Sales Enablement, Contract Renewal, Customer Retention and More!
Today, your tech stack probably features CRM, marketing automation, video, and even artificial intelligence. It’s now easier than ever to reach your contacts through different channels and gauge their interest automatically. This is great for your sales team, of course, because the sales cycle is now so easy that it often manages itself. However, the ability to be constantly in touch with leads has taken the personal aspect out of sales.
Communications are often impersonal, automated, or generic, and your leads know this. The personal touch that was necessary in the past is now lost in a wash of constant communication. Luckily for you, it means that it’s easy to stand out by actually making your sales process intimate and personal through corporate gifting.
According to Forbes.com, “over 80% of C-suite executives believe that business gifts generate measurable positive ROI in addition to the intangible benefits.” This makes total sense, especially when you consider how rarely competitors are engaging in corporate gifting. We sell in an ecosystem that allows you to be closer to your leads than ever, but rarely take the extra step to show we care outside of an email.
The use cases for gifting are numerous, with each being an opportunity to show investment and interest into your client. When you first close a deal with an opportunity, send them a personal note and a small personalized gift to let them know that you value their relationship, instead of them being just another dollar on your books. Show interest from the beginning, and your investment will be reciprocated.
Later on, when it comes time for contract renewal, don’t just leave them a voicemail. Send a card, tailored to them, and a nice keepsake to keep your company at the top of their mind. If your client is a golfer, send them some golf balls or tees. A coffee drinker? A custom mug with their name on it should do the trick. Utility gifts like these get regular use and make sure they are thinking of your business day in and day out.
You can also send a personal note or a gift in your on-boarding or troubleshooting process. On-boarding and troubleshooting can be a timely and frustrating task for your clients, and is often a point where many drop off. You can improve your retention numbers by nurturing them through the process, and following up at the end with a gift as a congratulations or a thank you.
Gifting isn’t just for leads and customers though. Many businesses have begun to use gifting to deliver collateral and materials to new hires. Getting a package from a new employer with company-branded swag and a welcome letter from the C-Suite creates a great first impression and increases employee retention as well. Your employees need to be nurtured, just like any lead would.
All of this is to say that sales and marketing have gotten increasingly easy to manage, but increasingly impersonal too. Companies have no problem spending $60,000 on a CRM/marketing automation suite, but pass up on sending a $15 cup of coffee. Why? Depending on the products or services your business offers, a $15 mug can deliver 100x ROI easily, just because your prospect knows that you care.
Sales is more about developing rapport and relationships than it is about closing quick deals. That being said, it is now easier than ever to create memorable experiences through gifting. Platforms like our Rocket Notes tool for Salesforce allow you to send one-off gifts or one-to-many gifts via campaigns without ever leaving your CRM. So take an extra 30 seconds and an extra 30 bucks and show that you value your recipient. Your clients will thank you, and so will your sales team.