Many time the intention is to gain business ties, connect with clients, and send your message of appreciation. Knowing the following corporate gift buying essentials will increase your chances of attaining these goals.

Follow up:

Know the company policy –
Some companies prohibit gift giving; some have dollar limits on the gift item; while other don’t have limits at all. Check on this particular detail so that you will know how much you have to spend on a particular item to avoid your gift being sent back to you.

First impressions last a long time ! – Packaging is important. This will make a good first impression to the receiver. Good packaging will send a message to the recipient that he or she is important to you. Poor packaging on the other hand will tell the recipient that the item inside is not that important, or worse, the recipient may think that he is not important. So regardless of the price of the gift inside the package, it is important that a corporate gift is packed appropriately.

Handwritten cards are much appreciated –
Yes, it is easier to buy a Hallmark card and put your signature on it together with your gift, but it will leave a more lasting effect if your message is handwritten. This would mean that you personally wrote the massage to the person instead of using a ready-made one.

Deliver the gift personally –
If your gift does not require a crane or more than one person to carry, make it a point to personally deliver the gift to the intended party. This will create a better and lasting impression of you.

Know the cultural differences –
For Germans, red roses mean romantic intentions. For Chinese, a white gift wrapping symbolizes death. For Japanese, a gift in sets of 4 means death. These are some of the cultural differences or symbolisms that you need to take note of when considering giving a corporate gift to someone of another culture. You may have the best of intentions but it is safe to follow and respect who they are and what they believe in.

Know the recipient's wants –
Knowing what kind of corporate gift to buy is very challenging and is often very risky. Sometimes, if you have no idea what to give, you often end up giving the wrong kind of gift. This will hurt your image as well as your company's image. To lessen the difficulty and reduce the risk, know the person who will receive the gift; what are his/her wants, his hobbies, interest, etc. What is the best way to do it? Make a call and ask him.

Go for quality –
The corporate gift often reflects your company's image. It is hard to build up a reputation and good image, do not ruin it by giving something of low quality. Choose a corporate gift that is of high quality but does not destroy your budget.

Check the IRS deductions – The IRS Publication 463 is something you should know of since business gifts in America are tax deductible (as much as $25/person in a tax year). This excludes shipping the gift and packaging. Other rules may apply to different types of businesses.

Look for great corporate gifts HERE !!