| |
| |
|
Management Information |
|
Christmas and Business Gifts for Your Clients and Employees!
Tis' the season for business and corporate gift-giving! If you believe in the law of reciprocity, and if your business is the least bit successful you must; you know that giving back is not only the right thing to do, but it's very smart business as well. Let's look at some of the benefits and mechanics of Christmas and holiday gift-giving. * WHY DO IT AT ALL? Gift giving is an excellent way to not only say thank you for all the business and continued loyalty your clients and customers have shown over the past year, it help to solidify relationships and in some cases, actually tilt the playing field in your favor. A well-conceived business gift will speak volumes on your integrity, thoughtfulness and sincerity and may make the difference between you and a competitor. As for employees, the days of 50 years and a gold watch are long gone, so a token of appreciation during the holidays or other special occasions can turn a mediocre relationship into one of fierce loyalty. * WHEN TO DO IT? Obviously Christmas and the season surrounding it are the major themes here. Other times of the year, such as Thanksgiving, Easter, Labor Day etc., may also present golden opportunities as it is not expected then. Other times to consider might include occasions such as a business anniversary, marriage, births, promotions, new offices or branches, and possibly retirement(ESPECIALLY of a competitor!) * WHAT TO GIVE? This can be the most difficult part of the process. All of us have been the recipient of the cookie cutter approach, as the countless fruitcakes of Christmases past haunt our freezers. In a large company, it's difficult to avoid this, but by bearing this in mind, you'll be able to come up something unique and stand out above the rest. Also think of the nature of the business relationship. Anything inappropriate would not only be unappreciated, but could have the opposite effect of that you're trying to achieve. If you can, try to make it as personal as posssible, reflecting the interests and likes of the person receiving the gift. Be mindful of religious differences, as you don't want to offend in that area either. While striving to give the nicest gift possible within your budget, take care not to appear as though you are bribing anyone for business or loyalty. * HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THIS? Start as soon as possible, and dedicate at least one person to work on this solely, as depending on the size of your list, it can become onerous. Given enough time and resource, however, it can be done quickly and efficiently. Shopping online has made things so much simpler. You can find so many more choices with the click of a mouse than you could with weeks of prospecting on foot. Many of your favorite brick and mortar merchants now have an online presence as well, as they too recognize the immense possibilities of the medium. Take advantage of web vendors, many of whom offer free shipping, corporate and bulk discounts, and many other perks to get your business. It really is a time-saver! Christmas and Holiday gift-giving isn't the gargantuan task it used to be. The internet and a smart strategy make it profitable and enoyable! About The Author (c)Keith Thompson 2004 Keith Thompson is webmaster of GiftsForBiz.com, and the recipient of many BAD holiday gifts. See some great choices at his website!
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Factoring Financing: How to Grow Your Business Without Debt or Loans What is factoring?Accounts receivable financing, also known as factoring, is a powerful financial tool that has fueled the growth and success of a number of companies. Factoring enables companies to capitalize on their unpaid receivables by selling them to a factoring company for immediate payment. Knowledge Management - Creating a Sustainable Yellow Pages System How can I "know who knows" None of us can personally know more than around 250 people, yet we want our companies to be smart, learning organisations where it's easy to find the right person to talk to. This is why many organisations create "yellow pages" applications, which enable employees to find and contact other staff with particular expertise and skills. Faith is the LIFE-blood of Your ACTIONS before the Benefit - Nothing has changed. Your ancestors lived by faith. Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Training is in the Eye of the Beholder This article relates to the Training competency, commonly evaluated in employee surveys. It comments on the value of training to both the company and its workforce. Does Your State Like To Keep Your Workers Compensation Secrets Hidden? Workers compensation secrets are hidden deep within piles and piles of bureaucratic mumbo jumbo. They are sometimes used as high priced paper weights for over worked government workers who may or may not be totally interested in seeing that you find the exact information that you are looking for. Nonprofit Performance: Outcome Measurement Can Be A Good Thing Does the idea of program evaluation make your stomach churn? If so, you're not alone. Many nonprofit professionals and volunteers view program evaluation with fear. Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Creating a Culture of Empowerment This article relates to the Culture & Climate competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. AlphaMeasure defines climate as the effect an organization has on the employees, while culture refers more to the acceptable behaviors, attitudes, and habits of the organization as a whole. Business Innovation - the Value of Work Processes Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Improving Workplace Safety This article relates to the Safety and Working Environment competency and explores how your employees feel with regard to their physical and environmental working conditions, the quality of their equipment and tools, and overall attention to safety within the workplace. Every organization is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of their employees. Increasing Employee Retention Through Employee Engagement You've seen it happen many times. An organization that provides top wages and benefits loses a great employee to a competitor for no apparent reason. Reprimanding Marginal Employees THE MARGINAL PERFORMER: Every manager must, from time to time, deal with a marginal performer - an employee whose work, for the most part, is satisfactory, but who regularly fails in some specific area or areas to maintain a satisfactory level of performance. The work of the marginal performer can be classified as substandard in some cases but not so poor as to warrant immediate termination. Todays Employees and Their New Needs: What You Need to Know Today's employees are not only interested in security or in pay and fringe benefits. They are often placing increased value on being recognized and involved in reaching personal growth goals. Innovation Management: The Hype Cycle Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. 10 Ways To Work Through A Business Slowdown In running any kind of business, it's inevitable that sometimes business will slow down. This might occur due to an upcoming holiday, seasonal variations, or uncontrollable circumstances. Contract Management Software: the Solution to the Problem of Coordination Charles Petrie, from Stanford, released a short article entitled "The Problem of Coordination," which highlights 4 categories in which businesses find it difficult to connect:InteroperabilityAgent CommunicationSemantic UnificationCoordinationThough this article refers to a specific type of business, its principles are just as applicable to any business, especially when collaborating on a contract. Contract collaboration and management is difficult in any business, and the negotiations can go on for weeks, months, or even years. Do You Really Care What People Think? You had better care! Because what people think usually leads to predictable behaviors that can really affect your business, non-profit or association for better or worse.Look at your employees. Stopping The Brain Drain: How To Capture Key Business Knowledge Before It Walks Out The Door The verdict is in: More and more baby boomers will be leaving the workplace sooner, rather than later. Many industries are predicting that between 25 and 45% of their more senior employees will soon be departing their organizations. Working with Hearing Impaired Employees - Giving Them a Fair Go Hearing impaired people often encounter difficulty at workbecause their disability isn't visible. I'd like to relateto you, briefly, the sorry saga of a young man who has recently been dragged through a performance managementprocess, essentially brought about by misunderstanding,frustration on his behalf, and failure by an employer tomake a 'reasonable adjustment' [Australian law includes the concept of reasonable adjustment which in effect means that employers are required to make reasonable adjustments necessary to enable employment opportunities for disabled people]in relation to this person's employment. Twitch Speed: Reaching Younger Workers Who Think Differently Every parent, educator, and manager knows that "Nintendo children"--those born after 1970 and raised on video and computer games, Walkmans, the Internet, etc.--are different. 7 Steps To Hire The Best You can use this step-by-step method to hire applicants who are likely to be "superstar" employees:- highly productive- low-turnoverImportant: Focus on hiring applicants you rate positively on all seven prediction methods.1st Prediction Method = Brief Initial Screening InterviewIf an applicant's application looks suitable, then conduct BISI, a customized 15-30 minute over-phone or in-person interview.
|
| home | site map | contact us |