Gift Rap
Christmas (Xmas) is coming. And good clients are particularly precious this season. Should we send cards or gifts? If gifts, what? And how much should we spend?
In matters of etiquette, no thing is better than the wrong thing. But that’s pretty lame. So let us pick a path through this merry minefield.
Suitability
If your client is a drinker, she may prefer schnapps to sav blanc. So buying five dozen whites with your logo on the label may be counterproductive, not cost effective.
The greeting card pictured above is entitled ‘Fluffy Discovers the Christmas Lights’. One year, I sent it to all my clients. While most thrilled to my humour, a few were not amused.
I won’t make that mistake again.
Diversity
We’re not all Christians. Americans say ‘happy holidays’ to avoid offence.
If a client is more into Ramadan than Rudolf, your cheery yuletide Yo! will cut little ice. And if you send alcohol, you may teetotal yourself right out of the relationship.
You must therefore know each client’s religion. This is another delicate operation, unless you’re on very good terms.
Solution
The answer is to know your clients well. This good business tenet comes to the fore on special days. You’ve probably read how powerful it is to mark client birthdays. You may even take the time to do so.
Surely, then, it’s not that much of a stretch to sort your Hanukkahs from your Pancha Ganapatis.
Gift Ideas
As Christmas still grips much of the Western world, we ought to generate a suitable gift list.
If you know a client well enough, the right present will suggest itself. If not, you need to go generic.
As with communications, generic is far less effective than targeted. However, if you must ‘batch’, these suggestions shouldn’t offend:
$25 Book (especially a business book you’ve found useful).
$50 Goat (via Oxfam or World Vision). My personal favourite.
$100 Gold Class movie tickets (perhaps with a food voucher).
$200 Ummm…
Perhaps you can give us your thoughts on what to send and how much to spend.
Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire
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This was the subject of one of our most popular articles last year – there are some good ideas in this list but I’m sure there are plenty more out there. A couple of my favourites are a small cactus for the office or a Christmas decoration (everytime someone gets it out at Christmas they’ll think of you). Even a beach towel was a quirky idea for an Aussie Christmas.
For $150 you could send the goat to Gold Class. Thought provoking …
Nice ideas, Megan.
Yours too, Adam. I have one client who would consider a combination of these elements optimal!
Save yourself the goat, I’m not into that, good old Jim Beam works for me (the goat may look better after the Beam?) Seriously, it is a very good point. We tend to send Christmas hampers with those quirky holiday treats and condiments that are appreciated. The benefit is that it’s quite generic, non sex specific, is something people get brownie points for taking home and can include alcohol or not depending on the situation.
Also you can vary the cost and size on your requirement. One issue we do come up with is some of our customers do not allow their staff to accept any gifts at all or have to put them in the tea room to be divided up amongst everyone in the company. Some are OK with that and others may arrange an offsite, boot up, under the cloak of darkness exchange.
Who would have ever thought giving a simple gift could be so difficult.
PS. I do understand that we don’t actually get the goat but perhaps just meet them at Gold Class.
Thank you for your perspective, Malcolm. May I ask whether you, as a CEO, get gifts from (wannabe) clients, suppliers and distributors?
If so, do they come with an implicit ’string’ that one day you’ll look upon them favourably?
Or are there genuine givers out there who send you stuff because they’re truly grateful for your custom, patronage, blog comments or whatever?
PS: I kept the receipt. You can swap the goat for a sack of corn if you wish.
One more thing, Malcolm; if I may. Have you ever given your book as a Christmas gift? Have your contacts bought boxes of them to distribute to others? If so, do you know how it went down?
CEO does mean the best gifts. I must admit that I do like it and I will take a nice hamper home but share others around with the staff.
They’re usually gifts from current suppliers – interestingly I recieved more when I was the marketing manager and dealing with suppliers directly.
I take them as thankyou’s and no strings attached. Many times it’s a nice lunch rather than a gift which is pleasant as I usually have the time in December. People that want to deal with us may send a bottle of wine but nothing usually over the top.
I am yet to recieve a totally over the top gift from a potential supplier and not sure how I would react to that – there is a line between thankyou and a bribe.
I did recieve a weekend away with my wife from our Agency but we spend more than $1m with them so that was OK. I often refuse invitations to corporate boxes and the like unless I know the people well.
I will keep the goat thanks, we are communicating well now and relaxed with each other now so those uncomfortable silences are gone…….
