The short answer
Most corporate gifting businesses wait for enquiries to arrive in the weeks before Diwali or New Year, then compete on price against everyone else the buyer asked. That keeps revenue seasonal and margins thin.
The steadier businesses do three things differently. They reach the people who decide on gifts before that decision is made. They sell occasions that repeat through the year, not just festivals. And they move a buyer from first conversation to a sample to an order, so the first order becomes an account rather than a one-off.
Why waiting for festival enquiries keeps revenue seasonal
A gifting business that relies on inbound enquiries has two problems.
The timing is the buyer's, not yours. By the time a company sends a request for quotes, it has usually set a budget and a shortlist. You are being compared, not chosen.
The comparison is on price. When several suppliers quote the same hamper at the same moment, the cheapest wins and the margin goes with it.
Add tender dependence at larger companies, and a few weeks of the year end up carrying the business. The answer is not more catalogues. It is reaching buyers earlier, and giving them reasons to buy outside festival season.
Start earlier than feels necessary
Outreach takes time to produce results. Across our managed campaigns, outreach goes live within 18 days of kickoff, first qualified conversations usually arrive in weeks 3 to 4, and conversation volume becomes consistent after 6 to 8 weeks. Our benchmark report explains those figures.
For a festival deadline, that means working backwards:
- 1
Find out when your buyers decided last year. Ask your existing clients when they approved their festival gifting, not when they placed the order. That date is your real deadline.
- 2
Go live two to three months before it, so conversations are happening while budgets and shortlists are still open.
- 3
Keep a second wave for late deciders. Some companies always decide close to the date; they are easier to win if they already know you.
Who decides on corporate gifts
Corporate gifting is rarely one person's decision, and the person who signs the order is not always the one who chose the supplier.
| Occasion | Who usually decides | What they care about |
|---|---|---|
| Festival gifts for employees | HR or people teams, with admin or facilities handling logistics | Employee experience, delivery to many locations, staying within budget |
| Bulk or high-value orders | Procurement, once spend crosses an approval threshold | Vendor registration, pricing, payment terms and reliability |
| Client and partner gifts | Marketing, sales or account leaders | Brand fit, personalisation and the impression it creates |
| Onboarding kits and milestones | HR, talent or people operations | Consistency, branding and stock available when new people join |
| Smaller companies | The founder or an office manager | Simplicity, one point of contact and a reliable delivery date |
Because most orders involve more than one of these people, contact two at each company: the person who chooses and the person who processes the order. Our post on reaching the whole buying committee explains how to do that without sending everyone the same message.
Three angles that get past a price comparison
A catalogue invites a price comparison. An angle tied to the buyer's own goals does not.
Year-round occasions
Onboarding kits, work anniversaries and recognition programmes happen every month, not once a year. They suit companies that are hiring, and they turn a seasonal supplier into a regular one. A company announcing expansion or a hiring push is a natural place to start this conversation.
A clear position on sustainability or local sourcing
Some buyers have their own goals around waste or supporting local makers. If you genuinely offer reusable packaging, local crafts or lower-waste options, lead with that for companies that talk publicly about those goals. Do not claim it if you cannot show it.
Curated programmes instead of one-off orders
Offer a planned calendar: festival gifts, client gifts and milestone kits, agreed once and delivered through the year. Buyers who do not want to run a supplier search every season will value one reliable partner, and you get forecastable revenue.
Whichever angle you use, answer the objections buyers raise anyway, up front: minimum order quantities, customisation options, capacity, and how you handle delivery to multiple offices. Margin and fulfilment reliability are the two concerns buyers raise most often, so address them before they ask.
A cadence from first message to order
The buying journey for corporate gifting is short and physical: something prompts the need, the buyer sees and touches a sample, then they order. Outreach should follow the same steps.
- 1
First message: a short email or LinkedIn note tied to a reason to talk now, such as an upcoming festival, a hiring announcement or a company milestone. One idea, not the full catalogue.
- 2
Follow-up: a relevant example, such as a kit you produced for a similar company, with what was included and how it was delivered.
- 3
Sample offer: for interested buyers, offer to send a sample kit. Gifts are physical, and seeing the quality is often what a buyer needs before asking for a quote.
- 4
Quote and order: confirm quantities, customisation, delivery locations and dates in writing.
- 5
After delivery: ask how it landed, and suggest the next occasion on their calendar.
Run email and LinkedIn outreach together on the same accounts, so each buyer hears from you twice, in two places. Use separate sending domains for cold email, so festival-season volume never puts your main business email at risk; our deliverability guide covers the setup.
Who to target first
Not every company is a good gifting client. Start with companies that are most likely to buy repeatedly:
Companies with large or growing teams, especially across several offices.
Companies that are hiring steadily, for onboarding kits.
Client-facing businesses, such as professional services, that gift clients every year.
Companies that already mention employee recognition or culture programmes publicly.
The free ICP builder tool can help you write down this profile before you build a list, and an account targeting strategy helps you decide which accounts get fully personalised outreach and which get lighter sequences.
A 30-day starting plan
- 1
Week 1: list your best past clients and the occasion each one bought for. Ask three of them when they decided. That tells you who to target and when.
- 2
Week 1 to 2: build a list of companies that look like those clients. Find the person who chooses and the person who processes the order at each one.
- 3
Week 2: write one short sequence per occasion, each ending in a sample offer. Set up separate sending domains for cold email.
- 4
Week 3: go live on one occasion and one segment.
- 5
Week 4: read every reply. If buyers say they have already chosen a supplier, note when they decide next year. If they ask about minimum quantities or delivery, add those answers to your first message.
If you would rather have this run for you, see our cold email outreach service, or book a free audit below.
Common questions
Well before buyers start asking for quotes. Outreach campaigns take a few weeks to set up and a few more to produce steady conversations, so start two to three months before the festival at the latest. Ask your past clients when they decided last year, and plan backwards from the earliest of those dates.
Usually HR or people teams for employee gifts, admin or facilities teams for logistics and bulk orders, procurement once spend crosses an approval threshold, and marketing or sales leaders for client gifts. At smaller companies, the founder or an office manager often decides. Most orders involve two of these people, so contact both.
Sell an occasion and an outcome, not a catalogue. Onboarding kits, work anniversaries and client appreciation programmes are planned and repeated, so they reward reliability and customisation over the lowest unit price. Show past fulfilment at scale, offer a sample, and be clear about minimum order quantities and delivery timelines from the start.
Use both on the same accounts. Cold email reaches the wider list of HR, admin and procurement contacts at low cost. LinkedIn works well for senior people-team and marketing leaders, who often check your profile and past work before replying. Running them together means each buyer hears from you twice, in two places.
Keep reading
Want steadier orders for your gifting business?
We run account research, cold email and LinkedIn outreach to HR, admin and procurement heads, timed ahead of the occasions your clients plan for. Book a free audit and we'll show you which companies and seasons we would start with.
Book a Free GTM AuditHave more questions about Myntmore? Ask your AI
The Outbound Operator
One practical growth playbook, every week
Outbound systems, AI prospecting, cold email, and LinkedIn tactics, built from real campaigns, not recycled theory.