Client Welcome Gifts: A Thoughtful Way to Make Your Business Shine
Client Welcome Gifts: A Thoughtful Way to Make Your Business ShineEveryone loves to feel appreciated, and little gifts are one way to make people feel special and important to you—consider how you feel when you receive a swag bag or a great little gift at an event or conference. It is the organizers’ way of saying, “We’re glad you’re here. Thanks for investing in us.” You can give your clients that same great feeling with a client welcome gift.After clients have signed a contract for your services, and the planning has begun, imagine how surprised and impressed they will be to receive a welcome gift! They will feel appreciated and maybe even a little spoiled by you. Gifting clients is a smart business practice, because they will tell others about the sweet gift that their wedding professional bestowed on them. If you make the client gift beautiful, they will probably share a photo of it on social media. And of course, you can share it, too. Here are three tips to create your client welcome gifts.1. Make it personal.
When I gift my clients their “client welcome kits,” I present their personalized wedding planning timeline with it. I purchase the boxes at a shipping center—or sometimes, I find pretty boxes at the Dollar Store. Usually, I paste the timeline to the box lid. Inside, I include items like a small bottle of champagne and French macarons. For destination wedding clients, I purchase Egyptian cotton towels from the local big box club store, roll them up, and tie them with a bottle of sunscreen. Once, I had a mother of the bride who was very involved in the planning and attended every meeting. For that client welcome kit, I included a mini bottle of champagne for the bride and one for the groom, their wedding planning timeline, macarons, and a little bottle of rum for the mom, all tied with ribbon and paper straws. The mother was thrilled, and really touched that I included her.To personalize your welcome gift, review your client intake forms. In that information, you may have found out their favorite brand of alcohol or their favorite treats. Incorporate those things into your gift box to show them that you are paying attention and will be giving them a personalized experience. Your gift could be something useful like a wedding planner/agenda, something luxurious like a couples’ massage, or a token of celebration like champagne and chocolates. Here are a few more ideas of what you could include:
- Mugs
- Specialty teas
- Specialty coffee
- Hot chocolate with little bottles of liquor*
- Dram of champagne
- Flip flops or beach towels in a beach bag
- A box of good chocolates
- Candies in a cute tin
- Cookies
- Two cupcakes
- Popcorn and movie passes
- A scented candle
- A wedding magazine
- A cocktail-making set with recipe
- A wine stopper and bottle of wine*
2. Be sure it represents your brand. 
The gift you give clients should represent your company and brand. If your company is geared to budget-conscious couples, include items that fit that style of couple. If you work with lifestyle weddings, make sure your gift is high caliber, too. Make sure you do lots of branding for your company by having your logo on the timeline, pens, stickers, printed thank you cards, mugs, etc. Of course, keep all of your receipts because business is business, and your client welcome gifts are a write-off.3. Present with panache.
Make sure the delivery is beautiful, of course. You can never go wrong with ribbons, printed tissue paper, paper straws, gift tags, and bling. Including a personal handwritten note letting them know you are excited to work with them is also a great touch. Some wedding planners include a company bio and helpful information on how to work with them, such as operating hours, preferred methods of contact, frequently asked questions, and their planning style.The goal of client welcome kits is to make your clients feel special and appreciated, while showing just how fabulous you and your company really are. WPM*Be sure to check local laws and ordinances before giving alcohol as gifts. Danielle Andrews, The Wedding Planner, Toronto
