When is it Appropriate to Give a Business Gift?

Timing is everything! There are various occasions where gift giving is appropriate. For example, when a client or staff member does a good job on a difficult training project, or when you want to strengthen your business relationship with a client, these are suitable instances for business gifting. Other proper gifting times are when celebrating a business associate or employee’s promotion or retirement, when celebrating a personal event of an employee (such as marriage or the birth of a child), or when a holiday comes around.

You’re probably wondering when it is inappropriate to give a gift. It is generally considered inappropriate to give a gift if the gift could be seen as a bribe, if you’re trying to obtain a new client’s business, or if there are contract talks.

It’s a good idea to educate yourself; just because you think it’s an appropriate occasion to give a present it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the clear to go shopping yet. You need to do some research to find out some things about the recipient. Call his or her company to discover whether it allows employees to accept gifts or if it places a dollar-value limitation on gifts received. Find out whether religious or personal issues prohibit him or her from receiving holiday gifts? Learn what items he or she likes. Is he or she allergic to certain foods or flowers? If you don’t know, don’t be afraid to just directly ask the person as a last resort.

So how much should you spend? It seems that most larger and more established companies have a price range for business gift giving. If your company has no policy, consider the occasion and your relationship with the gift recipient. Some occasions, such as recognition for a job well done, may call for small tokens of appreciation. Other situations, such as retirement or personal events, may necessitate larger gifts. If you’re not sure, just ask a few key people in the office what they think of your idea, follow these tips and go from there!