‘Tis the season for gift giving, and it’s a lovely, thoughtful, magical time. Many of us would like to use the holidays to really make an impression on our clients or employees—to let them know how much we understand them, value them, and appreciate their business and their work. So what are some special ways to do this when it’s so easy to stop in Costco one afternoon and clear out the gift basket display?
Make your list and check it twice. Businesses can really go overboard on holiday gifts, so make sure you have good criteria and a reasonable budget.
Homemade is still cool. Do you have special talents like photography, baking, or a great music collection? When a client or employee receives something very personal from you like a framed photo you took, a decadent creation, or a CD burned with your favorite driving tunes, that’s really memorable.
Another unique and thoughtful gift is to contribute to their favorite charity—double duty goodness! A little online sleuthing can easily reveal the causes that they champion. Then you make your gift in their honor and send a lovely acknowledgement card.
One of my clients is going the extra step to ensure all of their guests get home safely from their holiday party—in the form of Uber gift cards that the firm is funding. So in addition to a great party atmosphere, they’re giving a safe and convenient ride home.
Another client is a big fan of giving experiences over material goods. His thoughtful gestures result in gift certificates for his team members’ favorite pastimes.
And what could be better than the gift of TIME? Clients could be given an hour of your time pro bono to tackle a nagging problem or wrestle down a task that’s become burdensome—however they define that. For your employees, you could ask them to select an extra day in 2016 to take off and spend any way they wish. It needs to be a sacredly guarded sabbatical from cell calls or urgent emails.
What are some creative gift ideas that you have seen? Hoping these holidays make your hearts glad!