I haven’t given my book as a Christmas present but have had people purchase multiple copies to give to their clients which is nice.
You are a killer, Malcolm! Your combination of relevance and irreverence is priceless. We are richer for your input. Many thanks indeed!
I can’t say I’m not hurt that the goat favours Malcolm.
PS Sorry to sully your priceless wisdom Paul. It’s an excellent post as ever. I’d much prefer a sincere mention at any time than a generic Xmas card. Love your artwork by the way.
Thank you, Ad. Coming from a cartoonsmith such as yourself, that’s high praise indeed!
Thank you, Ad. Coming from a cartoonsmith such as yourself, that’s high praise indeed!
Sorry… forgot to say great post – can’t wait to read your next one!
Greetings Folks :- )
Well, another grand post from the Grand ‘Postmaster’…thanks Paul…talking about a priceless combination of “relevance & irreverence”…:- )
I remember when approaching my first Xmas in NZ, the endless circular conversations regarding this very issue…usually circling back to the inevitable rubbish worthy Coffee Mugs, Branded Pens & Paperclip Containers…BOOOORRRRRING!!!
I suggested Branded Thermal Underwear (Singlets only for obvious safety reasons
. They were a hilarious, notable and functional success…the phone calls/feedback they generated were great.
Speaking of great thangs, and in accord with my tradition of derailing off-topic onto me and my stuff, I launched my Mobile Wood-Fired Pizza Business on Tuesday of this week…FINALLY! YAY! (Go 4 Launch flyer is available here in PDF – http://bit.ly/44Ygg1 )
It was a great success. I sold pizzas, met some great people and learned so much it has taken me since then to integrate just enough of it to be able to speak of it with some semblance of coherence.
As you know I was pipped at the post last week with changes to laws regarding public trading, resulting in me having to completely re-invent my launch strategy in 24 hours. As is so often the case, a seeming negative became a resounding positive.
Through good relations with local small business owners I’ve dealt with during my business setup, I was eagerly granted permission to launch noSh-it! Wood-Fired Pizza from Dave’s place.
Dave Preston owns National Capital Cartons in Fyshwick, ACT ( http://www.nationalcapitalcartons.com.au/ ). It took Dave about 5 minutes to provide packaging solutions tailored to the unique requirements of my Pizza Business, where most large packaging companies either could not or just wouldn’t because I was too small.
Dave has been a grand testament to ‘good will’…even refusing a contribution for use of his land.
Anyway, what did I learn from my Public Debut?
Far, far, far too much to put here, so you’re just getting the barest of bones:
The most important thing I learned was not entirely unexpected, except perhaps in regard to it’s monumental proportions. Of course I’m referring to the difference between the inside of my head, and the outside…in other words, well researched plans v reality :- ). I reckon I’ll be reeling for about 30 Life Times…:-P
Another very important thing I learned is that I learned so much and have so much to share with and inquire of my customers (and anyone else with an opinion and an inclination to dive in), that it has prompted me to establish my own blog (I should have it ready in the next day or so). I’ll post the URL when it’s ready.
I learned that I needed to be more specific in certain areas. I have begun already by making changes to my Menus resulting in 2 Menus. One for Public Events, the other for Private Events (available for download in PDF here too – http://bit.ly/44Ygg1 :- )
I learned that the general public perception & appreciation of ‘organic’ produce & preparation remains yet very much in it’s intellectual/conceptual awareness phase. On the ground, I reckon that the lunch-time crowd were only interested in getting a decent pizza as fast as possible. My gourmet sensibilities took a bit of a bashing and I’m now adapting my business in response.
Adaptations include pre-cooking pizzas for certain events/situations and keeping my gourmet sensibilities in calm repose to be unleashed on selected private audiences. Importantly, noSh-it! will remain noSh-it! I will not compromise on the ‘organic-ness’ or quality of my ingredients…only rearrange them and re-format some aspects of preparation in accord with specific event types/markets.
There are simply a litany of other juicy morsels that splattered like fruit-bats on my wind & flour-swept dial. But I’ll let them unfold in hopefully fruitful discussion on my blog.
