For Realtors, any time is gift-giving season. Saying thank you to clients is a way to build good relationships. However, with the upcoming holiday season, now is the time to plan your gift-giving strategy.

“Gifting is one of the great investments in the relationships that make your business successful,” says Stephen Sloan, director, Business Gifts Division at gourmet gift company Harry & David. “Showing gratitude is one of the greatest ways that we can reinforce the behaviours of our clients and employees who help us build our businesses, so use the power of gifting to help you reach your goals.”

Sloan offers some tips to make your gift-giving experience easier and to ensure you get the most value for your dollar.

• Think about how your revenue comes to you. Who are the people and what are the actions they take that contribute to your success? Think about how gifting might help make that person feel really good that they helped you in the past and will get them to think about helping you in the future.
• Time the gift for maximum impact. The closer you can link the gift to the behaviour that you desire, the greater the reinforcement value.
• Break your best relationships into a few tiers of value. For your most valuable clients, consider giving them a more valuable gift, then step down the value of gifts for the lower-level relationships that are still important to you.
• If there is a connection between customers and they might compare notes, consistency of gifts plays a more important role.
• It’s not the dollar amount that matters, but the gratitude expressed along with the gift. Include a personal greeting that mentions what they did for you and what that meant to you.
  

  Stephen Sloan

• Make your list of clients and try to prioritize them by opportunity for future value. Think about where the gift might gain you the most future value.
• Select a gift in a price range that allows you to make a bold statement about how much you value your key relationships and that lets you spread your gratitude across the greatest number of your valuable contacts as possible.
• If you can, personalize the gift somehow so that your perceived investment in the gift is greater. The greater the perceived investment, the greater their gratitude and willingness to reciprocate in the future.
• Use greeting cards with your own message, or logo and message, or use a gift company’s customization programs.
• When choosing the actual gift, appeal, thoughtfulness and enjoyability should be taken into account. For example, chocolate and fruit will be more popular than a coffee mug. The goal is to link your name and gratitude with a fun experience.
• Start with the taste buds. Food is one of the easiest gifts to give, and fruit is a good choice. It is something that is appreciated regardless of culture and religion.
• Focus on something that the recipient can share so that they also get to enjoy the experience of giving. Gifts your customer can share with their entire office spreads your goodwill and your name widely and also gives your recipient a great experience.
• Avoid disappointment when ordering over the Internet. Depending on the size of the order, some companies will provide a free sample. It never hurts to ask.
• Choose a company that has a strong brand reputation to protect – most companies have solid guarantees but larger brands have a greater investment in their reputation and will usually go the extra mile for customers.
• Keep the process as simple as possible so you can enjoy the season too. –

 Connie Adair