04 Jun Summer School is in Session (Module 1)
So you’ve signed up for the course, and you just got the syllabus. What is this class, “Corporate Gifting 201” all about? By the way, good job on sailing through 101, which covered the concept of why gifting matters. You are ahead of so many other professionals, simply by acknowledging the importance of “acknowledgement”. So on Day 1, let’s talk about your business strategy. This isn’t your mission statement or your vision statement. Those are a bit more high-level than your strategy, and your strategy is a level above your tactics. Your strategy is: “We are going to bring in more clients” and “We need to retain our trained employees” and “We will grow by 15% this calendar year”.
How does corporate gifting assist you with your strategy? Well, the answer to that is found by asking the question, “Are we thoughtful?” Give this some actual thought, with instances or proof of either yes or no. Is thoughtfulness part of your everyday running of the business? (A double-spaced 1-page essay will suffice.) Hmmm..
“Do we go out of our way to make sure clients feel appreciated?” Uh.. sometimes.
“Do we have a plan for recognizing employees; their milestones and great performance?” We used to.
“Do our team members have the liberty to send gifts when the occasion presents itself?” I’m sure some people here do.
Thoughtfulness is a business strategy. Here’s where the real truth lies .. THE LACK OF THOUGHTFULNESS IS ALSO A BUSINESS STRATEGY. In the era of digital communication, remote work, and AI-generated messaging, now more than ever, all business leaders need to work thoughtfulness into their business model. For some, it comes naturally and barely requires a second thought. For most other business professionals though, it seems like a nice idea, but rarely makes it to the to-do list. This practice of taking people for granted is all-too-easy.
That amazing client who has been with you for 8 years and refers business often ..
That team member who asked for time off to be with a family member recovering from surgery ..
That supplier who just moved heaven and earth to get you what you need ..
These people exist all around us. They are the people that keep our businesses in motion. They are our bread & butter. And.. they are the easiest ones to take for granted. They would do all of those things, regardless of how you acknowledged them, because they are just those kind of people. But, imagine how a bit of extra thoughtfulness will be received.
Side note: if you’re new at this, don’t do it for the extra business it will bring or for the future favors. Those will come anyway, in time, so do it because you know how much of a difference the act of simply being thoughtful can make.
This concludes the first class in Corporate Gifting 201. Please don’t leave your gum under the desk.