Great Thank You Gift Ideas for Your Customers

With so many non-traditional gifts in the marketplace, it’s hard to sift through the Google results for “corporate thank you gifts”. There are tons of Pinterest boards and Etsy stores dedicated to making the perfect gift package for a client, but so much energy has to go into creating things. I want to find something special for my clients that will make me relevant and make them happy to have me.

Of course, there are a lot of considerations like budget, taste, timeline, and personal touch to evaluate, but we’ve put together a list of gift ideas that cover a lot of bases and are some great go-to magic for existing clients. At the end of the day, we think you’ll appreciate these great thank you gift ideas.

1) A Personalized Coffee Mug With THEIR Company Name On It, Not Yours

Why their name?

Because, as Dale Carnegie put it, “Remember that a man’s name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

A mug with your name or logo will quickly find its way into the back of the office cupboard. A mug with their name on it is much, much more valuable to your customer, and will likely become a frequently used item.

And every time they see it, they’ll remember who gave it to them.

2) A Madison Food Bite

Instead of the standard overpriced catalog basket of dry cheese and forgettable crackers, send a thoughtful local favorite to your customers. In Madison, our favorite is one of the local chocolate makers, Gail Ambrosius. There are tons of great local artisans to help set your name on the tip of your clients palate, but make sure to get your name on the packaging with a sticker or wrapping.

3) A Calendar

4) A Discount

What do you get for the person that has everything? Make your customers a hero in their workplace by offering a special discount on your services. What better time of year to say thank you and if you show up with something like a coupon for services or a discount on products in the coming year. An offer that benefits them will solidify their allegiance to your business.

Just remember that a discount can be a very appreciated gift, but it has to have personal value to the recipient.

5) A Handwritten Thank You Note

A gift doesn’t always have to be expensive. A simple note of thanks can have just as much impact as long as it is authentic. Try to find an interesting paper that makes a statement for you!

6) A Favorite Book

Books can change people’s lives. Your customers and employees will appreciate any book. Business books, novels, an old favorite, anything. Be sure to include a personalized note about why it’s meaning to you.

For customers with long commutes, consider a podcast or audiobook gift card. Or maybe even a pre-loaded personalized iPod.

7) Branded Highlighters

Why highlighters, and not pens? Pens are still number one in the promotional products business the simple reason that they are very useful. But they are also cheap and tend to get lost or forgotten resulting in a shorter shelf life than a go-to desk item like a highlighter. If you give someone a quality highlighter, your client will find a way to make use of it and every time they do, they’ll be reminded of you.

8) Personal Email

Here’s a secret: you don’t have to spend much time, or any money to send a gift that’s welcome and appreciated. A sincere thank you to a client or any employee can make a huge impact on your relationship. This should be done at all times of year, but if you didn’t get a chance to do it, the turn of the year is a great time to send out a personalized “thanks”.

9) Notebooks

Notebooks are back. We still need to keep track of our to-dos and keep notes on client meetings. Put a short message on the first page and tag the inside of the cover with a thank you or quote like, “Get lost in your thoughts.” There are some unique and trendy designs and they can be completely personalized for your brand if you’d like.

10) Customized Fortune Cookies

“Branded” food can often be really boring and corporate. Nobody wants a generic chocolate bar with your company’s logo on it.

Fortune cookies, on the other hand, are fun to eat. They’re interactive, and everyone likes breaking them open to find the message inside.

With custom fortune cookies, like the ones from the Kansas City Fortune Cookie Company, you can combine the power of a heartfelt thank you note with the joy of, well, cookies.

Depending on how many you buy, these can be as cheap as just pennies per cookie, so they can be an economical way to say thanks to your customers.

It’s Not Too Late

Whether you want to send your customers a gift or a simple thank you, you can still get it done before the holidays if you act now. Hopefully these great thank you gift ideas can help you land some business in 2017.