by Bobbi Stonskas

Created on: July 06, 2009

The holiday season generally ranges from November through January for most religions. As a business, you must remain politically correct and express your gratitude to your customers during the holidays. This is no simple task. You need to find a way to express your appreciation with a general expression of holiday wishes.

Nearly all of your customers should receive a holiday/thank you card. There are many generalized business holiday card selections. Try to keep your card selection away from any one religious viewpoint. A card representing several religious holidays is acceptable. If you choose a secular card, you may be okay, but do you want to risk offending a good-standing customer due to religious differences? It is much safer to select a card with winter scenery on the front and expressing a thank you message for the past year and wishes for a prosperous new year rather than saying Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Mazeltov, etc.

For your top customers, your expression of appreciation should be greater than a card. A small gift of appreciation is reasonable. For those customers that are local, you should also personally deliver the gift. A face-to-face contact is encouraged to build customer loyalty. Prior to presenting the gift to your customer, be polite and ask what their gift receiving policy is. Some companies do not allow any gifts, others allow gifts under a certain value, while others only have limitations such as non-alchoholic gifts, etc. It is best to ask and then present the gift rather than creating an uncomfortable situation by having a gift rejected.

Now, how do you select the appropriate gift for a business to give a customer? Only you can decide. The best gift is one that is appreciated and yet is a marketing tool for your company. Bottles of wine with your company label may be an excellent gift for some customers. However, usually the wine is gone after a short time and your marketing strategy is short-lived. The same falls true for homemade cookies and candies. A shirt or jacket with your embroidered logo will last longer. Such a gift can be difficult to order since you will need to guess appropriate shirt sizes for your gift recipients.

Check into ad specialty catalogs for ideas. Is there something that can hold your logo and express either your company's services or values? Use your creativity to give your gift the extra touch to catch your customer's attention. Here is an example of how to turn a gift of homemade treats into a gift worth talking about: If your company is striving to be more green, continue the green theme for your gift. You can paint a clay pot, affix your companies logo, attach a packet of seeds with a ribbon and fill the pot with wrapped candies. The customer gets the initial treats and can re-use the pot to plant the seeds you've included. Of course, a catchy message on the seed packet or card tops this gift off into perfection.

Although the task of deciding what gift should be given to your customers may be time consuming, if you truly appreciate the business they give you each year, it is a small price to pay. Plan ahead and start early if you can. Gift giving can be great when you have a great gift to give.

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