If you’re staring down Sendoso for the first time, or you’ve sent a few gifts manually and want to do more with less effort, this guide is for you. I’ll walk you through the nuts and bolts of setting up automated gifting campaigns—what works, what doesn’t, and what to skip. No nonsense, no buzzwords. Just the real steps (and pitfalls) from someone who’s been there.
Why automate gifting campaigns?
Let’s be honest: manual gifting is fine when you’re sending thank-yous after a handful of sales calls. But if you’re trying to nudge a hundred prospects, re-engage cold leads, or reward current customers—doing it by hand gets old, fast. Automation in Sendoso lets you tee up gifts based on triggers (like email opens, deal stages, or calendar dates) and get out of the weeds.
But—and this is important—automation isn’t magic. It’s easy to overcomplicate, so the best approach is to start small, see what works, and adjust as you go.
Step 1: Get your Sendoso account set up right
Obvious, but worth double-checking. If your Sendoso account isn’t set up, you’re dead in the water. Here’s what you need:
- Admin access (or at least permissions to create campaigns)
- Your team and user roles sorted out
- Billing details and funding in place (gifts cost money, after all)
- Integrations connected (Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, etc.), if you want automated triggers
Pro tip: If you’re the “IT person by default,” rope in your ops or RevOps folks early. Permissions and integrations can be surprisingly sticky.
Step 2: Get clear on your goal and audience
Don’t automate just to say you did. Ask yourself:
- Who are you sending gifts to? (Prospects, customers, event attendees, etc.)
- What’s the outcome you want? (Book a meeting, thank them for a referral, revive a stalled deal)
- How will you know if it’s working? (Meetings booked, replies received, deals moved forward)
What to skip: Overly broad campaigns. “Send a coffee card to everyone in the database” sounds slick but usually leads to wasted spend and awkward conversations.
Step 3: Choose your gift(s) wisely
Here’s where most folks get tripped up. You don’t need to send something wild—gift choices should be:
- Relevant to your audience (not everyone wants branded swag)
- Easy to fulfill (digital gifts = fastest)
- Within your budget (it adds up fast—track it)
- Not likely to get stuck in compliance/legal limbo (think about recipients at big companies)
Types of gifts that work: - Digital gift cards (Amazon, Starbucks, etc.)—fastest and most universal - Personalized notes—yes, these still matter - Physical gifts (tread carefully—shipping delays and address headaches are real) - Charity donations—for folks who can’t accept gifts
Skip: Big, expensive “wow” gifts in automated campaigns. Save those for hand-picked, high-touch outreach.
Step 4: Build your recipient list (clean it!)
Before you automate anything, make sure your recipient data isn’t a mess.
- Check emails and addresses—nothing kills goodwill like a gift sent to a bounced email or ex-employee.
- Segment logically—don’t mix prospects, customers, and partners unless you have a very good reason.
- Respect opt-outs—don’t spam people who’ve unsubscribed or said “no gifts.”
If you’re pulling from Salesforce, HubSpot, or Outreach, set up filters to avoid pulling in junk data.
Pro tip: Run a test export and spot-check a few records. Trust, but verify.
Step 5: Set up your Sendoso campaign
Now, the main event. In Sendoso, “Campaigns” are how you automate sending. Here’s the real process:
- Navigate to Campaigns in Sendoso.
- Click ‘Create New Campaign’ (the button moves sometimes, but it’s usually top right).
- Name your campaign—be specific (“Q3 Renewal Gifts – Customer Success” beats “Gift Campaign #4”).
- Choose campaign type:
- Triggered (fires based on an external event, like a Salesforce stage change)
- Ongoing (recipients processed as they’re added)
- One-time (think: holiday blast)
- Select your sender(s)—who the gift will appear to come from (individual rep, team, or generic company sender).
- Pick your gift from the catalog (or create a new one).
- Set sending rules—limits per user, per day, exclusions, etc.
- Add personalization options (if you want reps to add notes, or allow custom messages).
- Upload/Connect your recipient list—manual upload, CRM integration, or dynamic list.
- Review and confirm—double-check everything before you hit “Activate.”
What to skip: Don’t overthink the campaign settings on your first try. You can edit later.
Step 6: Set up triggers and integrations (if needed)
If you want your campaign to be truly “set it and forget it,” connect it to your CRM or sales engagement platform. How this works:
- In Salesforce: You’ll set up a workflow rule/process builder/Flow that tells Sendoso when to fire (e.g., Opportunity moves to “Contract Sent”).
- In HubSpot/Outreach: Use their native integrations to trigger on sequences or deal stages.
- Test it with one record before you roll out to everyone.
Don’t get fancy on day one: Multi-step triggers, complex workflows, or “if/then” logic almost always break in real life. Start with one simple trigger.
Step 7: Test (seriously—test)
This is where most people get burned. Send a test to yourself and a few colleagues before you unleash on real recipients.
Checklist: - Did the right gift send? - Did it come from the right sender? - Is the message correct (no “Dear [First Name]” fails)? - Did it show up in your CRM/activity feed?
Pro tip: If you’re sending physical gifts, test with a real address and check delivery times.
Step 8: Monitor, tweak, and don’t obsess
Once your campaign is live, keep an eye on:
- Delivery rates: Are gifts being delivered and redeemed?
- Responses: Are you seeing the meetings, replies, or actions you wanted?
- Budget: Automated doesn’t mean unlimited—watch your spend.
Don’t chase vanity metrics like “number of gifts sent.” It’s about impact, not volume.
If you see odd results (no redemptions, lots of bounces), pause and debug. Don’t let automation run wild.
Step 9: Keep it compliant and ethical
Gifting can get dicey if you’re sending to regulated industries (finance, healthcare, government) or across borders.
- Check your recipients’ company policies.
- Avoid gifts over $25–$50 for public sector folks.
- Be up front about why you’re sending something.
Skip: “Surprise and delight” campaigns to people who aren’t expecting you. It’s more likely to annoy than win hearts.
Step 10: Iterate, don’t overengineer
Here’s the part nobody tells you: Your first automated campaign probably won’t be perfect. That’s fine.
- Look at what worked (and what didn’t).
- Kill campaigns that flop—don’t keep them running “just because.”
- Ask for feedback from your team and recipients.
You can always add more triggers, personalization, or new gifts later. Simplicity wins.
Wrapping up
Automated gifting in Sendoso is powerful, but only if you keep it focused and grounded. Start small, test everything, and don’t get seduced by “set and forget” promises—automation is only as good as the thought you put into it. The real goal isn’t sending the most gifts; it’s getting the best results with the least hassle.
Keep it simple, keep it human, and tweak as you go. That’s how you win with automated gifting.