Personalized Lucite Box is a Big Hit for Mortgage Broker

Penny Doubek is a mortgage broker and president of her own company, Doubek Financial Group based in Morgan Hill in Northern California. Corporate gifts are very important in her line of business, and she gives out approximately 500 gifts a year.

Her primary goal with a corporate gift is to give something that is unique and makes client feel special. She would like the recipients of the gifts to remember her and her company in a positive light. For the 1993 holiday season, Doubek gave chocolate-filled lucite boxes from Chocolates à la Carte to her best clients and the big chocolate holiday bells (made of individual truffles) were given to the employees of the banks she works with as a gift to share.

To personalize the gifts, she had Chocolates à la Carte engrave the recipients name on the lucite boxes. A month later, each of her clients were sent stationery to put inside the box once the chocolates were consumed.

"I have given gifts for years," says Doubek, "but I have never had as great response as I have had with the lucite boxes. Virtually every client called and/or wrote to thank me. Plus, they were in shock when the unexpected gift of stationary arrived in January. It made such a lasting impression that my clients are still talking about it. The holiday bells were also a big hit with the banks. Working with Chocolates à la Carte was a pleasure," continues Doubek. "I just gave them a list of names and addresses and the next thing I knew I was getting thank you calls from my clients." Have the gifts helped Doubek build business in 1994? According to her, "There is no question in my mind that they have helped me already obtain new referrals. Plus, when I go to the banks, I know they make my loans a priority."