Gifting is one of the most touching experiences you can think of. Whether you’re being showered in birthday gifts, handing a loved one a specially chosen item, or even receiving a shiny trinket from the neighborhood murder of crows, gifts leave a lasting impression.
But beyond our own interpersonal worlds stuffed with family and friends, gifting plays an increasingly important role in the business world. Sticking to strictly business in stuffy office spaces is practically archaic at this point, and nurturing deeper relationships and genuine human connections is gaining some serious traction.
Corporate gifts can help you stick in someone’s mind, stand out as a caring person in a busy work environment, win business, and show authentic gratitude. However, unlike your typical gifting where the recipient is often right across the table, just beyond the birthday cake, delivering corporate gifts have a few more hurdles to clear.
And while your grandma might forgive your hasty giftwrap job, sloppy gift delivery to a potential client or longtime employee might leave an especially sour taste in their mouth. If you rely on email to digitally deliver your business gifts to recipients scattered around the state, nation, or world, there’s a lot of opportunity for something to go wrong.
If you’re looking for a corporate gifting email template to help you deliver the perfect B2B gift, stop the search! In this blog post, we'll provide you with five corporate gifting email templates that you can use to send out thoughtful and meaningful B2B gifts that hit just right. Whether it's to say thank you, nurture a relationship, welcome a new client, or celebrate a special occasion, these templates will ensure that your corporate gifting is done right every time.
Why B2B Gifting Is Important
Corporate gifts are a powerful tool for standing out and earning loyalty in the business world. Whether you're a sales team looking to build relationships with prospects, a marketer trying to retain customers, or a customer success pro seeking to show appreciation, gifting is an effective way to make a lasting impression.
Standing out, fostering relationships, and leaving those lasting impressions is a trickier needle to thread than ever. Before the coronavirus pandemic, working remotely was a rare treat for a small minority of workers and in-person events often filled every available square of a businessperson’s calendar. Today, office occupancy is down by roughly 50% across the US, and more than one in four people work from home—a trend that’s expected to grow well past 36 million workers by 2025.
By sending thoughtful corporate gifts, you bridge the physical distance and difficulty connecting in person with customers, clients, prospects, and teammates. It’s an intentional act to show that you value your relationship with the recipient and are willing to invest time and effort into maintaining it. In turn, this helps to build trust, strengthen relationships, and create a positive brand image.
Moreover, B2B gifting can be a great way to differentiate yourself from competitors and stand out in a crowded marketplace. With so many companies vying for attention, a well-timed and well-chosen corporate gift can be the factor that tips the scales in your favor.
In short, corporate gifts are a vital tool for building and maintaining successful business relationships far beyond the board room. Whether you're trying to close a deal, retain a customer, or simply show appreciation, B2B gifting can help you achieve your goals and stand out in a competitive landscape.
Key Factors to Consider when Choosing Corporate Gifts
Corporate gifting is a great way to show your appreciation for everyone from loyal clients and teammates to exciting prospects or brand fans. It helps build strong relationships with them, fosters brand loyalty, strengthens camaraderie, and helps differentiate your company from competitors. But before choosing the perfect corporate gifts, there are a few key factors you need to consider.
Timing is everything when it comes to corporate gifting. Depending on your goals, you may want to send gifts at different times. For example, you might want to stand out with a cold lead by sending them a gift early in the sales process. Sending a gift to a prospect who has shown interest but hasn't yet committed can also be a great way to gain their commitment. If you're running an account-based marketing campaign, gifting can be an effective way to cut through the noise and show your target accounts that you value their business and are willing to go above and beyond. Celebrating customer milestones, like a new partnership or reaching a significant sales milestone, can also be a great reason to send corporate gifts.
When choosing corporate gifts, it's also important to consider your budget and the type of gift you want to give. Branded swag, like t-shirts or pens, can be a cost-effective option and can help increase brand awareness. Gift cards are another popular choice, especially if you don't know your recipient's preferences. Personalized gifts, such as engraved wine glasses or monogrammed leather goods, can be a great way to show that you've put thought into the gift and value the relationship.
