Or maybe you're sending out gifts for the holidays. Consider whether those gifts should say Season's Greetings, Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah for the best reception. In any instance, the goal is to connect with your clients, and the right gift is an excellent way to do that.

Pick a gift that reflects the company. Aligning products with your company’s services can be a clever way to stand apart from your competition, spread the word about your business, and help increase the likelihood that people turn to you to meet their needs.

You can choose to represent your sports agency or training facility with clear tote bags and backpacks that are stadium approved, an easy-to-pack poncho ideal for outdoor games and tournaments, or a custom hot/cold pack to soothe sore muscles after workouts. These types of promotional gifts are easy to send to current or prospective clients, and they will have staying power. They are a good way to get a strong return on your investment.

To keep clients coming back to a spa, resort or other hospitality business, we'd suggest thoughtful gifts that are a bit more unique, such as a custom beach towel, quality canvas tote, portable folding chair or a destination-themed wall calendar.

Pick a gift that reflects the company agenda. Many times it's not just about what you sell or the service you provide; customers in today's society can be particularly interested in corporate responsibility, too. One way to inspire loyalty is to show you're aligned with the things your customers care about. You can promote sustainability with an eco-friendly giveaway such as a reusable tote bag. For higher value customers, you might even choose to fill the tote with additional products such as a reusable straw kit, recycled cardboard notebook, or a wheat travel tumbler. Whether you present them together or separately, these gift items can show that you're environmentally conscious and doing your part to help the world around you.

Perhaps your company supports an outside charity or awareness group. There are a number of awareness items you can choose from, including pens and pencils, lanyards, face masks, and silicone phone wallets, to make your support known. You can select styles and colors that represent breast cancer awareness or other causes. A custom gift that shows you care about your community can have a powerful effect. Gifts of this nature are an excellent way to help associate your company with philanthropy and caring; and they'll make others feel good about doing business with you.

Pick a high-quality gift to reflect the quality of service you provide. Selecting a quality promotional product means that your gift will endure to serve as a reminder of your company well into the future. Why not wow C-suite employees with a finely-crafted executive pen set, presented with laser-engraved personalization in a protective gift box. You might also impress them with a leather-bound planner engraved with the client’s name and paired with a metal pen. These sophisticated gifts are a wonderful way to celebrate new business partnerships or honor existing ones. Presenting top clients with top-quality gifts is one way to keep them doing business with you.

Stainless steel tumblers that keep beverages hot or cold for hours are also impressive giveaways that carry a lasting impact. These practical items can be great for mid-value clientele. They're built to withstand everyday use so recipients have more reason to stick by your brand long term. Additionally, gourmet gift baskets are an excellent choice. Whether it is a medley of sweet and savory snacks or a delicious chocolate gift box, these gifts are always appreciated and often shared—so they can reach well beyond the recipient.

Remember, quality doesn't always mean your gift has to be expensive, either. There are a number of impressive products at every price point. With larger promotions, a multi-function metal pen or pocket calendar can be a wonderful way to reach a wide audience.

Pick a gift that makes recipients feel special. One way to leave an impression is to give your clients or partners a gift that's all about them. You have the chance to show that you see them as people and not just a business opportunity, so why not take it? This could entail doing some extra research, but it will be worth it in the end. Gifts like blankets, dry bags and coolers could be wonderful for special clients who like outdoor adventures. Or, if you know they're into golf, why not a gift of custom golf balls, tees and a cap. A durable duffel or garment bag is perfect for anyone whose job requires travel. We also recommend an activity tracker, sports bottle or exercise kit for any clients who are into sports and fitness.

While your client gift will effectively keep your company remembered, you may want to consider putting a smaller imprint on the item of your choice so it feels more like a present and less like a promotion.

Promotional products tend to work better than business cards because they introduce you and your company in a more unique way. Small, portable promo items, such as pens, USB drives and key chains are easy enough to carry in a purse or pocket and can be whipped out to give whenever or wherever an introduction is made. You can strike up conversations and introduce prospects to your business at sports games, concerts, parks, restaurants and more. With just a handful of these items, you'll be able to turn any event into a networking event.

For more formal promotions, we suggest sending a mailing that includes a little gift. While pens and key chains work well here too, you can also include other slim, easy-to-mail items like a silicone phone wallet, pocket pal calendar or a collapsible can cooler.

