Every client your business gets is a valuable one, no doubt. However, unlike parents who shouldn’t play favourites with their children, you can actually have the best clients.
These are the ones you think of when you consider who you have collaborated the most with within a year. To put it simply, top clients are those whose purchases have left others in the dust — and you should reward them for that!
Identifying your top clients matters because, by thanking them, you can deepen your relationship, thus breeding greater loyalty. At the same time, giving your best clients special branded gifts ought to inspire them to continue doing business with you.
Which clients you thank will depend on the “rules” of your gift-giving. Generally, you may decide that you will provide gifts for the top 20% of your clients. Alternatively, you may set a specific dollar amount threshold each client should aim for to become a top one.
As for the gifts, the choice depends entirely on who your clientele is and their interests. With that in mind, we have a few guidelines you may find helpful!
Things to Remember When Thanking Top Clients
Consider the Timing
Of course, you could wait a year for the clients in question to get to the top of your “Best Clients” list. However, you can also surprise the big spenders with holiday or special occasion gifts like branded decanters or personalised headphones. These items will be a great way to show them your care and loyalty are still as strong as ever.
Even better, consider adding short-term thresholds into the mix. For instance, check which clients have made a designated number of purchases or spent an X amount of money in a specific period. Reaching those thresholds should get them an excellent premium gift that clearly sets them apart from others and makes them feel extra-appreciated!
Keep Value and Practicality in Mind
Your thank you gifts mustn’t be cheap or even cheap-looking as they might insult your valuable clients and breed negativity. At the same time, though, you should use your knowledge of your clients to choose the right gifts for them. Unsurprisingly, not every client would be thrilled with a branded bottle of wine or a set of personalised golf products!
There is an easy solution here, though. You want your clients to feel appreciated, so look into their interests and needs. Consider how often they may use the items and whether you may need different classes of gifts for different clients. A bit of research will certainly pay off here as you want to impress them so much that they stick with you for many years to come!
Integrate These Gifts Into Your Budget
The worst part about not defining your top clients is that you may end up with limited funds for your thank you gifts. To avoid that, ensure that you have integrated them into your marketing plan and, above all, accounted for them in your budget.
Calculate in advance how much these items will cost, how many you can give away, and how you’ll deliver them. In addition, as these gifts are a vital part of client retention, even the shipping methods matter. You want to be able to pick high-quality, valuable gifts, and not resort to last-minute, cheap alternatives.
Switch Out Your Gifts Often
Make sure your clients are excited about your thank you gifts so that they have something to motivate them to continue working with you. Don’t be one of those businesses that keep a stock of gifts in some cupboard and give away the same ones every year.
If you change your gifts out frequently, you’ll keep your clients guessing and ensure the gifts are not only fresh but also in line with trends or any new interests that your clientele has developed. In the end, such tokens of affection should show that you’re listening and that you care about them, both as clients and as people.
Personalise Your Gifts
One of the worst mistakes you can make with your thank you gifts is forgetting to brand them. Your clients may be super-loyal overall and not give you any reason to worry about them. Still, you want the gifts to keep reminding them of your business so that your company image gets stronger.
Sometimes, it may seem like branding certain items isn’t doable. But even if you go for gift cards from other businesses (Amazon, for instance), you can get them co-branded with your logo to ensure your clients always know who the gift was from.
Get Some Inspiration From Your Competitors
Finally, try to beat your competitors in this game by looking into their premium gifts. Consider what they’re giving to their top clients, the costs, and the impact those gifts have.
Then, create a list of products or services that would be more useful and overall better than what they have to offer. Use your creativity here to make your company stand out, as that’s the part where your clients should recognise your effort and sense how strong your appreciation is!
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Contact us at 0800 0148 970 or simply email us today for more info, and browse through our vast collection of promo products. Some of them might nudge your imagination in the right direction and help you create branded merch that your clients and customers will love at first glance. We are waiting for your call!
