I spent today delivering baskets to my customers

[nealrm]

I had a really great day today delivering Christmas baskets to my customers. For those of you that can this is a really good way of improving relations with you key clients. Nothing beats walking into an office with a basket of Christmas cheer.:) Nor it this something that can be delegated out to someone else.

[greenoak]

that sounds so good....and really in the spirit of it all...ann..

[vangogh]

Great idea and even better holiday spirit.

[jamestl2]

This reminds me of The Office episode where Michael and Dwight give Gift Baskets to their clients to try and win them back. (It was funny, but didn't quite work for them.)

Anyway, hope you've had a better experience than they did :).

[cvsols]

What a great idea! I know as a customer I would appreciate the visit and the Christmas spirit!

[Dan Furman]

that sounds so good....and really in the spirit of it all...ann..

The spirit of it all? Bribing people to do business with you???

stop looking at me funny. That is what it is, isn't it? The whole business client gift thing - it's really marketing, when you boil it right down.

If it were really in the spirit of the season, it would work both ways - clients and vendors both. But people rarely give gifts to vendors. Or to really minor clients. Neal even said "improving relations with key clients."

Hey, not trying to start an argument - I'm half kidding here... put the torch DOWN :)

But it did make me smile just a little.

I personally don't do client or vendor gifts. If you're in the area, let's go have a drink or something.

[nealrm]

Dan - you will be visited by three ghosts. Expect the first tonight at the stroke of mid-night.

[Dan Furman]

Dan - you will be visited by three ghosts. Expect the first tonight at the stroke of mid-night.

heh heh :)

but wait - I tipped the mail carrier 50 bucks yesterday in an x-mas card. Does that get me off the hook?

[vangogh]

Hmm? So you're bribing the mailman to deliver your mail? :)

[Spider]

Bah! Humbug! to you, too, Dan!

For the record, some businesses do give gifts both ways - my wife both gives and receives gifts from her regular grooming customers.

As a general contractor, I gave a bottle of scotch to the architect and engineers of projects we were currently working with, and to a few regular sub-contractors we worked with throughout the year. That's a two-way gift-giving pattern.

As a subcontractor, though, I did neither. We focussed on giving our employees a very good bonus.

[billbenson]

Dan's comment takes me back to the old days when as a salesman I flew around the Americas wining and dining customers. Nice way of doing business. Not to many jobs like that any more. Still are a few industries, but not many.

Basic principal of that kind of sales is make friends with your customer and they will buy from their friends all things being equal.

Ah the good old days.

[huggytree]

my largest new home builder got a $350 toilet from me last year (installed) and my largest remodeler got a high end meal out.

I didnt have many new homes this year and all my small remodelers gave me almost no work.
the largest customer was a fire/water restoration company...i should have gotten them something, but because they have 40 employees it scared me off..They have 2 locations and there isnt a time when everyone there.

I always send out family Christmas cards to all my builders/remodelers....I want the customers to know Im a small family business man.

My suppliers usually give me stuff. typically to eat...this year nothing.every one's hurting too much.

[Patrysha]

My husband gets (and gives) tons of presents because he's a teacher.

I have to be selective in my gift giving because I just don't have the cushion to be able to give out nice gifts. I'd rather give nothing than something that isn't nice.

I hate when companies give promotional products disguised as gifts...the radio station did that every year. High quality winter jackets, sports suits that would be nice if they weren't plastered with their logo and name.

[Dan Furman]

Dan's comment takes me back to the old days when as a salesman I flew around the Americas wining and dining customers. Nice way of doing business. Not to many jobs like that any more. Still are a few industries, but not many.

Basic principal of that kind of sales is make friends with your customer and they will buy from their friends all things being equal.

Ah the good old days.

sigh.... I used to be a manager/buyer in a truckstop store. The competition for general items (about 70% of the store) was between 3 vendors who all had a similar line. I was prettymuch free to buy whatever from whomever - I could give all the business to one, half and half to two, etc. And this was old-fashioned - the rep would come every month and write an order.

Some of the other managers in the chain would use one guy for like 90% of the stuff - I would use about an equal amount from all three. Why? Because they'd take me out for dinner and drinks when they came. I just couldn't shut any of them out.

Yes, the good old days indeed... :)

[nealrm]

I'll give you a secret on the baskets. They don't have to be very expensive. It's the thought that counts in this case. I would say the largest basket we made was about $25. That one went to a office of 40. A couple of pounds of good fresh ground coffee, some good tea, cider, hot chocolate, and a couple handfuls of good candies. Put them on a nice platter and add a pick. Wrap the whole this in a nice wrapping and you are done. It takes more time than money.

[Patrysha]

Yeah, but when you don't have time...it gets a bit more expensive. The items you described in a prepared basket here would be at least $75 here. Not that I have any 40 staff clients. The client I have with the largest staff has five.

[KristineS]

I hate when companies give promotional products disguised as gifts...the radio station did that every year. High quality winter jackets, sports suits that would be nice if they weren't plastered with their logo and name.

When I worked at the local ABC affiliate we used to see a ton of this sort of stuff too. Some of the swag from the shows was kind of fun at least for the staff at the station, but nobody among the customers really wanted the stuff.

It is funny too how that practice has really faded. 10 years ago we used to get lots of Christmas treats, mostly food. Now we don't get any or very few. I suppose that sort of thing is one of the first things to go when money is tight.

[KarenB]

This reminds me of The Office episode where Michael and Dwight give Gift Baskets to their clients to try and win them back. (It was funny, but didn't quite work for them.)

Anyway, hope you've had a better experience than they did :).

I know the EXACT episode you are talking about!

Yes, this time of year brings out the best (and sometimes the weirdest) in people!

Karen

[Paper Shredder Clay]

That is a great idea and I loved that you said it was a task you can't delegate to someone else. Great Job!!!

[jamestl2]

I know the EXACT episode you are talking about!


Glad I'm not the only office fan here :).

I actually got a few DVDs for Christmas and one contained the episode. The funny thing about the episode too is that the whole reason they're giving gift baskets to combat the new company website. They feel threatened by new technology coming in and taking their jobs.

[yoyoyoyoyo]

Seen that episode and love that show :)

---

From a customer/client perspective: I would be happy to receive something (a gift card, chocolates, coffee, etc.) from someone I was doing business with. It would speak to my ego, and say "hey, this guy REALLY appreciates my business; I will continue to go with him if I need anything else."

From a business owner perspective: if I was to go this route, i'd be afraid of what would happen if my gift wasn't of equal or greater value the next year. The guy might feel I skimped on him this time, even feel like another gift, the proceeding year was to be expected, even "owed" to him; and i'd have to deal with the stress of...

1) getting another present to him next year

and

2) not having him/her feel like "last year's gift was better than this year's... bummer" :(

---

too much of a hassle for some people, but then again, a great idea for others.