VisionBedding.com is Just as Personal
I have shared in an earlier post that all customers love freebies, bonuses and gifts. If you are an online marketers, you can choose a heavy-weight e-book or e-report as a thank-you gift. If you are an off-line marketer, you’ll have the typical range of pens, key chains, coffee mugs and for the more tech-friendly, USB flash drives, multiple-adapters, etc. The choice is aplenty.
However, what do you do when your Japanese customer hand-carried their very exclusive and very expensive Japanese Melons all the way from the Land of the Rising Sun? One such melon is worth more than USD30 locally, which means, when it is exported to sunny Singapore, the retail price is close to S$100 per piece. The value is much higher if they are packed in an exquisite Japanese wooden gift box. Well, a lucky girl and her partner each received a gift box of 3 melons plus 2 bottles of Japanese peach wine. You can just imagine the price tag. To show how exclusive and expensive Japanese melon can be, she showed me a website which reportedly said Densuke melon was auctioned at 280,000 yen (or USD2850).
My housewife-turned-business-woman-friend got lots of concerns and questions. In summary:
My suggestion to her was to use whatever resources she has on hand:
The client is a connoisseur in food and art - My friend’s great-uncle is a retired award-winning chef who specialize in Chinese cuisine. Since retirement, he has been a consultant, and is a hot item in his industry. Appeal to him to don his chef attire and whip up a 8-course meal. Her home just a 4-room HDB flat but her collection of nail-less and glue-less HuangHuali furnitures and small collection of Chinese antiques, painting and porcelains are definitely pleasing to art lover. Singapore’s national loves are food and shopping. I’m very sure the chef will select the freshest, tenderest and juiciest produces to make Singapore and the host proud. A fruit gift in return for a Chinese feast is apt to me.
The client is a quiet, sentimental family man. - 
To show appreciation to the the clients, get the misus something very personal. Ask Mr Japanese Client to provide some family photographs he carries with him. Scan them in hi resolution and send to beddingvision.com to make them into personalized photo bedding, throws and blankets. If my friend sent it now, the very customized product should arrive in Singapore
before they leave for home. That should make the Japanese lady all soft and sweet. I know I would like something like that.
Her investment is probably about that of the melon and wine. But she would also have added a personal touch to it.
I’ll let you know if she accepts my proposal and if the Japanese couple liked it. My message is - a corporate gift shouldn’t be impersonal especially if you have attained a certain level of familiarity and respect with the client. I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone. But this customer has been supporting her for the past 7 years. I have clients who have became my friends. Get up close and personal when the opportunity and situation arises.
Personal marketing is just important in the big corporate world.
Read related post on corporate gift:
Freebies, Bonuses, Surprise Gifts … the customers love them
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September 28th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Thats very true, Vivienne, a personalized corporate gift is more meaningful! Just to share my personal experience, I know this lady who is rich and high-up in the corporate world. Expensive and exotic gifts are of little value or meaning to her. However, one day me and my wife had the opportunity to be invited to her place for lunch. I noticed she loves Rhinos and there were so many Rhino displays. So on one of my trips to South Africa, I bought a hand crafted Rhino and gave her. She was overwhelmed! She said that it was a gift with her on my mind! So the morale of the story is to pay attention to the person’s life and home decor! You may find a clue on what he or she likes! It can be something inexpensive but thoughtful, something from the heart!
September 28th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Thanks, Bokjae, for sharing your experience. That was very thoughtful of you. Do that to me I would also be very appreciative ;D
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One story for another. Once we gave a hand-draw caricature to a client who’s migrating. That piece of artwork was worth lots of efforts and respect from our end but it didn’t cost a cent. Yet, the appreciation in his eyes was evident.