Give technology to clients

When it comes to gifts for tech-savvy clients, simple is usually better. Here are some suggestions to maximize your marketing budget.

High cost, low impact $3,570/ order of 500

Data has gone portable, but if you’re considering branded USBs, re-think that. Most people have drawers full of these gadgets, so you won’t stand out unless the device stores at least 16GB. And even the small ones cost you: To order 500, classic 2GB USBs it’s $3,570, with free shipping, from the website brandedmatter.ca. To order 500 4GB keys, it’s $3,625. Costs vary depending on storage space, and whether the key folds or flips and has designs or colour engraving.

Medium cost, high impact $120/Person

Indigo offers the Kobo Glo e-reader for $129.99. Or, at $79, a Kindle is a bargain on amazon.ca. Both ship at no additional cost. You can also include a gift card for Indigo or amazon.ca so clients can get something to read immediately. Many e-books cost less than $10. Digital picture frames cost between $50 and $150, depending on size, capacity and screen quality, according to Tiger Direct.

“If you want to treat a client to a digital gadget like an e-reader, make sure he doesn’t already have one.”

High cost, high impact $600/Person

Must-have tech gadgets like iPads or tablets make unique gifts, but they come with a few challenges. First, your wealthy clients probably already own their device of choice. Second, it can be tricky choosing tablets thanks to operating system loyalties. Giving a Windows tablet to a Mac user is impractical, so do a bit of detective work beforehand.

A 32GB Apple iPad Air will cost $600 at Best Buy. The chain also sells a Samsung Galaxy 32GB notebook for $600. Plus, shipping is free.

While you’re shopping for tech gifts, why not also update your office software to reduce the time you spend on non-client-facing activities? Check out:

• Portfolio rebalancing software, such as Tradewarrior, that can be integrated with your portfolio management platform;

• Customer relationship management (CRM) software, such as Maximizer, that will help you manage your existing clients and provide metrics that will help you hit your growth targets;

• Modelling software to handle portfolio balancing and trading;

• Planning software to project the growth of your books; and

• Social media software to manage your reputation and reach out to clients online.

– Steve Dwek and Jordan Pohn, PhD, are co-founders of Panadat.

Lisa MacColl is an Ontario-based financial writer.