High-end chocolates can make sweet, memorable client gifts for any occasion – closings, home anniversary, birthday/wedding/new baby, or just as a nice gift while doing a pop-by.

At www.chocolate.com, they offer a huge selection of chocolate corporate gifts for all sorts of holidays. Here are a couple ideas:

For Valentines Day, or just because: check out their Four Piece Favor Box. It’s a great size for really unexpected gifts.

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With the upcoming tax season, the Financial Crunch box could be a fun gift for clients or business clients like accountants.

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Chocolate Business Cards: With a minimum order of 250, this may not be the kind of gift that’s thrown together quickly, but might be a neat change from other gifts you’re currently doing, a different approach to the standard business card for a networking event, or even as a favor at open houses or events you’re sponsoring.

Each of these gifts are under $25 each, and while these ideas may not be for everyone, they’re just a reminder to think creatively in your marketing. You never know when a $6 piece of chocolate could turn into a Consistent Client!

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Check out the PSA Essentials stamp at FineStationery.com. More than your usual address stamp, they let you add personality and distinctiveness to a gift that will be remembered by your clients. There are lots of different designs, and many ways you could use these:

• Send a stamp to a client with their new title after they get a big promotion
• Personalize the stamp with a clients address for a closing gift
• Send one to business partners (mortgage or title agents, insurance agents, etc.) as thanks for a referral
• Give as a gift to a new local business, or a client launching a new business
• Give as a unique retirement gift for a client

And while they make great traditional gifts, think about other ways to use them for more unexpected occasions. The more unexpected a personalized gift like this is, the more it is remembered and appreciated by your client!

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A neat idea for a New Years’ gift is a magazine subscription. Fairly affordable as far as client gifts go, you can set them up with a gift that they look forward to receiving monthly. Most sites will either offer a email or postcard notification for your clients to let them know that they have a subscription on the way. Some will even print “Courtesy of” on the magazines for you, as a reminder of who sent them the gift. One site to check out is www.GiftMagCentral.com. As the name implies, it’s a site designed for giving magazine subscription gifts.

If you know some of your clients well, send them a magazine well targeted to their interests and hobbies. If not, there are always magazine options that will appeal to almost everyone. One idea is to plan on this as you are getting to know clients, and be sure to make a note of the type of magazine they would be interested in, so you don’t forget in the future.

In addition to sending a magazine as a gift for past clients, it’s a great way to show appreciation for new clients, and use as a closing gift. Or, use it as a thank you for referrals.

Even if magazine subscriptions aren’t in the budget right now, think about sending a simple card right after New Years, wishing your clients and their families a safe, healthy and happy New Year. They’ll remember you!

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Try myJones.com. You may be familiar with Jones soda? If not, they’re a specialty soda company that offers flavors like FuFu Berry, Blue Bubblegum, AmeriCola, and Green Apple, just to name a few. They offer a site called myJones.com that allows you to make your own customizable 12 pack by adding a personal photo label and caption to the bottle.

Need Ideas?

• Snap a photo of the client in front of their new home right after they’ve gotten the keys. Throw that on the front of the bottle, with a caption that says “Welcome Home” or their address, or any personal message from you
• Use them as “new and improved business card”, and bring it as gift for a listing presentation. Whether or not they look at your materials, you can be sure they’ll keep the bottles around, with your face and information on them.
• Or, try them as a featured drink for your open house. Match the flavor to the decor of the house, and you’ll help people remember yours, even if they’ve seen several that day.
• Sponsor a neighborhood/community event by offering to provide refreshments. Order several cases with a related community photo on the front, and an understated “Sponsored by” caption on the back.

Do you have any unique products that you use to stand out and be memorable? I’d love to hear about them.

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PhotoStamps is a neat idea – you take a photo, any photo, and they’ll put it on real US stamps you can use.

There are lots of ways you can use this. Use custom postage on all your mailings, so everyone on your mailing list recognizes your face (or your logo).

Or, take a nice photo of the house your client just bought, and send them a couple sheets they can use on their House-Warming Party invitations, “We’ve Moved” Announcements, or just in general correspondance. You can be sure they’ll remember that gift, and when friends and family ask about them, your name comes up right away.

Have some fun, and send out stamps with you dressed up for the holidays (think a Santa Hat or party hat for New Years), or use them as a gift for the holidays. There is lots of flexibility, since you can order one sheet at a time.

So have fun with them, and I’d love to see examples you use!

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Here’s how you can turn the postal rate increase into a marketing coup.

Purchase additional 1 cent stamps and enclose them in a personal handwritten note to your clients. Let them know you’re thinking about them and appreciate how valuable their time is.

My suggestion is to invest in a sheet of .01 cent stamps at only .20 cents per client. Or you can purchase a sheet of 20 Forever Stamps. The forever stamps don’t expire and can be used even after other price hikes. A sheet of these will cost only $8.20 per client.

I suggest doing this today so the stamps reach them BEFORE the increase. Remember it’s all about relationships and long–term benefits. What have you done to increase top of the mind awareness with your clients lately?

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You can make a lasting impact and show you care with this simple gesture. Take a photo of your client’s new home. Now add the new address and a caption that says “We’ve moved to xxx address” and have 50 postcards printed at your local printer. Package appropriately and present the gift to your client. This gift creates a special bond with you and your clients. What have you done lately to build lasting relationships for repeat business?

Rich Rogala, Real Estate Marketing, Consistent Clients, real estate gift ideas, Client Relationships

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