Looking for corporate gift ideas for clients or staff? Or perhaps you’ve found one you think fits the bill perfectly? Hold fire for a second – make sure you get clued up on all the gift giving faux-pas you need to avoid before delivering your corporate gifts. Whether you want to make a good impression among loyal customers or to reward hard-working employees, corporate gift giving can be tricky. Tread the line carefully when choosing your gifts – follow our guide on the top 10 business gift giving mistakes to avoid.

Gifts For Clients You Should Avoid

Avoiding cheap corporate presents is a must when trying to impress. If a corporate gift looks inexpensive, it will only defeat the point of buying it in the first place. Loyal customers or hard-working employees deserve to be shown gratitude through your corporate gift giving, and if their present appears cheap and unthoughtful, it’s a lost opportunity to build trust and respect.

While cheap gifts should be avoided at all cost, making sure you don’t go overboard with your business gift giving is just as important. A gift that has obviously cost a small fortune can make the recipient feel uncomfortable, especially if it’s out of proportion to the amount they spend with you or the salary you pay them. Play it safe with a realistic budget – if you don’t spend too little and avoid spending too much, your gift should send just the right message.

One of the most important rules to follow when buying gifts for co-workers or clients – being sensitive to their cultural or religious beliefs. Take into account that your recipient may not celebrate the same holidays that you do. For example, delivering a corporate Christmas gift for a Jehovah’s Witness, or a present containing pork for someone of Muslim faith, may be interpreted as insensitive. Instead, make sure that you know your gift recipient well enough to know when to send – and when not to. After all, why not take the opportunity to send out gifts for events they celebrate – even if you don’t?

This type of present is the epitome of trying too hard, and one that should be avoided at all costs. Stick to the boundaries of a professional gift – trying to guess what your recipient likes can come across as inappropriate and it could cause offence.

Funny corporate gifts – as witty and comedic as the joke may be, depending on the humour of your client or employee, it can be hit or miss. Unless you are confident your humour will be well received, the best option is to play it safe and professional.

Business gift giving with a promotional message behind it is never a good way of creating strong relationships. Adding a logo to your gift is more than acceptable, but creating a marketing tactic to increase profit gain or an upsell on a contract isn’t a wise choice. A corporate gift should show your gratitude and appreciation, or reward hard work – if the recipient thinks you’re only sending it for promotional gain, the purpose of your corporate gift giving will become pointless.

When thinking of gift ideas for clients, sending them out with immaculate presentation is essential. Not only do these corporate presents represent your brand and company, but if they arrive unwrapped or with an obvious lack of effort, your present will seem instantly less appealing. Look for a corporate gift provider that specialises in immaculately presented gifts and you should be on track for gifting success.

To play it safe, keep it corporate. For an element of professionalism, why not try branded corporate hampers? Etched with laser engraving with your desired message and company logo, these professional gifts are a quick win to developing strong relationships and ensuring recipients feel appreciated and respected. They’ll also help your company to stay front of mind with important clients.

Now you’re in the know about which business gift ideas to avoid, why not explore our full selection of corporate hampers? Perfect for showing your loyalty and appreciation for either colleagues or customers. Buy online today.