What you gift is also closely related to deeply considering who you’re gifting. Not only does the gift in question have to keep your budget healthy (and even hit some ROI goals when used in a sales context), but it also has to match who you’re gifting. Celebrating a 10-year working relationship with a client with a pair of branded socks could send that relationship into a nosedive.
On the other hand, handing out $200 gift cards to an ice cold lead could lead them to be suspicious and turned off by your tactic. Strike the balance between budget and audience, and always remember to test your gifting strategy before plunging in with loads of inventory upfront.
Overall, corporate gifts can be a powerful tool in your marketing and sales strategy. By choosing the right gift and sending it at the right time, you can build strong relationships with clients and prospects and stand out from your competitors.
How to Package and Deliver Your B2B Gifts
When it comes to sending corporate gifts, the packaging and delivery process can make all the difference. While traditional gift-giving often involves wrapping and shipping physical items, digital delivery has become increasingly popular in our newly remote corporate world. Here are some tips for how to send a B2B gift that will leave a lasting impression on your sales leads, prospects, and customers.
1. Digital gift delivery is king
With many people working remotely or continuously in motion, digital delivery is an efficient and practical way to send corporate gifts. Sending a gift digitally means you can choose from a variety of gift-sending options such as email, text, or link sharing to both ensure your gift arrives in a timely and convenient manner and that you can surprise your recipient at the click of a button.
2. Minimize logistics
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to sending B2B gifts is collecting addresses and tracking packages. To avoid this hassle, consider using the aforementioned digital delivery methods that don't require physical addresses or manually sharing tracking information. Find a gifting platform that can cross those to-dos off your list automatically so all you have to worry about is forging new relationships.
3. Add a personal touch
Even though you're not physically delivering your gift, you can still make it personal. Include a personalized message or video to let your recipient know that you put thought and effort into their gift. This can go a long way in building strong relationships with your sales leads, prospects, and customers.\
4. Customize the packaging
While digital delivery eliminates the need for physical packaging, you can still customize the presentation of your gift. Use branded digital templates or create your own to give your gift a unique look and feel that aligns with your brand and message.
By following these tips for how to send a B2B gift, you can create a memorable and effective corporate gifting strategy that strengthens your relationships with your target audience. Whether you're delivering digital or physical gifts, the packaging and delivery process should always reflect your brand's values and personality.
5 Corporate Gifting Email Templates for Perfect Delivery
These five corporate gifting email templates are perfect for sending a small token of appreciation to a cold lead or prospect as a first touch, a follow-up, or even a celebration. By offering a gift card, personalized gift, yummy snack, and more, you not only show gratitude but also encourage a response to your email. Be sure to personalize your message and follow up promptly to ensure a successful delivery of your B2B gift.
Peruse these templates and use them as is or as a springboard for what's possible! But remember, emailing is a bit of an art and can taker a minute to master. When in doubt, remember a few rules:
- Personalize your emails whenever possible! Even automated emails with simply dynamic name fields can see a 75% higher open rate than emails sans any type of personalization.
- Keep the copy choppy. The name of the game, especially when cold emailing, is short and sweet. The data shows that 54 words is the ideal length of body copy in your cold emails, but anywhere between 50–125 words is seen as a sweet spot. Even in your shorter emails, try to split up your copy between a few paragraphs instead of one ominous chunk of text. It's easily scannable and your recipients are more likely to read the whole thing.
- Talk about them. While it's tempting to try and push every great thing about you or what you're selling in the first email, that's not abest practice for cold emailing. Forget yourself in your first touch. Instead, talk about your lead, their problems, and how you fit into their world.
