Yep, we’re knee deep into the holiday season and that means (1) trying to figure out if you should give gifts to your clients/colleagues/etc. and then (2) deciding what to give.
I’m totally convinced that gift giving is an art form. And, something at which a lot of people do not excel. Mostly because people don’t take time to really think about the person they’re buying for.
Obviously, gifts are easier when you know the person. For example, I wouldn’t purchase liquor as a gift for someone I didn’t know well. They might not drink. And, if they do drink, the gift might not be something they like. Early in my career, I worked for someone who loved Champagne. Not just any Champagne…Moët and Chandon White Star. So every year, we would get together and buy him a case of Moët. He always knew it was coming but it was something he really liked and enjoyed.
But let’s say you don’t know the person very well. Maybe they’re a new member of the team or a client you don’t have too much personal convo with. It’s still possible to get them a gift they will enjoy. When I’m in this situation, here are a few things that I give as gifts – they don’t cost a lot and the recipients always rave about them.
- Magazine Subscriptions – This is a great gift for clients or office environments. Find a leading edge publication and send a gift subscription. Some of my favorites are Fast Company and Harvard Business Review. Many publishers offer discounts this time of year if you purchase multiple gifts.
- Coffee Mugs – Scoff if you must, but I don’t mean the traditional ceramic container. There are some cool heated travel mugs out there right now – called smart mugs – that allow you to keep the beverages of your choice hot in your car (or in your office). Simply put, they rock!
- Jump Drives (or Flash Drives) – Who can’t use a memory storage device? I’ve got several and always find a use for them. They come in so many shapes and colors. I really like the combo pen with jump drive – looks and feels like a spy pen. And, if you need to ship it…this gift is easy to mail.
- Lastly, if you have to grab something on the fly like a gift card…think in terms of places like Amazon which has books, music, games, etc. Someone is sure to find something they like there.
Just remember, it’s not the price of the gift that matters. A well thought item that the recipient can use is the very best gift of all.
0
laurie ruettimann says
I don’t believe in giving gifts to people I only associate with through work; however, I have given gifts to assistants who work tremendously hard and never get enough credit. I am a fan of the “spa day” gift, and I’ve been known to say, “Take the day off.” That’s the best gift of all.
PS – I’m a big believer of using the holidays as a cover to donate to charities in honor of acquaintances around me. It’s a win/win for everyone. 🙂
Lisa Rosendahl says
I buy gifts for my staff each year and have fun scouring the internet, magazines, stores around town for different ideas, reasonably priced. Fairytale Brownies and cookies from Big Island Candies were a big hit. This year I am going for the Gingerbread Yoga cookies from Baked Ideas http://www.bakedideas.com/yogapeople.htm Beyond my staff, office related gift giving gets pretty slim until we get to teacher and day care providers and that’s where the Barnes and Noble and Caribou Coffee gift cards come in handy.
Sushant says
These are all great ideas… finding gifts for colleagues is always tough. Another thought is a charitable gift card. I intern at a great nonprofit called DonorsChoose.org,
which offers holiday gift cards unlike any I’ve seen: the giver makes a tax-deductible donation by purchasing the gift card (any denomination, starting at $10), and the recipient chooses a specific classroom project to support.
There are over 14,000 projects on the website, from every state and any topic you can imagine, so it’s a very personal gift.
The really fun, unique part of the gift card is that the recipient then hears back from the classroom she supported!
Check them out at: http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/giftoptions.html
michael.vandervort@gmail.com says
Sharlyn,
The coolest travel mug is one that you can power up with a USB plug, and it will keep your hot drink hot!
— Michael
http://twitter.com/mvndrvrt
hr bartender says
Thanks for tossing out all of your favorite gift ideas.
I gravitate toward practical gifts that people will repeatedly use. It’s great to hear “I use that pen you gave me every day.” or “No one is allowed to touch my mug.” It’s like I’m sending my good wishes each time the person uses the item.
Lael Trent says
I think these gift ideas are very interesting, especially to gift someone you don’t know like business clients. There’s one more suggestion I have. Apple iPods. I think they’ll make an unusual business gift. That’s what even our company did. We picked up a range of iPods from http://www.ipodyourlife.co.in/make_it.aspx at a special price. Hence neither was it over the top nor did we have to compromise on the quality of the gift.