Even small gifts boost business

If a sales agent brings their customer a small gift, the customer is much more likely to make a purchase, a study by the university of Zurich has shown. This works particularly well when the person receiving the gift is the boss.

Even small gifts boost business
Even small gifts boost business

Main titles

  • A conflict of interest arises according to the gift. A box of chocolates? No problem.  A seat in a box at a Formula 1 race? Perhaps not.
  • Even small gifts influence behavior
    In an experiment by the universities of Zurich and Lausanne, sales representatives gave some of their customers six tubes of toothpaste worth a total of around 10 francs. This seemingly insignificant token led to orders that were on average almost twice as high.
  • Effect depends on the relationship
    This effect only occurred, however, if there was an existing business relationship, meaning the giver and recipient already knew each other.
  • Effect is biggest with the boss
    Distributing small presents may therefore be a profitable strategy for sales reps. This is especially true if they are handed over personally to the boss.

Source: media.uzh.ch