IN THE CORPORATE world, this time of year can be taxing and downright stressful. With the holidays and end-of-year recognition ceremonies at hand, businesses know it’s time to dig deep—not just for the right words to say to staffers and customers, but for the right gifts to give them. There are no hard-and-fast rules to follow in selling corporate gifts and awards programs, but with the right techniques and products, it’s guaranteed CEOs will look forward to distributors’ calls year-round.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
There are a number of trends taking place in the promotional business gifts and awards category. According to Jay Donlin, vice president of sales and marketing at Visions Awards & Awardcraft, Celina, Ohio, corporations are moving toward “using natural materials with an emphasis on functionality and classic styling.” In his company’s case, natural materials, such as cherry wood embedded with natural green marble, are being used to create attractive business gift items, including desktop boxes, desk clocks and picture frames. The company also uses a combination of other materials for the construction of business gifts, including wood and crystal, as well as stainless steel and marble.
It is important for distributors to understand tastes in business gifts and awards are changing. Donlin said end-buyers are looking for more meaningful and functional gifts. “As the workplace becomes more and more a ‘home away from home,’” he noted, “items that have intrinsic meaning or … the ability to become more personal have come to the forefront.” He noted timepiece picture frames as an example. “Picture frames represent relationships, and when combined with a clock, [they] indicate relationships over time,” Donlin explained.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
With heightened interest in its line of business gifts and awards, Visions Awards & Awardcraft was forced to create a separate catalog to contain the line. “I think the reason for the increased interest is that this category has grown, in terms of use diversity, material construction and function,” Donlin said.
And with category growth on the up and up, quality is paramount, he asserted. When helping clients decide on quality business gift or award items, Donlin said distributors should suggest items that can provide “permanence, in terms of use,” or those that acquire what he likes to refer to as “desk real estate.” “If your item can remain on someone’s desk for more than a year, you’ve really got something,” he affirmed.
Business gifts and recognition items at Visions Awards & Awardcraft are available anywhere from under $30 to up to $90, making them affordable for most corporate gift programs. “Our best sellers traditionally have been the cherry wood and green marble gift lines,” noted Donlin. “They are classic, yet timeless; [they] exude quality at a reasonable price point, and fit with virtually any office or cubicle environment.”
In a category such as this, priority abounds in keeping designs fresh—a notion Donlin finds important to ensure items resonate with distributors’ clients. “We have a distributor roundtable to discuss design and development, as well as take previously custom-designed items, put a different spin on them and introduce those designs the following year,” he explained.
Along those lines, Donlin provided tips to help distributors sell business gifts and awards more effectively. “Many companies are reluctant to receive gifts from their customers, as it may be perceived as a conflict of interest,” he explained. “When faced with this situation, recommend introducing a top-customer award.” Donlin said the purpose of the award is twofold: “[It will] reduce the time and energy it takes to select a new gift every year, as well as help brand your customers within their client base.”
Although the gift card has become the “it” product in recent years, Donlin predicted its demise in the near future. Due to breakage, he said more than 22 percent of all gift-card values are not redeemed. Furthermore, Donlin said many gift-card buyers are finding out the items leave recipients feeling “unappreciated.” Said Donlin, “The well-intended gift now has a negative association.”
So, if gift cards are not high on the list and good, old-fashioned desk, office and household items are, distributors would do well to start making those corporate gift calls come January.
