The Ultimate Top Ten

1.Golfing fan? Car enthusiast? Keen traveller? Send a gift that reflects the interest of your client and instantly gain positive brand recognition. For a really distinctive gift aimed at premium customers, include a hand-written 'thank you' letter and encase your gift in a luxury bag or box

2.A business gift is quite different from a giveaway handed out at a tradeshow. Its purpose is to show appreciation and build positive client relations so anything that looks like blatant advertising will miss the mark.

3.Whatever gift you decide on, send something that is both appropriate and thoughtful and you'll certainly be on the right track

4.Know your audience. Research who they are and where they are. Find out if they are mainly male or female and their age range. All of these factors will help you to better target them with your campaign.

5.Keep it simple. Don't bombard people with different messages, know exactly what you want to say and think about how to do so clearly.

6.Tease them. A teaser campaign is a sure fire way of grabbing people's attention and by using a number of direct mail pieces, usually at least three, within a short period of time you are able to build a sense of excitement and ambiguity before revealing the final message.

7.Manage your database. Keep your database as up to date as possible, taking out any returns or people who opt out as mail going to the wrong address or to someone who is not interested is a waste of time, money and resources.

8.When negotiating price and quantity, get estimates from at least three suppliers and make like-for-like comparisons.

9.If your order is on-going, quiz your potential supplier on their record for continuity of supply. The supplier may be able to offer a guarantee on this or options for similar alternative products, should the supply of the initial choice cease.

10.If you are looking for a particular product which does not appear in your supplier's catalogue or website, enquire as to whether it can be sourced. Suppliers often have access to a far broader range of products than those they actively market.

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