During the holidays, it's easy to get bogged down buying gifts for friends and family only for your principal to realize at the last minute that he/she needs to send clients a thank you gift for the holidays! And usually, you’ll hear something along the lines of “Let’s get them something that feels personal and unique.” You’ll pull your hair out when you realize you have to buy 10, 20 or even 50 gifts and you can’t buy them one by one. That’s when you use your secret assistant weapon: bulk gift ordering.
We’re going to teach you everything you need to quickly get through the process and send gifts that are appreciated by everyone. We’ll cover the following:
Have a budget.
Narrow down to ONE or two gifts that work for EVERYONE.
Gather all of the addresses into a spreadsheet.
Work with a company that specializes in bulk holiday gifts.
Have a Budget
The sky’s the limit! Of course you could send everyone a customized chocolate gift basket from Europe, but that probably won’t make your principal happy. Most gifts sent by executive assistants tend to hover in the $45-$85 range per person. Some gifts can be had for $20 a person, but they tend to be super simple, like a nice box of chocolates. In the mid-range, gifts that work best tend to be fruit baskets, food towers (they have a mix of snacks and nuts), chocolate gifts and nut gifts. On the higher end, there are wine baskets.
Narrow Down to ONE Gift
Why do we suggest these gifts? Because they work for 99% of the population. You could hunt for other things, like iPhone cases, custom water bottles, or even a bottle of wine. But time and time again, studies show that the highest rated gifts are gifts that people can eat. And almost everyone eats chocolates, fruits or nuts. If you don’t want to be generic, get some unique gifts like the ones we have below.
Here are some ins and outs of the major categories.
Gift Idea #1: Corporate Food Gift Towers
Food towers make great gifts, especially for office groups like departments because they can be appreciated by many people. They’re also great for families, with something for parents and kids alike. Food choices can range from cookies to chocolates. Want to make it personal? Many towers can have a logo or company name embroidered on the ribbon of the tower. This is a great way for them remember your principal’s company as they are munching on their gift full of food.
Gift Idea #2: Meat and Cheese Gifts
These turn out to be the highest rated because most people won’t buy these for themselves. The only consideration you have to make is if they are vegan. Otherwise, they’re great for sharing with a group. Some personalized options include wooden cutting boards with a company logo.
Gift Idea #3: Fruit Baskets
Ah yes, the tried and true gift basket. Of all the gifts, this is the most widely sent gift. However fruit baskets nowadays aren’t the same ones from 20 years ago; they’ll include unique cheeses, chocolates and nuts. Some fruit baskets solely consist of dried fruits, which are great for the outdoorsy types. You can, of course, get a whole box of oranges or pears, but step it up with some variety.
Holiday Gift #4: Custom Corporate Chocolate Gifts
If you work for a company, these tend to be a bit more formal and professional. You can imprint a company logo or message on the chocolate or the box, which leaves a really strong impression. These tend to be pricier for the bigger boxes, but it’s easy to get a personalized $20 box of chocolate. 11 pounds of chocolate are eaten per person in America each year, so there are more than a few sweet tooths you’ll make happy. We recommend this gift for executives and larger teams.
Gather Addresses
One last step, and this is the most tedious, is to gather addresses. Fortunately, the beauty of bulk ordering is you can easily order without having to type every single address into an order form. Many companies have an easy form for you to copy and paste addresses into. You can even use the same message (or customize the message) for every order, right in the spreadsheet. Pro tip: Export your addresses from Gmail or Outlook into a spreadsheet, and then cut and paste the addresses into the ordering spreadsheet. We’ve included links in case you don’t know how.
Work with a Bulk Gift Company
There are lots of online gift companies and most usually focus on individual orders, like an Amazon.com. However those companies often times don’t pick up the phone or don’t make it easy to order in bulk. If you have to order more than four gifts, go with a bulk gift company, such as All About Gifts & Baskets. They like working with companies that have a direct corporate specialist, use an easy spreadsheet and offer customization for logos or corporate names. They even have rewards programs where the assistant gets a free gift basket if they put in a large order! Just ask, since these aren’t often widely publicized.
Have you used bulk ordering before? Please share your experiences below!
