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2torial #0737:
Learn2
Choose Appropriate Business Gifts (continued)
Know when to give
A business gift will always have some ulterior motives behind it (otherwise it wouldn't be a business gift), but when you give it can make the difference between an acceptable motive and a suspect one. Keep these guidelines in mind before you start shopping:
- While sending marketing products to drum up business is acceptable, as a general rule, don't present gifts until the business at hand has been established (for example, when a deal has been reached) or completed. A gift received before any agreements are made will be seen as presumptuous, and can even be construed as a bribe.
- Once a business agreement has been reached, it's OK to send items for appropriate holidays. Just be sure you have the right holiday for the right person (or group).
- Unless you're friends with the client, it's usually a good idea to stay clear of birthdays, marriages, births, condolences, and other such occasions. Many people don't like to mix business with their personal lives.
- Remember the speakers and teachers invited for company seminars and the like. You can give them a gift as thanks for taking the time.
- International clients may have different standards regarding when to give (and when not to), so be familiar with any cultural differences.
Step 2
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