Consumers have more choices than ever when it comes to the products and services they buy. And that choice doesn’t end when they do business with you. Customer retention is crucial to sustainable company growth.
So how exactly do you keep your customers and show them just how much you care….throughout the year? Besides a great product and stellar customer service, the answer is simple. Gifts! Gifts! And more Gifts!
Not sure where to start? These best practices will help you select the perfect gift every time:
- Personalize your gifts: Don’t order 20 wine of the month subscriptions and send them to all your customers — What if they don’t drink? What if they don’t like the wine you selected? Consider a more personalized touch. Do they like chocolate? Cookies? Pretzels? Why not create a custom gift basket with all of the favorites and add a personal note telling them how much you appreciate them.
- Don’t overdo it: If your client pays $200 a year for your product/service and you send them a $400 coffee maker — that’s overdoing it. Keep gifts in proportion to how much a client’s company spends with you to ensure no one feels uncomfortable about the gift.
- Think outside the holidays: Yes, that’s correct. Don’t fixate on the Christmas season. Everyone else does. Think outside the box and send a token of your appreciation for New Years or Valentines and maybe a happy Summer gift basket. By sending gifts outside of December, you’ll avoid disappearing into a crowd of break room gifts and treats sitting sadly in their cellophane. Plus, gifts are meant to show your clients you care about their business all year, not just during the holidays.
