It’s that time of year. Time to send out the holiday cards and juggle the many social gatherings that take place in December. Personally, I send custom holiday cards to an extensive list of contacts. It’s “my thing.” This year I posed the question about buying holiday gifts for clients and received a number of suggestions. Here are some thoughts.
Business Books. There are lots of good options here to give someone something that you loved, might solve a specific issue or simply one that inspires.
Chocolate. A great choice if you know the person loves sweets. Not a great choice for someone watching their sugar intake or someone who prefers the savory side of life.
Wine. Again, like chocolate or other treats, if you know the personal taste of the client then go for it.
Charity. There were mixed feelings on this. Some people liked the idea of a donation or a Charity Choice card where the recipient chooses where the money goes to.
Adopt a family/Giving Tree. Many local organizations let you pick a child and provide them with a gift of their choice. My friend Pamela Atherton has done this in the past. She has taken photos of all the gifts and sent that photo to her clients to say thank you.
Personal gifts. For clients who you know well, buying something that would mean something to them might be the way to go. Similar to how you might buy for a friend or family member.
Homemade Items. This has been a tradition for me for many years. I usually bake for days and send boxes of treats around the Nation. However, I have personally given up sugar and decided it wasn’t the best idea this year. I apologize to everyone who won’t be getting a box this year. Perhaps I need to do some Pinteresting to get some less sweet ideas.
The one thing that I don’t believe in and others agreed was that items with your company logo are not usually a good idea as they tend to be self promotional rather than a token of thanks.
I’m still in the process of buying gifts and have chosen a variety of these choices based on how well I know my client.
What are your thoughts? Are gifts necessary? What are you buying and what would you most like to receive?