Finally, the biggest, fattest, ugliest thing I had to swallow this week, is that for all my wonderful ideas (e.g. noSh-it! Wood-Fired Pizza), and notwithstanding the work and 2+ years of thorough research into this business, I learned though I am among my businesses strengths, I AM ALSO IT’S WEAKEST LINK! I am only one man (& this week I’m even wondering about the ‘man’ bit)…and I learned in no uncertain terms this week, that I might not get tired in my thoughts, but reality is whole ‘nuther thang
. If you’re thinking of doing this kind of business, I would strongly recommend at least 2 people to start-up ( I did get told this by a couple of good folk, but I didn’t have the luxury of a choice on that note). It’s not that I can’t do it, I just need to pace myself more carefully to actually be ‘SUSTAINABLE’…and pacing has it’s own cost…hence, adaptation.
In response to this and a plethora of other considerations, in response to the above findings and my current financial situation, I’m now looking for work, (humbly & passionately I might add), to pay my immediate bills and buy the time my business needs to grow it’s feet…though growing it’s feet it is. I’ve had 3 new bookings in the last 2 days…2 of those bookings alone will involve 80+ large pizzas. So my Calendar is beginning to get some meat on it’s bones :- )…But I need to be able to get there.
So if anyone can use some ad-hoc or even non-ad-hoc assistance with Web Design Consulting (i.e. interface between client & Web Techs), a bit of writing/copywriting/editing (no it’s not a hint, I’ve already asked Paul directly :- P), Sustainable Property/Habitat (Urban/Commercial/Whole of Farm) Design and a bag full of other hidden professional quality eclectic goodies, you know where to find me.
Don’t forget, I’ll be elaborating on all of this ad nauseum in the coming millennia on my new blog…importantly, my blog is intended to enhance, leverage and compliment my continued participation in this outstanding milieu.
After the grand support, quality of contributions and sense of community (even with Malcolm ;- ), I have been afforded in this fine milieu, I reckon you’d have to shoot me with a really big gun to get me out of here…
So thanks again folks for your great support and indulgence of my diatribes…I hope they are of some assistance to someone other than me :- )
Cheers
Stephen G
PS: I forgot to tell you…there’s a few piccies of the noSh-it! Wood-Fired Pizza on Launch Day here – http://img171.yfrog.com/gal.php?g=nhs.jpg
Cheers
Stephen G
Dear Stephen, your report and piccies are everything I’d wished for and more. What an incredible thread you’ve woven into our tapestry. In fact, what an incredible tapestry you’ve woven into our thread! This is truly great stuff and I can’t wait to see more on your own blog. Thank you so much for favouring us with your life lessons. Best regards, P.
Hi Folks,
An SBO Exclusive News Flash!!! (hopefully not a ‘Flush’ ;-P)
The noSh-it! Blog – ‘no Anchovies’ is ready!
Replete with it’s very first post it awaits it’s adorable and hopefully adoring public… :- )
What’s that? Oh! WHERE THE BLUDDY HELL IS IT???
So glad you asked :- )…it’s here – http://nosh-it-wood-fired-pizza.com.au/noshitblog/
Thanks guys :- )
Cheers
Stephen G
BTW, Stephen, with regard to your work quest, may I suggest Linkedin?
I couldn’t find you on the system, but it’s a great way to formalise and summarise your myriad talents, that others may see the wisdom of engaging you.
Thanks Cobba…A mighty fine ‘Suggest’ it is too Good Sir and much appreciated
It’s on the ToDo List…:-)
I have also decided that to ‘package’ my ‘quest’, I’m going to try something, that I reckon is slightly different, but no doubt and as usual, I’ll find that it’s been done ad nauseum.
Nevertheless, it encapsulates my focus, leverages the noSh-it! brand and represents my first foray into diversifying same. Think of it as an Open Court Design Consultation Studio (Degree of openness is a choice of the client of course :- ).
Given the range of titles and misnomers out there in the ‘Dante’s Inferno’ of ‘Web Experts’, it is important that I’m specific about what it is that I’m doing.
I believe that there remains a great deal of confusion (& delusion), in the market-place about what ‘Web Design’ actually is.
It seems to me that far too many Web ‘Owners’ (i.e. business people), don’t really know what they have bought or what it does or how exactly it helps their business (if at all).
This is because there are literally ‘bazillions’ of people out there calling themselves ‘Web Designers’ when in fact they are often ‘Web Developers’. So their is confusion on both sides of the table. And I’m NOT pointing the finger and saying that anyone is bad…just confused. Fairly reasonable in such a new & liquid market.
