How to Be a Good Christmas Gifts Buyer: 10 Top Tips

Christmas promotions, particularly those involving corporate gifts, will get your clients into the festive spirit and remind them how much they're valued by your company. Christmas corporate gifts will also help prospective and new customers to gain a positive impression of your brand as generous and fun.

In order to help you buy the best corporate gifts and get the most out of them, we've made this list of 10 top tips for Christmas gift buying.

1. Order Gifts Early

It's important to remember that lots of businesses use corporate gifts at Christmas, so the gift you want might not be available if you order it too close to the holidays. Avoid the disappointment of being told your gift is out of stock by ordering as early as possible.

2. Choose A Unique Gift

A unique corporate gift might be an unusual item, such as a branded cocktail shaker, or a more common product with unusual or ornate branding, like an embroidered make-up bag. By choosing something original you will ensure your corporate gift stands out and is remembered.

A cocktail shaker is something clients can use during the holiday season, and that will also be kept for a long time after

3. Tailor Gifts to Clients

If you are buying Christmas corporate gifts for a few individuals who have been loyal to your company for years, use your knowledge of clients' tastes to get them something you know they'll like to make the gift more meaningful. If you're buying corporate gifts for lots of people, think about the more general tastes of your target market - if your customers are mainly young and tech-savvy, they might like a selfie stick or some other gadget.

Selfie sticks are appropriate Christmas gifts because they can be used at seasonal parties and to capture happy memories

4. Choose a Long-Lasting Gift

Seasonal products don't have to be throw away items that are forgotten as soon as Christmas is over. A branded umbrella will remain useful all year round, as will a stylish leather notebook. By choosing lasting gifts you will get more for your money, as your branding will continue to be seen well into the future.

A leather notebook has a high-end feel that will make customers feel appreciated

5. Take Care if Choosing Perishable Gifts

Chocolate, sweets and all edible gifts should be properly stored, usually somewhere cool and dry. You should check storage requirements before ordering to make sure you can provide adequate storage conditions if the gifts are being delivered to you first, instead of going direct to clients. You should also consider use-by dates - you don't want your gift to expire before it reaches the recipient.

Remember, chocolate gifts will melt so make sure you have somewhere cool to store them

6. Use Appropriate Gift Packaging

It would make a poor impression if your gift got to the recipient looking battered or damaged. Make sure this doesn't happen by thinking about the type of gift and how it should be packaging it will need. A teddybear might not need much cushioning, but a wine set will probably need to be bubblewrapped before sending. You should also try to make your gift look inviting - nice wrapping and a handwritten note will add a lovely, personal touch.

Nice wrapping will send the message that lots of time and effort has gone into this gift, which can make all the difference

7. Be Aware of Company Policy

There are some companies that forbid gift giving and receiving, so do your research to make sure you aren't sending a gift to an individual at a company with such a rule. Other companies might have a policy to pool all gifts and give them out in a raffle, which will mean your carefully selected photo frame goes to someone who might not appreciate it that much.

A leather picture frame makes a lovely gift for someone's office desk or mantelpiece at home

8. Double Check Client Details

Make sure your corporate gift ends up in the right place with the right person by double checking name spellings and addresses. You should also try to find out more specific details like size and dietry requirements if these are relevant. You don't want to send a Christmas brandy glass to a tee-totaller!

A crystal brandy glass can be laser engraved with branding or a personalised design

9. Stick to a Budget

Work out how much is reasonable to spend and what you think the return on your investment will be before you even start looking at corporate gifts. It's no good getting carried away and ordering items that look nice but won't help your business in the long run. Once you've decided on a budget, you can inform your corporate gifts supplier and ask for their help in suggesting corporate gifts that won't exceed it.

10. Make Sure Your Client is Around to Receive the Gift!

If sending your gift to an office location you should make sure your customer is still going to be at work when it arrives. Remember that people take extra time off to be with family at this time of year. This is where ordering your gifts early will help - the sooner you organise your corporate gifts, the better chance they have getting to their recipients in plenty of time for Christmas!

Browse Christmas Gifts >>

Still have questions about how to get the most out of your Christmas corporate gifts? We are just a phonecall away, so please get in touch on 01204 577 995.