines for Corporate, Executive, Business and Employee Gift-giving

CORPORATE GIFT-GIVING GUIDELINES

by Susan Kurth Clot deBroissia

General Guidelines...

Gift giving is an excellent way to build or maintain business relations, whether with an important client or a valued employee.
Before sending corporate gifts, be sure to check the corporate policy on gift giving. Some companies have strict policies concerning gift giving. For example, many companies place restrictions on the value of the gift or on the situations in which gifts may be given. Ask the personnel department for the company's guidelines.
Once you have checked the corporate policy on gift giving, keep in mind that gifts should reflect careful attention paid to the recipient's tastes. Try to choose gifts fitting to the client or employee's hobbies, interests, or employment.

Gift Occasions...

While the holiday season is the standard time of the year for corporate gift giving, many other occasions merit gift giving and will make an impact on the recipient:

To Celebrate or Congratulate:
    A business anniversary
    A retirement
    A new job or promotion
    Completion of an important project
    The opening of a new office
    A new product launch
To Show Appreciation To:
    Board members for their service
    Hard-working employees
    Volunteers who have contributed their time for special projects
    A client for new or continued business
    Someone who has referred business to you
To Motivate or Encourage:
    Employees facing boring, unpleasant or difficult tasks
    Clients or employees facing health challenges or personal losses

Etiquette to remember in gift giving...

Appropriateness

  • Keep in mind the closeness of the business relationship. If you have a client who is not particularly open or friendly, do not think that by sending a gift the individual will loosen up. This often backfires.

  • Avoid extravagant gifts that could be misinterpreted as bribery. It is important that the recipient not feel uncomfortable when accepting the gift. Any gift seen as inappropriate could quickly damage or even destroy a business relationship.

  • Be careful not to create the wrong impression with a gift.
  • Personality
  • Gifts should reflect the interests and tastes of the recipient whenever possible.
  • Timing
  • Frequency of gift giving should be limited to major holidays and special occasions. Depending on the nature of the relationship, it is appropriate to send gifts on personal occasions, such as to mark the birth of a child.

  • Avoid gift giving during a bidding process.
  • Presentation
  • Attractive gift wrapping paper and presentation are very important. Remember to enclose a personal note with the gift.
  • Customizing
  • While the corporate logo on a gift provides free advertising, it could be interpreted as tacky. It is more appropriate to leave logo customization to gifts that will be used daily or for promotional purposes, such as mugs, keychains, notebooks, etc. Never put a company logo on a gift when you want to leave the impression that it is coming personally from you.
  • Some appropriate business gifts include...

  • Desk accessories, such as pens, desk blotters, letter openers, clocks, business card holders, calculators

  • Travel accessories, such as travel alarm clocks, passport and card holders, carrying cases

  • Food gifts, such as coffees and teas, and unique chocolates

  • Electronic gifts

  • Entertainment tickets to sporting events, the theater, the opera, etc.
  • Done properly, gift giving is an excellent way of showing appreciation to long-standing customers and valued employees. For tips on giving gifts to international clients, please see our international gift giving protocol page.

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