Build Trust and Better Relationships with Clients and Colleagues: 10 Thoughtful Corporate Gifts Under Rs.300 (2019)

All gifts matter! Particularly corporate gifts. They've been proven methods to improve networks and strengthen corporate ties. Corporate gifting is a norm that has picked up the steadfast pace in the last couple of years with the rise of Personnel Management. It boosts employee morale and inter-departmental cohesiveness. It's a breath of fresh air, the mundane and monotonous corporate circle is broken with the help of gifts. It drives conversation and is just a jolly practice that every office must adopt. There are various categories of corporate gifting like an employee to superior, employee to employee, employee to intern, the boss to intern and the list goes on.

But the most common of them all is organization/company to employees. This is an act of mass gifting that is usually festival-driven, centres around camaraderie building, and helps corporates become more human and inclusive. These gifts are usually standard budget gifts and aid with reinforcing brand values as well as brand-employee relationships. So if you're looking to find the perfect gift to give to your employees this fiscal year then you've come to the right place. We won't just help you pick the right gifts but also instil some amazing gift giving principles in your psyche. So here is our gift to you.

Quality is a key criterion when giving any gift and the stakes are as high as can be when you have your corporate stature and image on the line. It is very important that the gift is not sub-standard. Even if it doesn't ooze glitz, it should be durable, usable and presentable. Every single time you gift something to your seniors, you want to make an impression and when you're gifting something to your juniors then you don't want them to feel like you are a cheapster and that you are pinching your pockets. So keep a major focus on the quality of the gift, keep it professional, elegant and classy.

With great power comes great responsibility and with great gifts come great reasons. Establish an objective of your gift. Understand why you're choosing a certain gift and why you're giving it to a certain person. Have clarity of thought with what goal and objectives you want to fulfil with this gift. It can be bettering a certain relationship that has gone sour, thanking a client, raising the morale of fellow colleagues, and even as complex as gifting someone something for a promotion that you were vying for. There will always be a goal that you must aim for that can be helped through smart and thoughtful gifting.

You might want to make your gift super impressive with a hefty price-tag. Don't! This will just be a futile exercise and will actually present you as someone who is trying to use gifts to win people over. Be selective. Choose your gifts wisely, consider quality, price and intent before gifting someone anything in the corporate ecosystem and then make an informed decision. There can be consequences when you go against policies to give improper gifts. So don't go overboard. Simplicity and minimalism are two things that most professionals highly appreciate.

Everybody craves recognition. Everybody loves it. A little token of appreciation can boost the morale of any and every employee. Mementos, trophies, plaques and certificates have been categorically used by HR Managers and company management as a way to show gratitude towards their employees and also to keep them pumped up about work. You can choose from various trophies where the achievement of the recipients can be engraved. These can be coupled with plaques and certificates to add to the impact. You can print, engrave or insert printed certificates. These are usually available at local stores. This star trophy will cost you around Rs.226 on trophykart.in.

Who doesn't love to have a portable fan to beat the heat? It’s a blessing in hot climates, especially if your office is prone to power cuts. It can add to making the workplace more comfortable for employees. You can gift them comfort with a portable fan comprising of a torch and emergency power bank. They are better than fire or candle lamps as no fire, smoke or mess is created during the blackouts as they run on batteries. Get this product for less than Rs.300 after various offers available on snapdeal.com.

When it comes to office workers they are always working on a deadline. Things are always on the clock and when things get hectic, they often lose track of time. Another common problem that arises is missing dates and not remembering the date or day when making important calls and this leads to massive embarrassment. To solve these problems, a digital table clock is a perfect gift. They can even be hung on walls and are replete with vital information like the day, date, time and temperature. Buy them a clock, quick, the clock is ticking. For Rs.258, you can buy this from Flipkart.

Everybody loves food especially when it is hot. Food is the answer to all problems, including problems at work. An employee with a happy belly always works better. After a stressful day of work having food which was packed in the morning and now feels stale is the most unappetizing experience. These type of lunch boxes can help to keep food hot for a longer period of time. They are even spill-proof. Any employee would love to get their hands on this gift. The cost of this Milton lunch box is Rs.299 on bigbasket.com.