Here’s the rub: IMHO, asking a ‘Web Developer’ (effectively a programmer), to ‘Design’ a website, is like asking an Engineer to do the Interior Decorating in your lounge-room. See?
So, where do I ‘fit’ in? Think of me as a ‘Consulting Web Design Editor’ :- ). I assess your website (as you’ve already found me want to do by dint of my very nature, often whether you ask for it or not ;- P ), give you some ideas to improve it’s functionality, customer relevance & experience, and if you like it, I translate this to your Web Developers to make it happen FOR YOU.
I’m constantly staggered at the number of people I meet that when asked, “What is your Web’s CORE FUNCTION?”, they don’t know…and often therefore, neither do their Developers/Designers. Enter ‘noSh-it! Webs for People’…Tada! And the planet is safe once more…hehe! ;- P
Why am I doing this? Well, I’m doing it anyway (alongside my Pizza Business), I just haven’t been getting paid for it. Now I need the money to buy the time for my noSh-it! Wood-Fired Pizza to grow it’s feet, so it’s time to call a spade a spade.
As you have gathered (from above), I’m calling it ‘noSh-it! Webs for People’ (Keeping & leveraging the ‘noSh-itWFP’ branding thang :- P). I’m building the site for this as we speak :- ).
So there you have it Good Sir & Fine Folks…Another Small Business Owner Exclusive…You heard it here first… :- )
I’ll be back later with updates…and I’ll no doubt mention it on my new blog too ( http://nosh-it-wood-fired-pizza.com.au/noshitblog/ ).
Oh! And I’m honoured to have you as one of my auspicious first commenters too Paul…thanks mate…it means a lot :- )
Cheers
Stephen G
Good on you, Stephen. The crust thickens! Lucky you’re a man of many parts … with all the ingredients for success!
Thanks Cobba…that’s very heartening of you to say :- ).
Now the fun part…Or as I say – The Proof is in the Pizza ;- P
Never Give Up! Never Surrender!
Cheers
Stephen G
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Seth Godin just mentioned an AMAZING book in his latest blog post. You MUST check out the two short videos on Amazon. What a fabulous gift for clients and suppliers. See if you agree:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061730327/permissionmarket
You can see him here mate:
Cheers
Stephen G
Oops! That didn’t quite work :- P
Ok! Act One, Scene One, Take 2:
You can see him here mate:
http://www.ted.com/talks/william_kamkwamba_how_i_harnessed_the_wind.html
Cheers
Stephen G
Heaps good TED link, Stephen. Thank you!
Great read Paul.
Having been in the gift industry for years it certainly beomes clear that so many have different ideas of what is the right gift to send.
We get clients each year say, give me 60 of this 100 of that, they give us all the addresses a generic card message and away they go. Kind of boring in a way and a bit boring for us to do as it’s quite repetitive.
Others put real thought into it and we LOVE doing these ones. We go back an forth with quotes until the client is absolutely happy and know that each and every person is going to have that Wow factor. They know who drinks and who doesn’t and designs different ones for each.
Personally I think Christmas is a time for giving and appreciating the year just passed, not as an opportunity to plug your business even more with a branded gift. Promotional stuff has gone too far; what business wants another business’ branded mousepad, coffee cup or pen sitting on their desk? (Does anyone still give these out?)
We’ve done some great themed hampers over the years. Out with the basic basket and in with themed boxes, towers, handmade wooden trays, Party Tubs!
Paul may I suggest for your $200 gift idea The Party Pack. No need to send individual gifts which can actually save you money; write a quirky card “From our team to your team, kick off the festive season on us” , and away they go. Doesn’t matter if they drink or not there’s a bit in there for all and after they have finished; are left with a Party Tub for future events. PERFECT
http://www.hobbyhampers.com.au/product-details/The-Party-Pack-163-1.html
PS Your solution is spot on “You need to know your clients and suppliers well”
Glenda from Hobby Hampers
Hi Glenda,
Thanks for that insight, very interesting. I agree that sending promo gifts as Christmas presents is a bit overdone these days…I don’t even use a mousepad anymore
Might I suggest, if you have time, that you contribute these thoughts to our forum on myBRC? A good opportunity to add your URL too.
Firstly I have to agree with Stephen, our core business is fixing up expensive websites that have no core business purpose. Make sure your web designer/developer – whatever has at least some business background eh!?!
Now back to the topic of gift giving!
What I have found in the past working in London is the most effective gifts are given not to CEO’s (sorry Malcolm) but to their PA’s, switchboard peeps, accounts team etc.
