Resources
10 CRITERIA FOR SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIC GIFTING*
BEST IN CLASS
If your recipient has a Rolex and you give them a Fossil, that gift will land in a drawer or be given to the grand kids. On the other hand, if they have a Cassio and you give them a Rolex, that gift is going to get shown off everywhere they go! Your gift doesn’t need to cost $10,000, but be sure that it’s the best of its type.
UNIQUE
Choose a gift that stands out. If you simply add to their existing collection of 5 padfolios, 8 pieces of luggage, 3 pairs of golf shoes and 15 water-bottle/ Yeti thermoses, your gift is going to end up misplaced or re-gifted. Give something different that cannot be bought at Walmart, Amazon, or Nordstrom.
PRACTICAL
Give something that gets used on a regular basis. A plaque that hangs on a wall or crystal that collects dust in the china cabinet are both merely decorative, and people already have plenty of clutter. Choose something they’ll reach for multiple times a day.
LONGEVITY
Choose something non-consumable. Consumables have a low ROI and are quickly forgotten. Find something that gets used on a regular basis.
PERSONALIZED
Since the beginning of time, people have built monuments or given large sums of money to get their name remembered. People love to see their own name on high-levels things and they feel special when they do so.
AUTO-PILOT SYSTEMS-IN-PLACE
Business moves so fast these days that it can be difficult to keep up daily agendas. Finding a gifting program that can be easily duplicated over and over again is important if it’s going to be consistent and still special.
MULTI-DIMENSIONAL (OR IMPACT THEIR INNER CIRCLE)
Give a gift that includes the spouse. It wins game-changing brownie points for both the giver and the recipient! This is especially effective for those who could buy themselves anything they want. Delighting their inner circle is a whole new level of impact!
UNEXPECTED
The element of surprise can definitely elevate a gift from good to great. The more “expected” the gift is, the harder it is to “wow” them. See also “The ABC’s of Gifting.”
VISIBLE
If you are investing money in gifts, it would be nice if the gift and brand was seen by someone’s circle of influence. If done properly, it can spur conversations about a company or services and make a connection that would not normally take place.
CLASSY
If you’re going to brand, stay classy or consider further personalizing. Even the best gift that is over-branded will not be used by choosy clients for fear of looking like a walking billboard.
*List created from current client feedback and masterminding.
10 GIFTS TO AVOID
IMPORTED TRINKETS
No one wants cheap stuff cluttering up their home or office. Don’t give things that will end up in the landfill in a few weeks.
OVERLY BRANDED
While branding is not a mistake in and of itself, it’s important to do it in a classy way. The gift should be about the recipient.
EASILY ACCESSIBLE
If you can go to Amazon or your local Walmart to purchase a product, it is not likely to make someone feel VIP and special. Choose items that are best in class and are a bit rare.
GIFT CARDS
Nothing says, “I didn’t care about you enough to put thought and effort into getting you an actual gift” quite like a gift card does.
MONEY
Yes it is important and needed by all of us, but at a certain level it becomes a horrible motivator and even worse way to appreciate people over the long term. All the research on the planet has pointed to the fact the people want to feel acknowledged and genuinely appreciated by their company and by those around them. In general, money does not solve that need or problem.
APPLE
Tech is always hot and Apple is a common choice but that is part of the problem. It is overdone, everyone does it which makes it lack uniqueness. Plus, in most cases, it has a limited shelf life as new versions come out so often.
FOOD
When you factor in taste preferences, dietary concerns, and allergies, consumables are not the most effective gift selections. Plus, food has a high cost per impression (CPI). You get one impression and it’s gone in hours or at the most days.
ALCOHOL
Much like food, alcohol is also a risky gift. People have a wide variety of preferences in alcohol, and some people don’t at all or are recovering alcoholics.
PLANTS
Similar to food, in that you only get a few days or weeks of impressions out of them. Also, you don’t always know someone’s style and decor preferences, so the investment is often wasted.
APPAREL
There are rare times when apparel works really well but it is typically over gifted. It is often done with average quality with the same polo, jacket, or hat being given over and over again. It is usually branded with a logo which means it is likely to get donated to Goodwill and is a wasted investment.