Travel and Leisure

Business Thank You Etiquette

Business etiquette is a very important factor in business today.The following suggestions may help you when acknowledging a compliment or a gift, or when you are extending a thank you to someone for a job well done.

Saying "please" and "thank you" are not empty gestures. When you say "thank you," you are showing appreciation and displaying confidence.

Receiving compliments graciously should not be hard to do. The trick is to simply say, "thank you" to the colleague, supervisor or client who has complimented you on a job well done.

How do you say thank you after a business breakfast, lunch or dinner? Of course, give an immediate verbal thank you to your host, and then follow up with a note of thanks. Even if you communicate frequently by email a quick, hand-written note is a much more personal and much under used method of conveying extra thanks.

If a co-worker or business associate refers a client to you, thank them for their assistance. A short note will let them know how much you appreciate their collegiality. And they are more likely to refer to you again.

If you have pulled a meeting together with speakers or special guests, make sure to write a thank you to each immediately after the event. Keep a small supply of thank you cards in your desk drawer to make this kind of follow-up quick and easy.There are many events in the corporate world for which gifts are a necessity. When a company shows its appreciation for employees, clients, suppliers, and any other group of people who help to make them the success they are....

Client Appreciation

Travel/Conference Comforts

New Contact Introduction

Company Growth

Congratulations

Closing the Deal

Thank You

Customized Marketing Tools

What Are Gifts and Incentives?

It's very important to realize that corporate gifts are not promotional items. Gifts and incentives are totally different from promotional items given out at trade shows.
Corporate gifts are given to clients with whom you have an ongoing working relationship. They can also be given to your employees to recognize outstanding performance or for personal achievements such as a promotion or birthday.

Please note that sales incentives also differ from gifts. They recognize employees who reach certain goals and employees work to achieve these goals in order to get the incentive. Incentives range in value and type but are usually more extravagant than corporate gifts.

When To Buy For Clients

We usually think of the holiday season as the time when businesses give corporate gifts to their clients. So why don't you make yourself stand out from the crowd by giving gifts in the off season. There's no gift giving protocol that requires you to send gifts only in the holiday season.

For example, think about giving a gift to celebrate the completion of a big project you've worked on with your client. Or how about recognizing a special event? Did your client just open a new office? Gifts are a great way to say "congratulations."

While there are many appropriate times to give gifts - there are also times when you absolutely should NOT give a gift. For example, giving a gift during a bidding process could be seen as bribery.

When To Buy For Employees As with clients, holidays are a popular time to buy for employees. It's a good way to say "thanks for a great year" and the best time to give an annual bonus.

You can also recognize personal achievements, like birthdays, promotions, and the birth of a child with gifts. Small gifts are appropriate and always appreciated.

When considering incentives there are many choices. We often consider sales incentives, but you may also want to consider rewarding a marketing team who creates a great campaign or technical team who works over to get you up and running ahead of schedule. Consider gifts like fruit of the month clubs

Gifts For Clients

After you decide when to give, the question now is what to give. And here you have so many options.

Food gift baskets are a very popular and cost-effective choice. Gourmet gift baskets are sure to please everyone and you can choose from gift baskets ranging in price from $ 20.00 to over $ 100.00 . Popular non-food gifts that are also fairly inexpensive include flowers, and office items.

Whatever you give, if possible try to make it relevant to your client. Think back to your conversations with your client. Did they mention a special hobby or interest? If the gift coincides with a hobby, the gift will be even more appreciated.

For example, if your client mentioned they love fishing, a simple book on fishing would be perfect.

Then make it even more personal by adding their name and a short thank you on the inside cover.

I personally don't suggest charitable donations ... some clients could find this offensive

Gifts For Employees

Plaques and trophies are always a great way to recognize a special achievement your employee makes. They're personal and can be displayed wherever the employee chooses.

Bonuses are a good idea for employees. The idea may seem impersonal, but you can be sure money will be well received. It can be given as a year-end gift, or as an incentive.

Of course, an incentive doesn't have to be money; it can be a holiday, or even a car. Remember that the bigger the incentive, the harder your employees will work for it.

Gift Etiquette

The most important rule, with both employees and clients, is to not offend! And that doesn't just mean not giving a gourmet gift basket with pork to your Jewish client. There are many other ways to offend that you really should make sure to avoid.

Find out if your clients company has a gift giving policy. This is very easy to do by calling the business and ask the receptionist or HR department. Do you know if your own company has a policy, you should also check it out before choosing a gift for your employees or workmates.

Very extravagant corporate gifts (not incentives) are considered inappropriate in most cases. Not only can they appear as bribery with clients, they can make the recipient feel uncomfortable (especially if they want to return a gift).

If you would like to deliver the gift in person this is fine but it is a good idea not to wait around while they open it. If you've sent the gift through the mail, don't ask the recipient if they've received it. The best idea is to call the vendor.

How Much Should You Pay?

You needn't spend a lot to make a good impression with your clients or employees.

It's very common for businesses to spend less than $50 total for each client gift. It's also a good idea to tailor each gift to specific clients ( if you can )- you may also want to spend more on clients that do more business with you.

Monetary gifts for employees are at your discretion and can be a set amount or a percentage of the employee's salary.

If you're a small business and considering an incentive program, big ticket items are out of the question. Instead, consider awarding day trips to somewhere close by like an amusement park for the family, or leisure-oriented items such as theatre tickets, a day at a spa, or a night at a hotel.

Even if you are on a small budget, you can still give gifts and incentives. You just need to be creative. There may well be some creative and crafty people within your organization who will be happy to help you out with ideas or the actual gifts.

With all of the choices out there, gifts and incentives are within any budget. And just think -- gift-giving and incentive programs are not just a sign of generosity; they are a very important part of maintaining positive and healthy relationships with your clients and employees alike.

This article was provided by http://www.gifts-flowers-giftbaskets.com

You are welcome to reprint this article as long as you supply a link to our site