If you’re in B2B sales, marketing, or customer success, you know how tough it is to break through the noise. Everyone’s inbox is a war zone. Automated gifting can be a shortcut to real engagement—if you do it right. This is your practical guide to setting up automated gifting campaigns in Reachdesk without sounding like a robot or burning through your budget.
You’ll learn: - How to set up a campaign that actually gets responses - Where most people trip up (and how to avoid it) - What’s worth automating—and what’s not
Let’s get straight to it.
Why Automated Gifting (Sometimes) Works
Sending a thoughtful gift can open doors that emails and cold calls just can’t. But here’s the kicker: if your gifting feels generic or spammy, it’ll backfire. Done right, automated gifting can spark conversations, re-engage cold leads, or thank loyal customers. Done wrong, it’s just another annoying tactic.
Reachdesk is one of the bigger platforms for this. It lets you send physical gifts, e-gift cards, and even personalized swag, and hook it all into your CRM or marketing automation. But don’t expect magic just because you’ve got fancy tech.
Step 1: Get Clear on Why You’re Sending Gifts
Before you set anything up, ask yourself: what’s the point of this campaign?
The best automated gifting campaigns are laser-focused. Some solid reasons: - Warming up cold prospects with a small gesture - Nudging late-stage deals over the line - Thanking customers after a renewal or referral - Re-engaging accounts that ghosted you
Skip the “just because” campaigns. If you don’t have a clear, measurable goal, you’ll waste time and money.
Pro tip: Write down what a “win” looks like. Is it a booked meeting? A reply? A signed deal? This keeps you honest when reviewing results.
Step 2: Pick the Right Trigger (Don’t Blast Everyone)
Automation’s only smart if it’s targeted. The power of Reachdesk is letting you send gifts based on real actions, like: - Prospect fills out a demo form - Deal hits a certain stage in your CRM - Customer NPS survey comes back positive - Contact hasn’t replied in 30 days
Don’t just upload a list and hit “go.” The more relevant the trigger, the better your odds.
What to ignore: Bulk-blasting everyone in your database. You’ll get ignored, or worse, flagged as a spammy gifter.
Step 3: Choose Your Gift Wisely
Here’s where most campaigns fall flat. A $5 coffee voucher is fine for a casual touchpoint, but it won’t impress a C-level exec. Likewise, sending a pricey gadget to a random prospect is just burning cash.
How to choose: - Match the gift to the relationship. Early-stage = small, thoughtful. Big renewal = more generous. - Be relevant. Local treats, charity donations, or even a handwritten note can stand out more than generic swag. - Avoid corporate clichés. Nobody needs another branded water bottle.
Some quick ideas: - E-gift cards (Amazon, Uber Eats) for easy automation - Local snacks or coffee for regional flair - Charity donations for value-driven brands - Company swag, but only if it’s genuinely cool (rare)
Pro tip: Let recipients pick their own gift from a curated selection. Reachdesk supports this, and it avoids the “thanks, but I’m gluten-free” problem.
Step 4: Set Up the Campaign in Reachdesk
Assuming you’ve got your Reachdesk account ready, here’s the basic flow. (Screens change, but the logic holds.)
- Connect your CRM or marketing automation tool.
- Reachdesk works with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and a few others.
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Do a test sync first—bad data will ruin your campaign.
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Create a new campaign.
- Give it a clear name (e.g., “Q2 Demo Booked Coffee Gift”).
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Pick your trigger. This might be a CRM stage change, a webhook, or a static list.
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Design your gift experience.
- Choose the gift(s).
- Decide if recipients can pick or swap their gift.
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Set delivery options: email, physical, or both.
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Write your outreach message.
- Keep it short, personal, and honest. No need for flowery language.
- Reference why they’re getting the gift: “Saw you booked a demo—here’s a coffee on us.”
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Avoid canned corporate fluff.
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Set budgets and limits.
- Cap how much can be sent per lead/account.
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Set campaign start/end dates.
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Test everything.
- Send a few gifts to yourself or colleagues first.
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Check the flow, delivery, and messaging.
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Go live and monitor.
- Watch for errors (incorrect addresses, bounced emails).
- Track engagement and replies.
Step 5: Track Results—But Don’t Chase Vanity Metrics
Reachdesk will show you who’s claimed a gift, but that’s just the start.
What actually matters: - Did you get more replies or meetings booked? - Are deals moving faster? - Did customers renew or expand?
Ignore: Open rates, click rates, and “gifts sent.” They’re nice to know, but they don’t pay the bills.
Pro tip: Compare your gifting campaign results to similar periods without gifting. Did you move the needle, or just spend more?
Step 6: Follow Up Like a Human
Automation is great, but people spot lazy follow-ups a mile away. After someone accepts a gift: - Send a real, human reply—mention something specific if possible. - Don’t immediately pitch. Thank them, ask a question, or just keep it light. - If they don’t reply, don’t guilt-trip them (“Didn’t you like your gift?”). It’s awkward and burns bridges.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and Stuff to Skip
What actually works: - Targeted, relevant gifts tied to real actions - Personal, honest messaging - Letting people pick their own gift
What doesn’t: - Gifting out of the blue with no context - Overly expensive gifts that feel like bribery - Giving everyone the same boring swag
Stuff to skip: - “Spray and pray” gifting to huge lists - Over-complicating your workflow with endless triggers and conditions - Relying on gifting as your only tactic—use it to support good outreach, not replace it
Common Pitfalls and How to Dodge Them
- Bad data: Double-check your CRM info. Sending a gift to “FirstName LastName” at “Company Inc” is worse than not sending anything.
- Budget blowouts: Start small. Test with a narrow segment before scaling up.
- Compliance headaches: If you’re targeting big companies, some recipients can’t accept gifts. Offer a charity donation option or let them decline gracefully.
- Ignoring feedback: If your recipients reply with “please remove me,” do it. Don’t keep sending gifts to people who aren’t interested.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Overthink It
Automated gifting in Reachdesk is a tool, not a silver bullet. Start with a single, focused campaign. See what happens. If you get real engagement, great—double down. If not, tweak your triggers or gifts and try again. The best campaigns are simple, honest, and respectful of your recipients’ time (and inboxes).
Don’t let the tech get in the way of common sense. Start small, keep it human, and you’ll stand out in all the right ways.