Strong relationships are good business, and a savvy sales team understands that forming personal connections is critical to converting potential clients into returning customers and to keeping longtime clients satisfied.

But sales looks very different these days. Many of the practices that have traditionally allowed businesses to build meaningful relationships with customers require meeting people face-to-face. With in-person events canceled, it can be difficult to reach new clients and to develop authentic connections once you’ve made contact.  

Luckily, the right tools can help your team bring in more business (even during a pandemic). A thoughtful, personalized gifting program can help you generate new leads and strengthen relationships with existing clients. 

Custom Gifts for Personal Connections

A good promotional gift should tell a story, and a custom curated gift box says that you understand your client’s personal and business needs.

The magic of these gifts is their thoughtfulness. For example, if a client works a desk job in a cold climate, you might send cocoa, a mug, and a hoodie. If your customer’s job involves travel, perhaps you include a backpack, a battery pack, and some on-the-go snacks.  

These gifts demonstrate that you understand your customers’ professional lives and also recognize that they are people. This shows that clients of yours can expect the same kind of personalized attention from your company. 

Generating Leads in a Virtual World

Calls and emails only go so far—to reach new clients, consider sending a gift box along with an invitation to a virtual meeting and including a handwritten note.  

This personal touch emphasizes the human relationship behind the business partnership, which builds positive personal associations and increases the chances of a returned call. 

This can go a long way even if you don’t have an established connection with someone. Want to get a meeting or time on their calendar? Try looking through their online profiles to see if there’s anything personal that jumps out at you. For example, if you see they enjoy hiking you can send them a branded mug with a carabiner to attach to a backpack for easy carrying along with a book of the best hikes in their state. 

Alternatively, you can put together a custom campaign designed to get the attention of a particular segment. For example, if you’re targeting the legal segment, you can send out a campaign surrounding the idea of “you be the judge” with a call to action to schedule a meeting.  

Show Your Appreciation

Custom gift boxes are also a great way to strengthen your current client relationships. Because you know these clients already, you also have the chance to make gifting even more personal. Think of it as a way to keep the conversation going. 

For example, if you know your client can’t get enough caffeine, think about including their favorite coffee. If you’ve bonded over your mutual love of corgis, send some dog treats.

Consider also curating a box that is specific to the service you provide. For example, if you recently sold your client a stylish new car, you might send a small bottle of leather cleaner, a sleek matte chrome travel mug, and some aviator-style sunglasses—a gift that shows you not only value your client’s business, but understand how your product fits into their lives.  

Really want to get more sales out of it? It’s certainly alright to ask for a referral. People understand that business success often relies on referrals and if they’ve had a great experience, they’re likely to want to pass along your information.

Don’t Forget to Celebrate 

Celebration builds relationships and strengthens community ties. 

With parties off the table, consider celebrating the holidays virtually by sending a party-themed gift box. You might include cookies, sparkling wine, and puzzle or game—or maybe a nice liqueur, crystal tumblers, and some fireside reading. Your customers will appreciate that you’ve taken the time to create an experience just for them.

 And while your pre-COVID budget probably didn’t account for a birthday party for every client, the virtual party approach is considerably more flexible—you can easily send a birthday party box to each client. The same goes for business anniversaries: one year since a major sale or new partnership venture is a great time to let your clients know how much their business matters to you.

Keep It On Brand

In addition to telling a story about your relationship with your clients, a gift box also says what matters to your company.

Consider sending branded items or even using custom packaging. You can also give products that speak your values such as an assortment of eco-friendly items or a collection of gifts from companies that donate some portion of their proceeds to charitable causes.

Personalized, custom gifts can help you make new connections and strengthen existing ones so both your business and your personal network emerge from the pandemic stronger than before.