If you've been tasked with “automating gifting” at work, you know it’s a hassle. Manually sending out swag or gift cards is slow, and nobody wants to track spreadsheets or chase down addresses. You want something that just works, doesn’t annoy people, and maybe even makes you look good internally. This is for you: whether you’re in marketing, sales, HR, or just the unlucky soul who drew the short straw for “employee engagement.”
Here’s a practical, no-nonsense guide to setting up automated gifting in Corporategift so you actually see a return—not just a pile of unclaimed mugs.
Step 1: Get Clear on Why You’re Gifting (Don’t Skip This)
Before you touch a dashboard or build a workflow, figure out what you’re hoping to achieve. “Delight customers” or “boost morale” sounds nice, but it’s too vague.
- Who are you sending gifts to? (Customers, prospects, employees, partners?)
- What’s the trigger? (Closed deal, work anniversary, event follow-up?)
- What outcome matters? (Booked meetings, higher NPS, employee retention?)
Pro tip: If you can’t measure it, you probably won’t improve it. Tie your gifting workflow to a specific goal—like “increase demo show rates by 10%” or “reduce employee churn by 5%”.
Step 2: Map Out Your Gifting Triggers and Data Sources
Automated gifting only works if you know when to send a gift and to whom. This usually means connecting Corporategift to some source of truth:
- CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot, or whatever you use for sales and customer data.
- HRIS: For internal gifting (BambooHR, Workday, etc.).
- Marketing tools: For webinar follow-ups or lead nurturing (Marketo, Pardot).
What works:
Direct integrations with popular CRMs or HR systems save time. Corporategift supports most of these out of the box, but always double-check compatibility. If you’re forced to use CSV uploads, be careful—nothing kills ROI like duplicate gifts or missing contacts due to bad imports.
What to ignore:
Don’t bother wiring up every possible trigger. Start with one or two high-value scenarios, get them working, and expand from there.
Step 3: Design the Gift Experience (Don’t Overthink the Swag)
People don’t want more junk. The best ROI comes from gifts people actually want—or at least, don’t mind receiving.
- Let recipients choose: Corporategift lets you send a “gift link” so people can pick what they want (coffee, charity donation, headphones, etc.). This is almost always better than guessing.
- Set budgets thoughtfully: $5 coffee cards are fine for a webinar thank-you. Save the $100+ stuff for high-value deals or big milestones.
- Branding: Light branding is fine, but don’t slap your logo on everything. Subtlety goes further than a neon mug.
What works:
Choice and relevance. If you have international recipients, make sure the gifts are actually available in their region.
What doesn’t:
Heavy-handed swag packs, “luxury” items that look cheap, or gifts that require people to jump through hoops to redeem.
Step 4: Build Your Workflow in Corporategift
Now you’re ready to actually automate something.
A. Connect Your Data
- Go to Integrations in Corporategift.
- Connect your CRM, HR platform, or upload your contact list.
- Map your fields (name, email, trigger event, etc.). Test a few records to make sure nothing’s funky.
B. Set Up Automation Rules
- Choose your trigger: Example: “Send a gift when a deal moves to ‘Closed Won’ in Salesforce.”
- Configure conditions: Maybe only send gifts over a certain deal size, or only to decision-makers.
- Pick the gift experience: Choose your budget, type of gift, and how the recipient will be notified.
C. Test, Test, Test
- Run the workflow with test contacts first. You don’t want to send 100 real gifts to yourself (though your coffee budget might appreciate it).
- Check: Are the right people getting the gift? Is the email formatting OK? Are all the links working?
Pro tip:
Don’t just trust the “test” button. Actually process a couple of live gifts to colleagues to see what the recipient’s experience is like.
Step 5: Set Up Reporting and Track What Matters
If you can’t measure the impact, it’s just busywork.
- Track redemptions: How many people actually claim the gift? If the rate is low, your gifts or timing probably need work.
- Look at downstream metrics: Did meetings increase? Did employees stick around longer? Did you get more replies?
- Watch for waste: If you’re sending gifts to dead emails or people who left the company, tighten up your filters.
What works:
Corporategift provides basic reporting, but don’t be afraid to export data and compare it to your real business metrics. ROI is more than just “gifts sent.”
What doesn’t:
Don’t obsess over vanity metrics (like open rates for gift emails). Focus on what actually moves the needle for your goal.
Step 6: Tweak, Iterate, and Don’t Set and Forget
The best workflows evolve. After a month or two, look at what’s working and what’s not.
- Kill or pause underperforming triggers.
- Try different gift types if redemption is low.
- Solicit feedback: Ask a handful of recipients (especially internal folks) how the experience felt.
- Keep an eye on costs: Automation can make it easy to overspend if you’re not watching.
Pro tip:
Don’t be afraid to stop something that isn’t working, even if you spent hours setting it up. It’s better to have one solid workflow than five mediocre ones burning money.
Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
- The “one-size-fits-all” trap: Not everyone wants the same gift. Default to choice whenever possible.
- Overcomplicating everything: Simple, focused workflows beat sprawling, complex ones every time.
- Ignoring international issues: Shipping physical items overseas can be a nightmare—stick to digital gifts or regionally available options.
- Forgetting about privacy: Don’t collect more recipient info than you need, and be transparent about how you’ll use it.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Fix What’s Broken
Automated gifting isn’t magic, and it won’t fix a bad product or disengaged team. But set up right, it’s a useful way to show appreciation and nudge people toward the actions you care about. Start simple, measure what matters, and don’t be afraid to pull the plug on anything that doesn’t deliver. You can always add more later—just get your first workflow humming, and go from there.