Gift-giving should come from the heart, not out of a sense of obligation. Giving a gift—whether money or an object —is how we express how we care about someone in a special and extra way. Below I’ll discuss how to navigate the thorny waters of gift giving; whether to give a personal gift, gift cards, checks or cash; whom to give gifts to: and whether to send holiday cards.
Give a Gift or Cash?
When you take the time and effort to give a nicely wrapped gift especially chosen for someone, it’s an exceptional delight. It shows you know their likes and preferences. To me, it’s the ultimate way of thanking someone and showing how much you care about them. No gift card or money can ever express the same emotions.
So how do you get to know what to give? During conversations throughout the year, ask leading questions such as, “Do you like certain kinds of wine?” “What do you like to do to relax?” “Do you enjoy reading?” “What kind of books?” These questions will give you the clues you need to select the right gifts. Those who receive such personalized gifts from you will be most surprised to see how you remembered and acted upon the knowledge you learned.
When low on funds to purchase gift cards, that are generally $5 on up, it’s fine to purchase small Dollar Store gifts that are no more than $1 to $2 each. Make sure it is nicely wrapped, with a handwritten note of love and appreciation of their friendship. What counts is when people take the extra step to choose a gift, no matter the value, that will be useful to the recipient.
Keep in mind that it’s not about the money, how much money, or the amount spent on a gift. You could give homemade fruitcake, cookies, or jams. It’s all about a combination of what you can afford and the intention behind what you give.
Whom to Gift?
One of the biggest dilemmas people face this time of year is whether to tip or give a gift to someone who has provided year-round services, or people at the office. While this list can seem overwhelming, keep in mind that I list everyone you might consider gifting, and not everyone is a requirement:
1. Year-Round Service Providers
- Apartment / Condo Building staff (such as the Superintendent, Doorman, Engineers, and Housekeeping)
- Pet Care, Dog Walker
- Private physician, dentist when engaged year-round
- Home Caregiver, Nurse
- Trash Collector
- House staff (Housekeeper, Babysitter, Nanny, Landscape / lawnmower, Gardener, Pool keeper, etc.)
- Child or Elderly Day Care facility and staff
- Home delivery person (such as newspaper, mail, trash, and bottled water)
- Personal Coach/Trainer/Activity Instructor
- Beautician, Hairdresser, Stylist, Manicurist, Massage Therapist
- Private Club servers
2. Office staff and Service Providers
- Boss / Supervisor / Manager
- Assistant
- Employees and Staff
- Delivery people such as Postal, UPS, FedEx, and coffee/water
- Vendors and Suppliers
- Gifting Clients and Customers
A holiday card with a personalized message is always nice to send. Annual desk or wall calendars are also very common.
Depending on budget and the number of corporate gifts you wish to send, there are an infinite number of ideas a company can implement to show someone they care. The key is to give a gift you know the receiver will value and enjoy. If you want help with this, email me for other corporate gift-giving guidelines.
A Word About Holiday Cards
Even with the advent of email and a desire to go green, I still believe in the power of a holiday card as a gift unto itself, especially to those you may not see during the regular year and who may live far away. When a person receives a holiday card, the value is more highly regarded than in times past.
A generic card with only a pre-printed name or company name on it, however, does not make a statement that you care. Personalize it with a handwritten note or letter, and hand address the envelope. Use a regular postage stamp… not a metered stamp.
Lastly, as much as you may be among those who “can’t stand” receiving those pages of tiny print typed holiday letters that chronicle a friend’s entire year’s activities and other news, it is another way to stay in touch with that person over time. Gather up these letters on a Sunday morning with a warm blanket and a warm cup of tea or coffee, or hot chocolate, and enjoy reading them to stay in touch. Friendships are maintained when you stay involved in each other’s lives, no matter the distance across the globe.
An Old-Fashioned Way to Stay in Touch
And speaking of staying in touch, if you’re not the holiday card-sending type, another nice gift to people, whether friends or in business, is to give them a ‘telephone’ call. With many free calling methods for anywhere in the world, this is fast becoming the most economical and personal way to stay in touch with family, friends, and business clients and associates.
Here’s wishing you and yours a great holiday season, wherever you may be and whenever you celebrate it!
Happy Practicing!
Syndi, I always enjoy your information. However I am not sure I agree on sending physical cards as opposed to virtual. We send links to short animations that 1) allow us to personalize based on the relationship, and 2) demonstrate our graphical capabilities with a SHORT and enjoyable animation. It pains me as much to get a large stack of holiday greeting cards as it does to see any other kind of waste. I do enjoy special cards from people I am personally involved with on special occasions, but to send cards to hundreds of colleagues and clients seems a bit wasteful.
Barbara: Thank you for writing. Of course there are always exceptions to every guideline and your personalized animated e-cards sound great. Most people are not as gifted to be able to do this. Waste is not the intention of sending cards by regular mail. This is why I make the point that they must be personalized to be truly meaningful. It’s just emails are too easily deleted or lost via spam filters, and forgotten. With paper cards they are often kept over time to read again and again, and remembered. Because valuable resources are being used to send such cards—trees, time, money—they are generally regarded more highly than an email card… especially during a down economy. No matter what, we all (like children) enjoy receiving and opening something fun by regular mail. I even get excited when receiving and opening my online purchases. b) A suggestion for the leftover cards is to give them to an elementary school or non-profit kids program to use in 2013. Arts programs use old cards to cut and paste them into new cards. I have an artistic friend named Dianne who did just that one year and I loved getting back my own cards transformed into another item of beauty. She made tree ornaments out of old holiday cards. The bottom line is there is no absolute correct answer to this. It’s all about doing whatever you choose to do with integrity and respect. For me, I’m back to paper cards this year. I tried email cards for several years—albeit uniquely designed and personalized—yet as time revealed several friends kept saying they missed getting our card. Greeting cards sent by regular mail are rarely lost… and as I believe, they are a gift unto themselves when personalized and sent from the heart. Corporate holiday cards are fine as long as they are personalized are a small gift of appreciation for the relationship you have together. Hope this helps. Syndi.
This was used as a gift that was corporate and given to Earth Bank
employees incentive to encourage and recognise their function.