The holiday season is a great time to reach out to clients past and present. We asked four designers—Leah Alexander, Elle Cole, Kelly Finley and Lauren Lowe—if they send out gifts to clients and how they budget for those expenses.
Spreading good cheer
“We always send out holiday gifts—I love to get them, so I like to send them. For all past clients, we send holiday cards and [sometimes] a small gift. For current clients, we typically send a much larger gift that is personalized and on-brand. This amount is allocated in our marketing budget every year, along with other gifts that we like to give at the end of a project.” —Kelly Finley, Joy Street Design, Oakland, California
Spending spree
“We love sending holiday gifts to our clients, as well as to our most trusted vendors. We set aside a budget every year for holiday cards and gifts, and we are blowing through that budget right now.” —Lauren Lowe, Lauren Elaine Interiors, Atlanta
Stand out from the crowd
“I typically leave gifts for clients at the end of the project rather than joining so many others in gifting for the holidays. There are studies that show that often, when inundated with gifts, people don’t remember what came from where! We want that special surprise and delight to [be associated] with our services rather than the time of year. Those goodies come out of our marketing budget, but in our industry, with the current lead times, any gift is a wise deposit in our clients’ emotional bank accounts.” —Leah Alexander, Beauty Is Abundant, Atlanta
Show of appreciation
“We love to give our clients beautiful holiday gifts. It’s our favorite time of year! So, we usually go a bit over the top with our gifts. Each December, we set aside money in our marketing budget for the upcoming year. This helps us plan and purchase early, eliminating the worry of gifting at a stressful time of year. We enjoy the art of giving. I think that’s what makes our job so satisfying—knowing we’ve helped make our clients’ lives better, even in a small way. The holidays give us that extra opportunity to show our genuine appreciation to our clients and say, ‘Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives and help you design a beautiful home.’” —Elle Cole, Elle Cole Interiors, Dallas
Homepage photo: A living room by Lauren Elaine Interiors | Courtesy of Lauren Elaine Interiors
