Don’t send me fruit! Holiday gifting strategies for B2B businesses (PS: send wine)

We get it, holiday gifting can be overwhelming. What are you going to get your inlaws that have everything, or your husband that “doesn’t need anything?” And on top of all of the shopping for your family and loved ones, you’re expected to figure out what to send your clients? 

Put those worries aside, we’re here to help! A recent “Ask Your Target Market” survey showed that 91% of respondents are more likely to do business with companies that appreciate their customers. Additionally, 62% said that most businesses they’ve dealt with have done a good job of showing customer appreciation. Sure makes us want to do something special, how about you? 

Below are our gifting suggestions for every price point. 

Send a personalized note

Call us old fashioned, but a personalized note or card still goes a long way. Holiday gifting doesn’t necessarily have to be a competition of how much money you can spend. The ultimate goal is to share well wishes for the holiday season and the new year, what better way to do so than in a personalized card? 

Send a gift card 

Now before you start hating on how gift cards are impersonal and boring, hear us out. We’re not suggesting sending a gift card to a basic retailer or something of the sort. But a local coffee shop or restaurant could be a perfect offering for your client to gather for a team dinner or morning coffee. 

A gift card has the potential to encourage a team bonding event or gathering. We can hear the dinner conversation now “yeah our client XYZ sent us a gift certificate so that we could have this dinner!” Encouraging an experience creates memories that your clients will not forget. 

Send branded swag

This is a tricky one … you might be thinking “oh this is the perfect opportunity to get rid of some of that branded merch that we still have laying around in the closet.” That’s not what we’re suggesting here. The ideal move is to send your clients branded swag … with THEIR brand on it. 

Holiday gifting is a time for generosity and graciousness, not to push your brand. If this option seems like a good fit for your brand, check out branding notebooks, hats, or maybe even wine glasses with your client’s logos or brand names. 

Send a good book 

Yep, that’s right, a good ol’ fashioned book. The one with the paper and pages that you have to turn yourself. Somehow books have apparently become a thing of the past, making way for ebooks and digital readers. But if you’re anything like me, there’s still nothing like the feeling of cracking open a book for the first time and stretching out the pages to dive into a good read. 

A couple of books we recommend:

• Something relevant to your industry: The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes 
• Something inspiring: You are a Bad***: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life 
• Something that will help them: Master Your Time, Master Your Life: The Breakthrough System to Get More Results, Faster, in Every Area of Your Life

Send a treat 

If all else fails … wine. I’ve never witnessed someone open a bottle of wine as a gift and say “ugh wine. This isn’t what I wanted.” But who knows, maybe you have. If that’s the case then there are always alternatives such as a delivery of sweet treats from a local bakery or your classic holiday fruit basket. 

Regardless of what gifting strategy works best for you and your business, any outreach during the holiday season will be much appreciated by your clients. There are gifting options for all price points to stay within your comfort zone and still do something special.