Gift giving is a kind gesture, almost everybody loves to receive gifts! But then, despite your best intention, the way you give a gift or the choice of the gift may send the wrong signals.

When can corporate gift giving run wrong? What can you do to avoid common pitfalls? Here are 7 mistakes to avoid when giving a corporate gift:

Playing favorites.

Corporate gifts are usually given to a group – either to your own employees or to your group of clients. As much as possible, don’t play favorites when you give corporate gifts away. To do this, you’ll need to (1) give to everyone and (2) give the same gifts as much as you can.


From the big boss to the janitor, don’t miss anyone out. Give a gift to all. And to be very safe that you are not playing favorites, find a gift that is suitable for everyone. Some of you may argue that giving the same gifts will not achieve personalization and that not all people share the same excitement unwrapping a box that has a mug in it, but still, find something that is commonly useful to it. Worried about personalization? No problem. Not because you’re giving away the same gift means you can’t personalize. Print a name, add a personal message and you will achieve personalization on corporate giveaways. You can make different people feel special even if you give the same gift to all.

Giving to a selected few and not being discreet about it.

If you can’t avoid giving gifts to a selected group, then please do so in a discreet manner. You can’t flaunt the idea that you have a favorite lot without making other people feel jealous. Be sensitive and do not let the essence of gift giving backfire on you!

Giving inappropriate gifts.

Excuse me sir, but you just gave a set of inspirational CD to a deaf person. Try to avoid inappropriate gifts this way, or even gifts that contain inappropriate language or meaning. Yes, you can personalize gifts, but be careful and don’t give gifts that are too personal. A gift you would give your secretary should be different from a gift you would give your wife – otherwise, you could send the wrong message.

Gender inequality in gift giving.

If you are giving a $200 gift to a woman, give a gift with the same value to a man. Of course, a gift for a woman is different from a gift for a man, but the price value should be the same if not close.

Thinking that throwing a party replaces giving a gift.

Budget will always be a consideration when buying gifts or throwing a party, but one cannot replace the other. Be wise and budget for both party and gifts. If you planned to throw away a party and not give a gift, then you would have undermined the success of the party by not having a gift to cap the night off. If you planned to give a gift but then not throw a party, it still would send good cheers, but not as much as when the gift is given during a party. It only happens once a year, and as a company, it’s an opportunity to pay your employees back for helping you achieve your goals. Show some love – and you will get love in return.

Stay calm when gifts are returned.

Yes, gifts could get returned! Stay calm when this happens. There can be a lot of reasons a gift is returned – the person may have received the wrong gift, the person may honestly not have a need for it, the person may not find it suitable, or let’s face it, the person may not like it. Whatever the reason, take heart – returned gifts are opportunities for you to give to the right person, or to give a suitable and more meaningful gift. In the rare occasion when a person returns a gift simply because he or she does not like it, take a deep breath and turn up your creativity to give one that will be truly appreciated. You will be loved even more for this humble gesture.

Double-meaning gifts.

Please don’t give double meaning corporate gifts! Your gift should communicate your message clearly. Don’t make people guess, don’t make people wonder what your gift means or why you are sending them. You will defeat the purpose of giving gifts if you send people confused! Gifts are meant to spread good cheers – stick to this goal!

Giving gifts is a wonderful gesture – but be mindful how you give the gift or else it could backfire. The last thing you want to happen is for people to misconstrue your gesture. Especially if you are giving to a large group of say, a hundred people, it will take time before you could arrest the confusion or before you could explain what you truly meant by giving that gift away.

Give gifts that delight, that make people smile in simple ways. Give gifts that communicate your appreciation for them. That is the essence of gift giving – it is about making others feel special. It is about making someone feel a warm, grateful feeling deep inside.

Take time to think about the gift you would give. Weeks ahead of the gift-giving, consciously seek inspiration on what gift would be most suitable, most meaningful, most useful to your recipient. If the inspiration doesn’t come, then try to speak to the corporate gifts supplier for ideas. You might be surprised to know of products that are available for giving away which you have never heard about before.

Finally, wrap that gift! Wrappers will just be torn away, yes, that is true. But they are still worth every effort. Choose a nice wrapping, send a nice message. It doesn’t have to be expensive, it just needs to be wrapped. Remember, part of the joy of receiving gifts is the surprise that awaits. Part of it is creating wonders about what’s in the box. So please – give gifts with good intentions, and start with the wrapping!


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