- Don't be too pushy with your gift. Have you ever heard of the term "love bombing"? It's when a person you just started dating bombards you with compliments, affection, and gifts. While that may sound nice, it's often overwhelming, aggressive, and creepy. Sending gifts, rewards, or incentives is all about intentional connection for deepening relationships—not forcing your love onto a shiny new prospect. Incorporate gifting in natural ways that won't send your recipients to the "block" button.
Email Template 1
When to send: Cold email, first touch
Vibe: Short, to the point, and balances business and casual while focusing on the cold lead
Subject: You, Me, and a Few Cups of Coffee?
Hi, [first-name]
We know how busy you are, but I’ve been checking out [prospect company] for a while now and would love to talk about how we can team up to help it grow even more. (I’d also love to send something your way as a thank you, whether you think we’re a good fit or not!)
If you’re interested in chatting some more, just reply to this email and let’s schedule a time next week.
Talk soon,
[sales rep]
Email Template 2
When to send: Cold email, first touch
Vibes: Buttoned-up and all business
Subject: Treat Yourself to Something Sweet on Us
As a valued prospect, we’d like to show our appreciation for your interest in our company. Here’s a gift from our favorite cookie shop to offer you a sweet treat on us. Simply reply to this email to schedule a 30-minute demo of our services and we’ll send your free gift, regardless of choosing us to assist you.
Best regards,
[sales rep]
Email Template 3
When to send: Meeting or demo follow-up
Vibes: Casual tone, appreciative and warm
Subject: Thanks for your time, <Name>! Here’s what I’m thinking…
Hey, [Name]
Thanks for meeting today! I know finding spare time to chat is pretty tough these days, so I appreciate it. As far as next steps, here’s what I’m thinking:
First, I’d love to send you [gift] as a thank you. I personally love [this/these] and have a feeling you will, too.
Second, do you have time in the next 2 weeks to meet again? I already have some more ideas for how [sales rep company] can help.
Chat soon,
[sales rep]
P.S. Let me know what you think of [gift]!
Email Template 4
When to send: Building commitment, staying top of mind
Vibes: Casual and thoughtful, 100% prospect-focused
Subject: Take a Break on Us
Hey, [name]
It’s been a couple of days since we’ve heard from you — we get it! Schedules are packed, meetings drag on, and life happens.
We just wanted to make sure you were taking a bit of you time, though. Here’s my personal favorite for unwinding after a stressful day. Just click the gift link, add your address, and I’ll make sure it’s sent to you stat!
Cheers,
[sales rep]
Email Template 5
When to send: Contract signed, Closed-Won
Vibes: Appreciative, thoughtful, and celebratory
It’s officially official, [new client name / company]!
Time to pop the bubbly and celebrate! We couldn’t be more excited to team up and tackle your challenges together.
But before we dive in and get to business, we wanted to say thank you for trusting our team. Big things are ahead, and let’s toast that opportunity. We want to send you our favorite sparkling bevvy and have a big cheers, from us to you.
Here’s to you!
[sales rep / team]
Get Your Email Ideas Humming Along (and Send Your Best B2B Gifts Yet)
When it comes to corporate gifts, there are a few best practices to keep in mind to ensure a successful delivery. First and foremost, be intentional with what gift you send to a cold lead.
Consider their industry, interests, and pain points. A personalized gift will be more memorable and meaningful than a generic one.
However, it's important to strike a balance between personalized and universally liked gifts like coffee and cookies. You want to ensure that the recipient will actually use and enjoy the gift, but you also want to avoid getting too personal.
Additionally, make it easy for the recipient to redeem their gift. Provide clear instructions and any necessary codes or links. Consider including a note or email explaining the purpose of the gift and how it can benefit them.
Lastly, make it easy for them to track their gift and ensure it's delivered to the correct address. Use a reputable shipping company and provide a tracking number. Ask for their preferred shipping address and double-check it before sending the gift.
Overall, following these best practices on how to send a B2B gift will help ensure a successful delivery and make a positive impression with your corporate gifts.
