We receive such great questions and feedback from our corporate community, but when this one came through our inbox we just had to share. It’s so relevant and timely! Read on for this week’s Corporate Concierge advice, courtesy of our very own Co-Founder and CSO, Sabena.
Q: Dear BOXFOX,
Wanted to get your take on client relationships and the importance of corporate gifting during the Summer months. Maybe it's just the hot weather, but it feels like my business relationships can get a little stale this time of year. I want to make sure that, with all the family vacations and Out of Office notifications, my clients feel heard, appreciated and taken care of during this time. What's the best way to do that?
A: This is such a good question and it's one we get all the time. Regardless of industry (unless you're in the wedding business), Summer usually means a lull in client contact. However, this is usually the time you need to be the most proactive in order to set yourself up to bring in more business to close the year out strong.
A lot of times our clients don't realize that the key to keeping their clients happy or bringing in fresh leads is right under their nose: with a well-timed, well-executed gift. Here's a few ways to reach out in a way that feels fresh and authentic. Your bottom line will thank you come December.
Client prospecting and retention
Summer is a great time to execute a prospecting campaign to help you bolster sales and build up your client roster ahead of Q4. It’s also the time when your clients are less likely to be bombarded by other companies doing outreach for the very same reason. Putting a little effort into a summer-themed prospecting box shows you’re in-tune and also provides some immediate value for your brand. If you send them something timely, they’re more likely to take notice.
Milestones
Whenever we sign on a new corporate client we take copious notes — not just on their brand’s unique gifting needs, but on the company as a whole, including any big marquee moments throughout their fiscal year (launches, investor meetings and conferences). That way, when something big happens we can reach out with a little but of surprise and delight, celebrating their wins and letting them know we’ve got their back. The same goes for your client contacts - building that rapport will payout for you later. If they’ve got a new baby on the way, just closed on a new house or took a fun vacation, send them something that shows you’re paying attention to their personal victories!
Planning ahead
It’s never too early to plan ahead, so why not utilize all that downtime you have when your clients AREN’T around. It may sound crazy, but we get so many Fall and Holiday proposal requests starting in August. If you plan ahead your sanity will thank you come November 1. Giving yourself more lead time means you’ll nail the gift and won’t be stressed out (or screwed) when all you really want to do is just enjoy time with your loved ones and hit the holiday punch bowl.
Have a corporate gifting question for our experts? We’d love to hear from you. Shoot your questions (or comments) to concierge@shopboxfox.com for one-on-one advice from our Corporate Concierge team aka The Best in the Biz.
Happy Gifting!
Sabena Suri
