Know-How Exchange : Strategy

What's your budget? Are you looking for something tangible? How about making a donation to a charity in their name? What industry are you in?

In the IT industry. Yes, I want it to be meaningful. That we put more than just money into this gift.

I like the magazine idea. I was thinking buying MP3 players and a subscription to a audio business books.

Your thoughts?

MP3+subscription sounds like a fine idea. Just make sure the player easily works with various hardware, otherwise you'll be creating more IT headaches.

Most IT executives already have an MP3 player. I like the idea of the audio book subscription.

One promo that I feel works very well is a high quality laptop bag with your logo (very tastefully) added.

The backpack style bag is extremely popular these days. And everyone seems to be using them.

We don't have that many clients. But we value each one of them.

If it's a great idea, I might have a better chance of getting it approved by management.

By the way, we've done 1-to-1 lunches and were thinking of a client-wide holiday party. But I think a 1-to-1 meeting with the president and a meaningful gift trumps the aforementioned two ideas.

Your thoughts?

Do something that will blow them over. Hopefully your team has been taking notes all along. If these are clients that you value and have learned a lot about you can always provide gift certificates to their favorite dining or shopping spot. We have done this in the past from everything to a new mommy at Bon Bebe to a golf enthusiast at www.golfballs.com. Notice a particular brand of clothing they are wearing when you visit or purse or briefcase that they carry? Provide them with a gift certificate to a store that carries their favorite item. If you personalize it from something that they enjoy it will really mean a lot to them. One of our clients is a dessert enthusiast and particularly likes chocolate. We continue to send her different kinds of chocolate goodies throughout the year. She always gives us a call or sends a thank you note and has passed the word along to many others. One also likes Starbucks and is in an area that Starbucks isn't readily available so we send him gift baskets of Starbucks coffee. He brews pots for the entire office when we send them. Everyone thanks us when that happens. I think that you just have to be creative in the items that you pick and doing the same thing for everyone may not be the best idea. Just another way to go.

Good Luck,
Promo Chic

I just got this issue of "Smart Meetings" and found a plant you can customize. www.message-plant.com. You can have your name on a few of the leaves, with the message, "lets grow together".

Carol
Sell Well and Prosper tm