Corporate
gift giving is mostly a matter of following
policy guidelines. Companies generally have
a set of rules when it comes to what can be
given to clients, business associates, employees
and business partners. So, HR people who are
involved in picking up gifts every year follow
a set of rules and purchase standard gifts for
routine occasions. However, the incredible expansion
of business has thrown all this off kilter.
When you need to send gifts across the border
and beyond the seas, things become a little
tricky. For starters, there is a matter of what
to send. Then, there are also some precautions
you need to take when you send international
gifts. So, international gift giving for business
purposes is a little tricky, particularly when
you are new to it.
Here are some considerations:
What to
give: This is a delicate matter and does require
some application of thought. That is because
what is acceptable in one country may be a faux
pas in another country. Wine, for instance.
There are countries where liquor is officially
unacceptable. Some countries do not accept gifts
during the first visit. Countries like Chile
and Peru find it a breach of conduct to accept
a gift before a second visit. These customs
may look bizarre to someone who is not used
to them. But these rules are written in stone
and a mistake could bring the roof crashing
down on the sender’s head. The best way
to solve the problem of what the ideal international
gift could be is to revert to your company policies.
Most companies have a set of regulations about
what gifts are accepted in different companies.
This is also an easy way to set your budget
because your company would have a permissible
limit.
Your company
image: A gift sent in your personal capacity
gives you more flexibility because you can choose
what you want based on your personal knowledge
of the receiver. But, when you want to send
an international gift on behalf of your business,
you have to be very careful about the type of
gift you send. Your gift speaks volumes about
your company and your brand. In fact, this is
a powerful method of brand building. For example,
in a country that is beset with problems, an
expensive gift basket may be construed as overindulgence,
or worse, a bribe! Such gifts offend the receiver
even though they were sent with the best of
intentions. Before you send an international
gift, read and research into their culture.
It’s your gift and your money but their
country and their feelings.
How you
give: It might seem unbelievable but many countries
have certain rules about how a gift must be
wrapped. A corporate gift must always be presented
beautifully. Presentation does matter a lot.
One way of getting it absolutely right is to
make use of the services of a profession gift
delivery service that has hands on experience
in international gift delivery. With such a
service, you can be sure that your gift will
arrive packaged beautifully and on time.
Before you
send the gift, remember that international delivery
requires more time. So, you would do well to
plan well ahead of time.
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