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Stop Treating Gifting as a Closing Tactic

Most sales teams think about gifting too late.

The gift gets sent after the deal is signed, after the champion says yes, or after procurement finishes its process. At that point, the gift is a thank-you. It has almost no impact on the buying journey.

The more interesting opportunity is using gifting as a signal of understanding.

Buyers spend most of the sales process wondering whether a vendor actually understands their world. Every company claims they do. Few prove it.

A thoughtful gift can do that in a way another follow-up email never will.

Imagine you're selling into operations leaders at manufacturing companies. Instead of sending a generic gift card, you send a well-chosen book on operational excellence with a note referencing a challenge discussed during discovery. The value isn't the gift itself. The value is demonstrating that you listened closely enough to connect their problem with something useful.

That changes the conversation.

The buyer no longer sees another salesperson running a process. They see someone paying attention.

The mistake is assuming gifting creates reciprocity. The real advantage is that it creates relevance.

Relevance is what gets remembered.

How to Use This

Choose one moment in your sales process where buyers typically go quiet. For many teams, that's after discovery or before a major evaluation stage.

Instead of sending another "just checking in" email, send something that reflects a specific insight from the conversation.

Keep it small. Keep it personal. Keep it connected to the business problem.

The goal is not to impress someone with generosity.

The goal is to show that you understood something important about their situation.

Most sales outreach feels automated, even when it's written by a human.

Thoughtful gifting creates evidence that the conversation is real. That is often far more valuable than the gift itself.

From our partner Thnks

Stop "just checking in." Stand out in a crowded inbox and build real prospect relationships that close deals with Gratitude Commerce..

Thnks helps sales pros send personalized, brandless gestures in seconds. Whether it’s coffee after a demo or a ride to an event, create a human connection that drives ROI. Integrates with Salesforce and HubSpot. No subscriptions or contracts—only pay for what you send.

Send a Thnks

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Biggest Moves in AI

Source: The Verge

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Thanks for Reading

Have a great day! If we’re not already connected, reach out to me on LinkedIn!

Joey Fiorie

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