How to Choose a Corporate Gift to Send to the United States
As communication becomes easier over large distances, business people are increasingly working with customers, colleagues and companies globally. It's natural to include these VIPs in celebrations and holidays by sending gifts, but each culture has its own rules and etiquette for giving and receiving presents. If you're choosing a gift to send to an associate in the United States, not knowing the appropriate guidelines can lead to embarrassment and problems with business relationships.
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Instructions
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Learn the gift policies at your recipient's company's before sending a gift to a business in the United States. Some companies do not allow employees to receive gifts from business partners; others require that gifts must be shared within the office; and still others restrict the value of gifts given.
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Assess the situation and the business relationship in order to choose a suitable gift. If you are giving one gift to a supervisor and one to his or her staff, the supervisor's gift should be of higher value than the one given to the staff in deference to the supervisor's higher position. If you give a gift for an office to share, it should be large enough for everyone to have a little of it.
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Take standard American gift etiquette into consideration. If you are present for the arrival of the gift, be aware that in the United States it is customary to open the gift immediately, in the presence of the giver, and to display the gift to anyone present. Also, you may or may not receive a gift in return, but if you do, it probably won't arrive immediately. In the U.S., it is not required to send a gift in return; however, most recipients will send a thank-you note.
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Avoid gifts that are too personal in nature. In the United States, cologne, perfume and clothes are considered inappropriate business gifts. However, gourmet gift baskets, fruit baskets, tea, coffee, flowers and chocolates are almost always welcome corporate gifts.
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Find the right company to deliver your gift. Choose a company that specializes in international gift delivery and has expertise in local etiquette, holidays and customs. Before buying, research the company you've chosen; find customer reviews and make sure others have had a positive experience. Then choose your gift, include a personalized message and let the delivery company take care of the rest.
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Tips & Warnings
Get a feel for your recipients' tastes prior to choosing a gift. Do they prefer dark chocolate or milk chocolate, red wine or white? Work these questions into a conversation in a subtle way so you have information on which to base your gift choice.
Be careful when choosing a wine or champagne gift for business purposes. First, it should be appropriate for the occasion: A bottle of wine is appropriate for an after-hours office party or a dinner meeting, but not for a meeting during office hours. Second, make sure your recipient would appreciate a gift of alcohol; bear in mind that not everyone drinks.
If you are meeting your business associate at their home and want to send flowers, order them in advance so the arrangement arrives before you do, and the hosts won't have to worry about tending to the flowers upon your arrival.
If you give gifts during the late fall or winter (around the winter holidays), avoid gifts with a religious connotation unless you are absolutely sure of the recipient's religion. In the United States, people practice a number of different religions but may not feel comfortable discussing them in a workplace setting. It's better to give a gift without religious attachments than to risk offending someone.
If you plan to give flowers, research the regional meanings of their colors and types. For instance, in the United States roses are almost always for romance (when they're red) or friendship (when they're yellow) and are an inappropriate choice for business. White flowers such as lilies are generally reserved for funerals. However, carnations, tulips and alstroemerias in a variety of colors are excellent choices to say "Thank you," "Congratulations" or "Good job."
References
- Photo Credit business woman image by Vasiliy Koval from Fotolia.com
