Data that actually delves into the theory or tactic of effective corporate gifting is few. Businesses are left scrambling to take their place in their engagement model since conferences are currently on pause for the near future and the expenditures associated with all those events are in limbo.
How can you engage customers without actually engaging them? It's an issue that practically every business is dealing with, but even in this period of social estrangement, we still have the chance to use personalized gifts to forge in-person connections.
Everyone enjoys receiving gifts, but in a working setting, it's a different story. Recipients always express excitement when receiving a gift that is personalized for them, just as they do when receiving gifts for themselves. In corporate gifting, however, the gift itself is seldom the main agenda, but instead a tangible asset that aids in communicating it.
We examined how gifting assists companies in bringing in new prospects, influencing the pipeline, and keeping customers in our infographic on strategic gifting. Here, we reverse the roles and consider the effect of giving from the viewpoint of the recipient.
The buyer of today has access to more knowledge than ever. Prospects may self-serve a lot of the way through their technology assessment process because to the advent of the internet, social media, and review sites. The majority of sales processes haven't changed as a result, and reps continue to approach prospects as though they require instruction and direction rather than paying attention to their requirements and collaborating with them to address them.
This is seen in the normal early sales behavior of prospects.
Customers are less tolerant of sales techniques, as seen by their deletion of homogenous, automated emails and their disregard for spam-like communications on LinkedIn. Because of the enormous amount of digital marketing that purchasers must sort through, sales teams have a bad reputation.
To combat this, corporate giving can be a digital storefront that offers customers a distinctive, personalized shopping experience, fosters trust, and gradually builds brand loyalty.
Here are some strategies your team can employ to make the most of the stalled conference money and establish genuine connections that will boost client retention, brand visibility, and top-of-funnel conversions.
- Giving can disrupt regular shopping habits.
Customers each have particular purchasing habits that can be challenging to change. Giving presents may help break this behavior provided the message and method of delivery are appropriate. In this Forbes piece, our vice president of sales, Patty DuChene, goes into greater detail on the physics behind pattern interrupt: "Pattern interrupt is an incredibly powerful sales tactic that may instantly alter peoples' habits, presumptions, beliefs, and judgments because it forces them to stop relying on their default responses."
- Guidelines for Scheduling a Meeting with Giveaways
Leads must be educated by sales and marketing to understand how your company solves their problem.
Despite the fact that you may accomplish this using digital content like eBooks, webinars, live Q&A sessions, weblogs, nurturing emails, etc., these methods omit a physical exchange that reaffirms the value proposition.
Meetings to Schedule Gifts
Multiple businesses frequently request meetings from the leads in your funnel, but they typically offer nothing in return. Unless, of course, you give people a reason to come. In order to demonstrate respect, the gift is given: "I am asking for a little of your attention, which is valuable; as a result, here is a present to say thank you in advance." Even though everyone is busy, people that feel valued will probably find some time to listen to you out.
You may be familiar with the "locked bottle prank," in which you send the recipient a barricaded bottle of alcohol but don't provide the key until they show up for the meeting. This can be done using a variety of things to appeal to different prospects. Now, to some people, this might seem cunning, so be sure to know your prospect's personality beforehand.
A book that connects to the business model of your solution and its role is a gift that benefits the majority of personas. Using a knowledge-centric strategy enhances your offering by reflecting professionalism and pushing it to the next level.
Delivering coffee or lunch is another present that works great whenever you need to encourage a diverse number of people to attend a meeting. Since "meeting for coffee" is no longer a thing in a world where the majority of people live totally online, you can nevertheless create the same atmosphere for your virtual meeting with coffee deliveries or eGift cards.
- Establish a link between the gift and the message or worth you convey.
There is a reason why storytellers have emphasized their points with props since the beginning of time. According to renowned cognitive researcher Jerome Bruner, when given a fact wrapped up in a tale, we are 20 % more likely to recall it.
A wider picture is represented through stories. How do you communicate your brand's story?
83 percent of Americans say they enjoy receiving shipments, and 90 percent of potential customers indicate they are open to speaking with salespeople at the beginning of the purchasing process. Giving gifts to prospects might improve your chances of developing a relationship based on trust.
Establish brand parity
Following an email with a postcard to introduce oneself can make the receiver feel more human since it can be their first time receiving such a thing. A piece of advice: to effectively represent your business image across numerous media maintain your offline design similar to your online design.
In fact, combining physical and online communication can boost response rates by 118 percent (2018 DMA Response Rate Report). The lack of channel variety makes using only one or the other less efficient.
In this time period, buyers have the advantage. All we could do as sales representatives is search for fresh approaches to build greater loyalty and trust. Due to the intense competition to be seen and heard on digital channels, overall returns are beginning to decline. Giving gifts offline improves the purchasing experience, which increases the likelihood that your company will meet all of its sales targets.
Every connection a firm has with customers, leads, and customers has intrinsic value. It's crucial that sales teams maintain interpersonal relationships even while handshakes and in-person meetings are momentarily gone.
There must be a solution to cut through this digital cacophony when the typical person receives over 100 emails each day.
Automated gifting is now more accessible than ever thanks to offline interaction tools, which may demonstrate reciprocity and enhance the value of each communication channel.
The genuineness of your message can be translated into something concrete and indicative of the value you offer, from scheduling meetings to customer retention.