Giving free gifts with purchases or services is another way to keep customers coming back. Try throwing in something extra like a t-shirt, canvas tote, tumbler, or another item, depending on the value of the product or service a customer purchases. Giving buyers a bit more than they actually paid for can help to drive more sales in the future.

Fulfill a need for your customers and they won’t forget you. Fully understanding what your customer needs, and when, is one way to separate yourself from your competitors—both in business and in promotions. For instance, gift them an umbrella, flashlight and first aid kit during storm season and they'll quickly associate your company with reliability.

In turbulent economic times, when many businesses have closed, you might remind customers you still exist with a promotional product that gets their attention. A best-selling shopper tote or multi-function pen can help re-introduce your business to them and shows that your company is ready to serve.

Another method that helps bolster your promotional efforts is choosing items that turn your customers into billboards. T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps and bags have large imprint areas so they make sure your imprint is easily noticed. Outerwear offers a whopping 6100 impressions, according to the PPAI, while headwear and t-shirts offer 3400 impressions. Those numbers rival any new age form of digital marketing.

For lectures or conferences, it’s best to find items that participants can use throughout the event, such as notebooks, pens and other useful stationery items; or even candy for the breaks. We recommend placing those on the tables to mark each person’s spot. A lanyard with a badge holder might also be recommended; and maybe something fun too, in relation to the theme or the audience. For instance, if hosting a lecture on economics, why not a small custom calculator? If it’s a more upscale conference, we would strongly advise having a separate swag bag with higher ticket items such as a metal tumbler, a custom watch, a leather portfolio or a nice backpack.

At trade shows, if you have a booth, you might get maximum exposure by having a small custom item to give to everyone who stops by, such as a pencil. We also recommend having nicer items at hand when talking to either valuable customers or promising leads, in proportion to the value of that contact. For instance, some printed jackets, imprinted tech products or a nicer pen set.

When hosting outside events, such as a fair, consider giving out items that attendees connect to more readily in the moment, such as custom water bottles, baseball caps or printed t-shirts. With apparel, in addition to your logo, you can choose to imprint the theme of the event. For thematic events, like car shows, we find flashlights, emergency car kits or key chains to be keepers. Set up a station where you can hand out your products and collect the names and emails of potential customers simultaneously. It will be easier to manage and highly effective.

At an open house, you can choose to greet potential buyers with a house-shaped envelope opener, custom pens or key chains as they enter. These items can easily be set up on a table or countertop to give visitors a little takeaway to remember you. These are useful products that visitors won't mind holding onto; they're small enough to be tucked into a pocket or purse while touring the property and, best of all, these items are easily passed on. When you imprint these relevant products with your contact information, you're likely to reach far beyond just the recipient.

As employees return on-site you can give them a welcome back kit. We suggest stuffing an imprinted tote with hand sanitizers, a water bottle, face mask, and business card holder to help them get back into the swing of things safely. For employees who will continue to work from home, a thoughtful wellness package is a wonderful idea. Let them know you're thinking of them with gifts like a mug, mouse pad, earbuds and other items to make their at-home work station complete.

Onboarding new hires with company swag can help you start the relationship on the right note. You might welcome them on the first day with office essentials like pens, a notebook, a USB drive and desk calendar to set them up for success. Add a mug or tumbler to use at their desk and a custom-branded t-shirt and they'll instantly feel like part of the team. Welcoming a new leader or executive? Consider a leather portfolio, executive planner and brass pen to start them off. Additionally, if you have workers who are exposed to the outdoors, a cap and water bottle are thoughtful recommendations.

Promotional gifts can also be great tools in employee incentive programs - encouraging healthy competition and ensuring that company goals are met. You can try celebrating team and individual achievements with high-quality plaques and awards. These are wonderful to hand out at a company banquet, holiday dinner or any other recognition ceremony. Acknowledging excellence in any way can keep employees motivated and working hard.

Letting employees know you value their mental and physical well-being is another way to keep them motivated. You might do this by planning health-awareness programs and wellness days to show your workforce that the company cares, then enhance those initiatives with giveaway items like yoga mats, stress balls and sports bottles to promote self-care.