I Got 23 Gifts Last Year. I Remember One.

Last year I got 23 corporate gifts from vendors.

Amazon cards. Starbucks cards. A few wine bottles.

I used them all within a week. Can't remember who sent a single one.

But three years ago, a consultant sent me a custom powerbank. I still use it. His name comes to mind every time I plug in my phone.

That's the difference between a transaction and a relationship.

Your Safe Choice Isn't Safe

Most companies treat client gifts like a checkbox. Budget allocated. Box ticked. Move on.

They default to gift cards because they're easy. Safe. Generic.

But the problem is that your "safe" choice is the same choice 47 other vendors made. You just paid $50 to remind your client you see them as a line item.

A law firm partner told me she gets so many gift baskets during the holidays that she started donating them unopened. "If I can't tell who it's from without the card, it didn't work," she said.

Your gift was supposed to build goodwill. Instead, it was regifted.

I Wasted $500 Learning This

I learned this the expensive way.

We put together a "premium" gift basket for a high-value client. Branded notebooks. Nice pens. Tech accessories.

They smiled politely during the handoff. Then ghosted us for three months.

Turns out, they didn't need more stuff. They needed something that showed we understood their world.

So we changed the game. Instead of asking "What can we afford?" we started asking "What would make them feel seen?"

For our next attempt, we researched. We listened. We found out this client's team was remote-first and struggling with communication.

We sent custom team communication kits. Each one included a physical "communication style" card the person filled out, a journal for daily standups, and a note explaining how we use the same system internally.

They sent us a photo of the entire team holding them on a Zoom call. We landed a six-figure program two weeks later.

Here's the framework that works:

The MERIT Rule (I just made this up, but it makes sense):

• Memorable: Will they keep it on their desk?

• Emotional: Does it trigger a genuine reaction?

• Relevant: Does it solve a real problem they have?

• Individual: Did you research them specifically?

• Talkable: Will they tell someone else about it?

Most corporate gifts fail all five.

A gift card scores zero. It's instantly forgotten, emotionally flat, solves nothing unique, requires zero research, and nobody tells stories about getting an Amazon credit.

The consultant's powerbank? Five for five.

47% vs 3%

I’ve been told that the data backs this up. Someone tracked gift performance across 127 clients over 18 months (not sure who tracked but stay with me).

Generic gifts (cards, wine, baskets): 3% led to follow-up meetings.

Researched, story-driven gifts: 47% led to follow-up meetings.

The average spend? Nearly identical. $65 vs $73.

The difference wasn't budget. It was intentionality.

Your merch should tell a story about who you are and who they are to you. It should make them feel seen, not processed.

Stop asking "What's our gift budget?"

Start asking "What do they actually need that nobody else is giving them?"