business gifts
My dad is the CFO of a company so he gets a lot of perks and business gifts. Like this year we got Chicago White Sox season tickets and then occasionally we would sit in the box with other clients of his or of his companies. Not only would we get to go to the games (we are HUGE white sox fans) potential clients would receive tickets as incentives (basically promotional products and gifts) and that way they would sit in the box with people from my dad's company and my dad and they would get a chance to know them better and interact with them on different levels. This seems like such a good way to incorporate business with pleasure. I think that sometimes when you are dealing with businesses you think of the business as a whole and don't really think much about the individual people that you are working with. By getting to know these people you will be potentially working with or trusting your money with, you are able to see that they have your best interest in mind and that they are human too. For instance his company is in charge of selling and buying other companies so people are trusting them to find the best price for the company they are selling or vice versa. So getting to know the people that are basically in charge of your life for a period of time (actually your whole future) is important. That company is going to decide how much you make from your business sale and consequently the income you will have in the future. Having said that, you need to make sure that you are in good hands.
Businesses have so many different ways of reeling you in and making you a client. From passing out free coupons to giving you a chance to meet with the people that will be handling your business deals over a beer at a sox game, there are so many ways to show that the client is important to your business. Even though I am a pharmacy major, I find it very important. Whether you are selling a certain product or not (pharmacies are pretty standard) you need to sell your business as a whole. So that means getting to know your customer and knowing what they like and how you can help them in the future.