Always remember why you bought the corporate giveaways. This is the stuff you ask your staff to justify before you let them use the items.!
A former boss of mine was very strict about allowing access to valuable assets. “Do you have any idea of how expensive those items are?”He would tell us. You can read the subtext to learn more. “No you can’t give one of our biggest customers a few pounds/dollars worth of promotional ballpens”. Fair enough, he thought these gifts were only for company big events… golf days and trade shows… not for account managers building relationships. It’s a bit of a shame.
It was all of this that made me smile yesterday when I got a call from a happy client. It was more of an opportunity. (Do you ever notice that people can be either problem-oriented or opportunity-oriented?).
A small number of businessmen, some really powerful, offered him the chance to meet them. This is the kind of chance you can’t refuse, so he decided to gift each one a folder. They are used for training sessions, where every delegate gets one. This is the issue. He was able to calculate how many folders would be needed, and had bought enough to keep him going for several months… until the opportunity came up. He was unsure how he could give away the dozen folders he needed and then compromise his self with future delegates. Even he was asking the question. “should I give these VIP’s a folder each when I meet them, or maybe just give one to the organiser, and a pen to the rest of them?”
Keep in mind why these items are being purchased. They can be passive income generators. The corporate gift is like a time bomb that can lead to unanticipated business opportunities. You never know when it will explode! These gifts can be activated in a matter of seconds, or for many years.
My client was right to make the best choice. My client gave each delegate a folder and ensured that his supplier was stocked up for the training program. Win, win.
You should give away promotional items and not keep them in your stash.