Holiday gifts for your team can be an integral part of your overall employee recognition program. In addition, holiday gifts can also be a part of your client retention strategy. However, finding unique, creative, and appropriate gifts for your people can be a source of stress. Instead, let giving employee and client gifts be a way to enjoy feelings of generosity and gratitude. Borsheims can help you with your holiday gift giving, including ideas, engraving, gift wrap, and delivery.
First of all, let’s go through some of the questions that we often hear at our store.
How much should I spend on employee & client gifts?
That depends on the type and size of your organization and the number of people you employ. Look at your culture, mission, and values. Most organizations spend less than 1% of their payroll budget on employee gifts and service award plans. Consequently, a minimal yearly investment can pay big returns in employee happiness and customer loyalty!
If you look at holiday gift giving to clients as a part of your marketing budget, you might think of it in terms of how much you spend on client lunches or dinners. The cost of one meal can go toward a gift that will remind your client of you every time they see it.
A way to make a single gift turn into something special is to look at long-term gifting strategies. For example, in the first year, give a set of steak knives, the next year, a matching carving knife, the next year, a paring knife. Before long, the people most important to your business will have a knife set that they will appreciate for years to come.
Glassware or serving pieces can be gifted in the same way. Here at Borsheims we love Simon Pearce and Juliska.
Our Nora Fleming product line makes giving fun. Nora Fleming makes neutral white serving pieces –everything from small cracker trays to serving bowls to large serving platters. Each serving piece has a small hole to receive a “mini”. The minis are colorful decorative pieces that can be changed out for holidays, special events, or just for fun. For a gift your employees and clients will love all year round, give a serving piece and mini the first year, and a different mini each year thereafter.
Should I give the same gift to everyone?
A one size fits all holiday gift can be difficult to find. As an alternative, you can select a set of gift options and allow each person to choose. For instance, Borsheims can set up a website, or simply create a form listing your employee holiday gifts to send around to your staff.
While this method takes the surprise out of it, opening the gift is still a happy experience. At Borsheims we like to curate a selection of gifts that run from the beautiful to the practical (but still beautiful). Most importantly, we can do it at almost any price point.
What if they don’t celebrate Christmas?
We call it the Holiday Season for a reason! Thanksgiving (it starts with Thanks!), Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s, and Fiscal Year End are all reasons to celebrate.
What is the anniversary of the opening of your company or business? You can celebrate that anniversary with your employees and clients in lieu of the winter holiday season.
You can give your gift at any time and it will be appreciated. For example, your card can simply say, “It is our hope that you enjoy this gift in recognition and appreciation for being a part of our organization”.
Channel your creative energies into growing your business –it’s what you do best, and let a store like Borsheims handle your employee and client gift giving needs –it’s what we do best!
