Q U E S T I O N
I’ve been in sales for many years and have given and received waaaaay too many Holiday fruitcakes...help! Do you have any ideas for unusual gifts?

A N S W E R
Well, one year we had a client who was an avid trout fisherman. To his utter amazement, we gave him a hand-painted trout-shaped candle...I’ll never forget the grin on his face! Okay, change gears...think family. Brother Ralph is a chocoholic - so you treat him to chunks of dark, rich fudge from that little shop at the shore. Unfortunately, corporate gifting is typically based on simplicity, price or availability - rather than on how well you know someone. Assumption: A gift lets a client know you care. Okay, so if fruitcake sends the basic message, go beyond! Lotsa clients? Keep it simple. Too busy? Consider how much time your firm spends trying to attract and keep clients...if this takes a few minutes of thought per gift, it’s time well spent! Think “giftee” - family, sports, hobbies, pets, tastes and lifestyle. How about Broadway tix for the lady who’s always humming a tune, a bonsai tree for that apartment-dwelling nature nut, a massage for the tense guy, a dog-training video for the folks with the new puppy, boxes of Krispy Kremes for the gal who relocated to Sioux City, a new blender for the health-food dude and tulip bulbs for the exec who just moved here from Holland. Personal means special! But what about the office gang? Incredible edibles! Sugary pralines from New Orleans, chocolate-covered ants (eek!), maple-sugar candies... it’s got to be something everyone crowds around and “just has to try”! The wrapping? Stunning...inventive...if the gift is the entrée, the wrapping is the presentation... dazzle them! Plus, these ideas work for “Happy New Year” or “Gee, thanks for the business” any old time of year. Happy Holidays!