Client Gift Ideas for the Holidays
If you send out client gifts for the holidays and you’re a service-based business, it can be hard to figure out what’s appropriate to send. If you’re a product-based business and you want to recognize your most loyal customers with a gift, it’s easy. Give them a sample pack of your bestsellers. Or customize gifts from your inventory based on their past purchases. Service-based business owners need a different approach. So let’s talk about some good client gift ideas for the holidays.
Make it memorable
When I plan my holiday giving, I think first about creating bonds with my clients by trying to pick a unique gift based on their values. I don’t send pens with my business name on them or something like that. It just feels impersonal and slightly too salesy to me for a gift of appreciation. Instead, I send gifts that are unique and personalized.
Curated gift boxes
My very favorite is the curated gift box. I’ve found some amazing companies that are women-owned, which intersects with my values and also the values of the majority of my clients. These companies allow you to select a theme or hand-pick items and add a personalized card or message.
You can also, of course, make a box yourself from local businesses. Just leave yourself enough time to do the footwork.
Once of my favorite examples was a box I ordered for a client who’s a bit of a Southern gentleman. I opted for a whiskey sampler for him. For a solo woman entrepreneur, I might choose a headband made from fabric I know she’ll like and a few body care products.
If you customize, your clients will remember your thoughtfulness.
Books
Relevant reading material is always a plus. Sending out a book by one of my favorite experts gives clients something extra to help them improve their marketing presence in the New Year.
I might send them a book by a favorite expert in my industry. Two of my favorites are Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller (a classic in marketing) and How To Style Your Brand by Fiona Humberstone (all about color psychology in branding).
Giving books not only gives your clients something to chew on, it signals your dedication to your craft and gives you something more to talk about together as you continue to provide services for them.
Donation to a worthy cause
For the client who has everything—or for whom you know a particular cause is relevant—you can give a gift to a charity in their name.
Some nonprofit organizations will notify the recipient of your gift. Or they may have a way to print a gift card you can fill out to let your client know to whom you’ve donated and how much.
This is a great option for a heart-centered business (my favorite kind!). They may already have a relationship with a nonprofit or cause they promote, which will make it easy to figure out who to give to.
Branded merchandise (that’s memorable)
If you decide to give merchandise with your branding on it, make sure it’s something memorable and valuable. Look into a custom coffee blend or a custom lip butter.
The goal: Whenever your clients interact with the product (that fragrant cup of coffee), they think of you and smile. You want your clients to associate you with a nice experience - not just a magnet or pen!
So, who’s getting these gifts?
I give holiday gifts to my retainer clients. Those are the relationships that help me stay in business and with whom I have the closest relationships. On occasion, I’ve given gifts to people who have given me a great referral, but typically I focus on my clients with long-term contracts.