Caffeine is something that has been driving the workforce since the industrial revolution. Most corporates are addicted to coffee or tea. Needless to say, these beverages command respect and this is given to them through sturdy, beautiful looking mugs. Employees love mugs! Be it to drink their daily cup of Joe or to just keep their pens and stationery, they love mugs. Be sensible and gift them something that they can use every day, a coffee mug. A cherry on top would be a personalised coffee mug with either the company's logo on it or something that is descriptive of the recipient of the gift. Get it at a discounted price of just Rs.99 from the logosouk.com.

Luxury writing instruments are classy gifts for your hardworking employees. However, choosing the right kind of pen is essential. You must make sure that it fits their job role and personal style. Personalized pens can add style to their writing and you can even print your logo on them. You can never go wrong with anything that is personalised. Buy it for just Rs.208 on thepencompany.com.

A diary with the company's logo is by far the most common and most effective gift that we have come across. Most companies are already using these for gift-giving. It is particularly in demand during the winter solstice, as the new year approaches. It is something that actually comes very handy to anyone working at any level of any corporate chain. There will always be something to pen down and a diary is the best place to do that. It is organised, easily accessible and just a lot more personal. The things you can do with a pen and a diary can never be replaced with an iPad or your phone. There's just something about writing things down that people feel a lot more comfortable with it even today when almost everything is digital. Make sure to be quality conscious when selecting the diary and a multi-utility diary is always the way to go. You can get it for Rs.179 on flipkart.com.

Sometimes all you need to turn a sour or bitter relationship around is something sweet. So gifting someone an ice-cream set is a very smart move if you want to mend things. It is extremely metaphorical and honestly, very useful. It is the perfect gift for employees who have kids or throw a lot of office parties. It is very thoughtful and endearing when the gift is not just to please the person but also to show your gratitude and contribute in the slightest of ways. These sets usually contain 6 ice cream cups, 6 dessert spoons and 1 ice cream scoop. Basically, beginners guide to become a dessert master. And maybe, just maybe, the person you gift this to might invite you over for a scoop, pushing the dynamics of your professional relationship into a friendship. This whole ice cream set will cost you only Rs.299 on bigbasket.com.

Any person in the service industry, an MNC or in a start-up is bound to have a surplus of two things, pens and visiting-cards. What better gift to give someone than something that can manage both of these and clear the clutter that has been created on desks. Card and pen-holders serve the purpose really well and if it's a chic wooden one then it just brings out the look of the desk even more. It is durable, utilitarian and downright awesome. Most employees love this as a gift and since it's sitting on the employees' desk 24x7, it just reminds them that the company always has their backs. It will cost you Rs.200 on boontoon.com.

Gift cards are time-tested gifts that work in almost any corporate environment. They are not highly personal and are basically meant to buy anything that anyone would want to buy. Employees love gift cards, simply because it gives them the luxury to choose what they'd want to buy. Although it does have a negative connotation too. With gift vouchers, the amount is right there in people's face and this proves to be very off-putting for most people, simply because we as a society have created some basic gift-giving rules out of which one is that the price of the gift should be concealed. On the contrary, there is a movement that is taking place where these norms are being shunned with gift cards. They just seem to be the most logical gift. You can get these gift cards for as low as Rs.200 from amazon.in.

Just let the gift do the talking. Make sure everything is in place and that it is not too tacky. Add a well-written and neat note to your gift, adds a bit of personality and professionality to your gift. Make sure that your gift stands out and that whoever in the corporate hierarchy you're giving your gift to understands and appreciates the gift to its full capacity. Gift giving is not a zero-sum game. So don't feel very pressured or think that everything is on the line. Just be genuine and hope that the recipient appreciates the gesture and that the gift serves the purpose for which the idea was incepted in the first place. No gift is a bad gift, just some gifts are a bit better. Remember, all gifts matter.