That way when you want your submission to be at the top of the pile, your accounts paid and connected through via phone (plus hints on connections, networking ops) or to be recommended to the CEO you are the first one on their minds!
Happy Holidays!
Good on you, Glenda. It’s fabulous to have your viewpoint. It sure sounds like you are NOT a run-of-the-mill solutions provider!
Thank you, Kiki. You raise a great point too. I’ll just add that if you do ‘target’ a PA, make sure you don’t patronise them.
I know of one CEO’s PA who’s been given three idential gift packs by three successive hotel promoters.
Each pack has contained soap and a teddy bear. Not only is this unoriginal and monotonous, it also demeans the PA’s position and intellect.
Lol! Soap and a Teddy Bear three times! = fail!
That is unlucky. Makes you wonder what type of people are out there.
It may take me a while to get over three different peeps/marketing teams coming up with that idea for a pressie all at the same time.
Perhaps you could start a list of pressies people do like in business circles, then your subscribers can reference it in a month or so?
I for one, am all for a bottle of red. Your points taken though, perhaps two tickets to the movies.
Cheers
Kiki
btw you can follow me on Twitter @kikirobinson
Glad to have tracked you down on Twitter, Kiki. I couldn’t find a way to do that on your site. Am I blind?!
I think this hotel as a store room full of soap and teddy bears. They’re just working through it. Every PA (regardless of age or intelligence) wins a prize!
Great idea re the list. Megan, I believe you’re already doing this somewhere?
Hi Kiki,
We’re running a bit of a list over in the myBRC forum gathering everyone’s ideas – feel free to add!
Now I’m jumping back to Twitter to follow you
Hey Stephen and Megan
Thanks, I’ll check out that list, it’s nearly time again to start rewarding my wonderful network of peeps!
You can find me on Twitter @kikirobinson. I started using @thewebmob but have abandoned it for a while as I really like the freedom of using my own name.
I really like connecting others and experimenting with different things there and I don’t like to use my business name as I feel like I am there to ’sell’, which I’m not.
I’ll resurrect the @thewebmob one later on when I get some more support on board.
So follow me @kikirobinson if you wish
See you in the forum!
“Soap and a Teddy Bear three times! = fail!”
Oh my Teddy and Soap once to anyone = fail in my books. LOL
You don’t even give that to a new baby these days let alone to a P.A
Kiki you are right. CEO’s are not the best to target; def PA’s, accountants ete. It’s always the PA’s that call us for quotes we never deal with the CEO although at the end of the day they make the decision on what hampers they want.
Our P.A’s are getting Hunter valley Cookbooks this year as a thank you. There’s a bit of a hype with cooking this year with the whole Master Chef show, the recipes in this book are AMAZING.
Megan: will come over to your blog later today.
Glenda
Latest news from the teddy front:
My PA friend just got back from a ‘thank you for booking $12K worth of hotel stays this year’ meeting.
She met with the same lady whe gave her the ‘hi, nice to meet you’ teddy.
Guess what she got this time?
A teddy.
Though I can’t reveal the name of the PA, the teddy has agreed to go on the record.
He is called ‘Lil Nougat’.
Not to be confused with ‘big’ Nougat (for accounts exceeding $2 million):
I’ve just received anonymous archival footage of Lil Nougat’s predecessor. Seeing if I can make it work in here:
Hmm. Doesn’t work. Megan, are you able to change the![]()
bits so this YouTube video runs within this comment? Or is that too much trouble? No rush. 
Some more great thoughts from Flying Solo’s latest article: http://bit.ly/18Zu65
Found this interesting blog post that suggests your Christmas gift efforts may be wasted as your card and gifts will be lost among all the others http://www.thebusinessbakery.com.au/_blog/The_Daily_Juice/post/Why_Christmas_is_not_the_time_to_give_gifts_and_entertain/
Not sure I agree that the point is merely to gain impact…I’m more of the ‘it’s the thought that counts’ mould.
Nice find, Megan!
[...] This is our first Christmas on SBO, and we thought we’d get into the mood by offering our loyal readers the chance to win a swish Christmas hamper full of lovely Yuletide delights, thanks to Glenda from Hobby Hampers (read her fab client gift ideas in Gift Rap). [...]
We purchased the gift card as a birthday gift for our son. He has already used the gift card and was very satisfied with his purchases.