When I first started my business, I was pretty precious about every little thing.
I purchased beautiful little envelopes and cards in my brand colors and paraphernalia with my brand logo on it thinking everyone would want those things.
I sent my clients on boarding packages by mail with a fancy notebook, pen and, what I thought were other fun things.
Of course, I didn’t consider the expense of these things either in my time or how it was digging into my profits.
I spent so much time on things that I thought mattered and not enough time on the things that really did.
Sometimes, I would send my clients birthday and Christmas gifts. I put a lot of thought into them.
And when I didn’t, it was because I couldn’t decide what to send and I would feel badly about that.
I wanted my clients to feel special. I wanted to show them I cared. And, I think I may have been compensating for my newness as a coach because I felt I was not enough.
Let’s talk about giving gifts to clients and whether it’s a good idea or … not.
Think Through What’s Appropriate in Your Coaching Business
Hey Coaches!
This episode is super short and meant to get you thinking.
Over those early years in my coaching business, I began to notice that I wasn’t getting the reception that I really wanted from giving gifts to clients.
Some clients wouldn’t acknowledge the gifts at all and that felt awkward.
Gifts that had my logo on it, such as a cup or a pen, came across salesy and did the reverse of what I hoped they would do.
And I realized that the kind of personal attention that comes with a shipped gift was actually a burden to my clients.
That was eye opening, I can tell you. It made me think long and hard about what I was doing and why I was doing it.
I think I started to mature as a coach then. I shifted perspective and started thinking more about why my clients hired me, what they really want to take away from our experience together.
I started asking that question more often and seeing the commonality in answers amongst my clients.
Now, I put my effort into serving my clients well, being kind and challenging them to grow.
- When they finish working with me, I give my clients some “social love” by commenting on their posts and, if they create one rating their podcasts.
- Because I have so much expertise in helping coaches build a successful business, I’ve put my time into creating guides that make business building easier.
My clients are clearly grateful for that type of support.
These in-kind gifts feel more appropriate and are not a burden for my clients.
Should YOU Give Gifts to Your Coaching Clients?
Well, you gotta do you.
If gifts are your jam and you have something that you really want to put into the hands of your clients at a special time, go for it!
But before you do, think it through and feel into this decision.
Is this action in your integrity?
Will it send the right message? If you do give gifts, whether they are for birthdays or Christmas or another holiday, keep them small, inexpensive and perhaps something generic, such as a gift card that allows for choice.