12/02/2024
The Art (and Chaos) of Client Gifting...
I don’t know much about the five love languages, but I’m pretty sure gift-giving is one of them—and it’s one I firmly believe in for clients. Following the rules of Giftology, I live by two principles:
1. Timing matters: Gifts mean more when they're not during expected times (i.e. Christmas or New Years).
2. Quality over quantity: Get the best-in-class for your budget. A $100 mug is better than a cheap $100 decanter.
We’ve had some wins:
- A tournament-style ping pong table for Vedder Holsters. During a visit, we noticed the perfect spot for it, and they mentioned how much fun it would be. The table wasn’t just a gift; it showed we were paying attention and invested in their office culture.
- Avery sent Ken a kosher dinner after he expressed interest in cultural cuisine. Kugel, cholent, wine—the works. Later, Avery spotted Ken browsing for a specific golf putter on eBay (from a screenshot Ken shared of an unrelated ad). So, Avery got him that exact putter.
- Ronnie tracked down a signed vinyl from Ruth’s favorite indie band and a signed Miami Heat cap for ComicsKingdom. Thoughtful, personal, perfect.
- Joe at Finsweet received an Oculus for himself and his kids—they were over the moon.
- And let’s not forget my favorite gift, event tickets. A win-win, really. I get to hang out with a client at a game.
And, of course, there have been misses:
- A handmade leather MacBook sleeve for Gary's new computer. Beautiful, yes. Functional? Not really. Gary didn’t use it. I noticed. He noticed I noticed. It was awkward.
- A Gucci hat for a client who used to love Gucci—before falling on hard times. The gift didn't send the right message.
- A luxury pen for a jewelry CEO, presented in a gorgeous rosewood box. I thought it was perfect. He thought … nothing. The gift bag sat untouched on the credenza as we left. A couple days later, the CEO says something to the effect that I should have bought something on the website the previous day to help push the single-day revenue to a new record.“I would have,” I demured, “but after spending all that money on the pen …” “What pen?” he asked.
Here’s the thing: we’ve never sent a client gift with our logo—or theirs—and we never will. A gift isn’t about us; it’s about showing care, listening closely, and building relationships. Sometimes we hit the mark, sometimes we miss, but the thought and effort behind it always matter.
P.S. Many of you let us know you've had some of the busiest client days over the last week, and we heard you (also, same)... Our 40% off Black Friday sale at the AdVenture Academy has been extended until tonight at midnight! I'll drop the link in the comments.