Building and maintaining business relationships, thanking long standing customers, rewarding employees for going that extra mile, these are all examples of where corporate gifts or gift incentives could be used. However choosing the right corporate gift can be somewhat of a problem.

Businesses like to use gift programs in order to maintain relations with either external companies which aid your business or employees who achieve targets; it works to boost esteem whilst building or maintaining relationships which are essential to business.

Gifts can range from promotional items such as pens and stationary to food hampers and wine gifts, sometimes executive gifts can include experience days or theatre tickets. It all depends on the size of the reward, the circumstances in which it is given and what it is for.

Other reasons for giving corporate gifts might well include staff birthdays, anniversaries, birth of children or retirement, retirement gifts are a good way of showing the employee that their service to your company was appreciated and will be missed. Christmas and holidays are another good time to send gifts, just simply to say thanks and reinforce business relations.

There is an etiquette process to giving corporate gifts though, and this must be followed in order for your gift to be received in the good manner of which it is given. Giving a gift which is too big or extravagant may well be construed as bribery, giving a gift too frequently may well leave a bitter taste, giving a gift which isn\'t appropriate can be extremely damaging to business or client relationships.

There may well be instances where an employer will want to reward all of its employees at one time, this provides the perfect situation for arranging an experience day, experience days not only provide a fun gift but activities such as paintballing or outdoor pursuits will require team participation, in effect your corporate gift to your employees could double as a team building day, Team building events help to build stronger links within a working environment, encourage staff to integrate more with each other and on days such as these, employees and employers become equal.

It is so important however when you give corporate gifts that they should be given with your company in mind, designed to benefit your company. Haphazardly selecting presents to give to clients probably won\'t have the desired effect.

Corporate gifts need not be expensive, but obviously quality sometimes speaks louder than quantity, promotional items and products which are given promoting your business such as mugs, keyrings and pens should portray your company logo without being over the top.

The use of gifts is not limited, but it is all about showing the recipient that they matter, try giving corporate gifts at alternative times of the year when other companies aren\'t all competing, Christmas is a period where everyone will be giving and receiving gifts and therefore your corporate gift might go unnoticed, instead of this way not give your gift at the start of January when businesses are recovering from the Christmas break and over indulgence, give as a happy new year present and stand out from others, it\'s all about building relationships and being recognised after all.