What is Gifting Thoughtfully?
And why you should give a damn about it.
Corporate gifting is different from buying a tricycle for your daughter or a cushy electric recliner for your recently retired dad—or even whatever hilariously useless kitchen gadget is sure to wind up at the office White Elephant. You’re in it for more than just a grateful smile. Your usual client gifts are a strategic business move to you. You think of them as an investment in your success.
But you’re doing it wrong.
If you’re in Real Estate or any other client service-based industry, you should know it’s the most thoughtful gifts that really give back.
The real point of thoughtful real estate client gift giving is simply to delight, surprise, and flatter. That’s the best point of truth to keep in mind. Not sure where to start? That’s okay. But before we get to the ins and outs of thoughtful corporate gifts, here’s a primer on general gifting.
What Thoughtful gift giving is
Great gifting is a gift itself. The most thoughtful gifts are ones that have, well, thought behind them. Thoughts about what brings joy to the recipient, what they want, need, and what they didn’t know they couldn’t live without until it arrived at their doorstep.
A thoughtful gift can be pleasantly appropriate (wow, [gift giver] really knows me!) or delightfully unexpected (this is so cool I would never know this existed if not for [gift giver]!). It’s about knowing your audience and knowing what you want them to know about you—that you’re thoughtful, sure, but also that you’re interesting, interested, knowledgeable, and up to speed on the latest trends and flavors. You want people to feel they can trust and rely on you to know who they are and what matters to them.
Why thoughtful gifts matter
Thoughtful gift giving keeps you top of mind to your recipients. The most thoughtful gifts are opportunities to create a memorable, anecdotal reference point that goes beyond your business relationship and your transactional interactions. Gifting thoughtfully creates meaningful emotions that your clients will naturally want to share, promoting you and your brand. You naturally reap significant benefits with just one sincere gesture.
Whether we want to admit it or not, humans are innately competitive and often make decisions based on comparisons. Stay light years ahead of your competition. The next time the lucky recipient of one of your thoughtful gifts gets asked by a friend, “do you know a good realtor/party planner/ad agency/etc.?” they’ll remember you and how you went out of your way to make their day. When they’re making a mental list of potential referrals, you will stand out in their mind because of how the particularly thoughtful gift made them feel. That thoughtful gift giving just gave you the gift of an edge.
Three steps to getting corporate gifting right
First: throw out the term “corporate gift.” It’s tainted with too many mistakes and bad intentions. Giving to give is a much more powerful point of view. The difference becomes very clear once you embrace the philosophy of thoughtful gifting and put it into action. The level of gratitude is night and day—a thoughtful gift brings out genuine emotion and creates a deeper and more rewarding relationship. No impersonal corporate gift can compare.
- Thoughtful gifting at scale
You may be thinking, I need to give 50 thoughtful gifts to 50 very different people, and I don’t know what brings joy to one of them. Here’s a pro tip: Thoughtful gift giving doesn’t have to be hyper-personal if it feels personal.
That’s where Client Giant comes in. It’s okay not to go out and buy 50 individual and unique gifts for 50 individual and unique people on your list. Here are a few tips for thoughtful gift giving at scale:
- Branded gifts don’t give recipients the warm and fuzzies, so keep your logo out of it. Please.
- Keep the base gift the same but make room for personalized touches (a mug with the recipient’s name printed on it will inspire more gratitude than one with your phone number).
- Find universal joy sparkers. We have dialed-in gifting experts who know what people want, what the most thoughtful gifts are, and which ones are the most relevant to you and your recipients.
- Try gifting an experience instead of a thing. Or a thing that feels like an experience, like an In-Law Survival Kit, which is sure to make your recipient smile (and let them blow off some steam).
- Remember, It Actually Is the Thought that Counts
People love getting a good gift. It doesn’t have to be pricey or flashy like a new car with a giant red velvet bow on it. As long as it is sincere and thoughtful, it will make the right impact. And you will see the ripple effects of that positive impact across your business and reputation. It will take what would be a passive referral to an outright passionate one.
- Letting an Expert Handle the Giving Is the Most Thoughtful Gift You Can Give
Client Giant’s mission is to make people feel cared for, thanks to you. You don’t need to make decisions at every step. Our concierge team does that for you. We use technology to create a seamless gifting experience that takes the work off your to-do list. We keep you informed with email notifications, allow you to adjust timing of delivery, and give you real-time tracking. Choose the service that best suits your needs, and we take care of the rest. We are a ghost in the process, working in the background so that your chosen recipient receives a useful, impactful, thoughtfully curated gift directly from you.
We have plans and packages specifically designed for a variety of clients
—from Real Estate-specific gifting targeting buyers, sellers, or investors to situational gifts that will make your employees feel valued and appreciated. Be the company everyone wants to work for, the agent everyone wants to work with. Watch your business change through a strategy of generosity and gratitude.
Learn more about how it works and start inspiring passionate referrals with the most thoughtful gifts you will give.
