Top Ten Corporate Gift Tips For Your Christmas Shopping
The season of gift-giving is right around the corner! Having gone through such a crazy year with the pandemic, circuit breaker and the change of our normal routine I think everyone deserves a well-deserved surprise or two!
However, before you start your Christmas shopping marathon sit down and plan on the gifts you would like to buy for your recipients.
There plenty of Christmas presents fail every year during this time and you certainly would not need to be one of them. So take a second to understand the art and science behind the proper ways of picking the perfect gifts. And of course to avoid gifting the wrong gift to your recipients during this festive period.
Over-gifting
Wanting to spoil your loved ones or employees for their work is not strange in fact it is a given, however over-gifting is not the best idea of showing how much an individual means to you. By giving expensive gifts it is not only going to strain your Christmas budget but, it will place a burden on your recipient as now in return they would have to gift back an equal or even more expensive gift.
Gift giving is not a competition among your friends, family or colleagues so do not compete to see who is able to gift the most expensive gift to their recipient. There was a saying which went “higher price always means deeper appreciation” with such a saying many people would look at the value of the gift instead of its meaning. Thus, it is always said to forgo such ideas as the price of one item does not represent the meaning or reasoning of wanting to give your loved ones such overpriced gifts.
Instead, by picking out a well-thought out gift that reflects your recipient’s character and their interest is impressive enough. This just shows how much you know the likes of this person and just how important they are to you. An unforgettable heartfelt gift is always the way to go!
Buying based in your own interests
No matter how much of an extrovert you are, and how much you want to share your interest and hobbies with your loved ones and your employees. By giving them items that are based on your own interests and likes is just not the way to go, this season of gift giving is not about you instead it is about the people who will be receiving your gifts during this time. So, shine the spotlight on them and get gifts that are based on their interests and hobbies.
However when you are Christmas shopping and just can’t seem to find the right gift for your recipients, you would always end up just grabbing something you assume that they would like, the reason being is that you like them yourself and thought they would too, then you are completely wrong. To prevent such incidents from happening, before you set off for your shopping spree and placing items into your cart, you got to ask yourself a few quick questions.
Is the gift reflecting the personality and character of your recipient? Does the gift match their lifestyle? These are just a few of the many questions you should ask yourself before you clear your cart at the counter. But if the answers to your questions are too ambiguous then one simple way is to just use your imagination and try to picture your recipients receiving the gift and using it. Gift-buying should always be selfless, pick the item that matches your recipients personalities instead of yours.
Crossing personal boundaries
There are many gift categories that push the boundaries of appropriate gift-giving. A few of them would be undergarments, body wash, sleepwear and other intimate items, which should be left for your significant other. Many people face such awkward situations during this time of the year where gifts are opened around a group of people and embarrassing remarks would be made which would lead to not only you being flustered but your recipient as well. Especially in a business setting where your colleagues are around.
There are many ways to prevent such situations from happening, one of them is by not doing last minute gift shopping. That is always the first mistake people make, as it is that people tend to have a blank mind when they go out for last minute Christmas shopping and would commonly walk into the first store they see and grab whatever they think would suit their recipient. This may result in an awkward gift opening session where you yourself are not able to explain why you got them such a gift.
A few last minute gift ideas that are relatively safe are gifting chocolate, gift cards, a good selection of coffees and teas or even items that your recipient has been saying that they will buy but never did. Or items that they are able to use at their workplace. But of course when doing so, you still have to double check if they have already gotten it and if it is appropriate to be giving it to them.
Donating to the charity of your recipient’s choice
In today’s society, there are many different ways of giving, there is the traditional way where you buy a gift, wrap it up and give it to your recipient. And then there is a new form of gift giving which is donating to charities on behalf of your recipients, companies are also joining forces in collecting funds to donate to the less fortunate on behalf of their company’s name. By doing so they are not just creating an unforgettable and meaningful event for your recipient but also doing some good as well for yourself and the company.
However, when you are planning to donate on behalf of someone else you always have to remember that you are donating in their name so you have to choose a cause that is close to your recipient’s heart and not necessarily yours as for a company donation, everyone would need to agree on an organization to donate to. Another way to make it more meaningful and unforgettable is by getting a physical gift like a mug, t-shirt or even a photo frame with a picture of the charitable organization you have donated in their stead. With such a gift, it will definitely be the most unforgettable gift anyone can ask for.
Ignoring presentation
When it comes to gift giving, the attention is not on the gift itself instead it is on the presentation of it. Many people forgo the fanciful ribbons and wrappers even in the corporate gifting industry, and would just simply wrap it with whatever leftover wrapping paper they have not caring about the words written on it. For example a birthday wrapper or valentine’s day wrapper, such occasions happen more often than one would expect.
Details matter, many stated that ignoring presentation is a form of bad gift-giving etiquette. Sure there are many festive seasons where gifts are exchanged, however no matter the season we got to remember that exchanging gifts should be a special event. Take some extra time to neatly wrap your gift and add a personal touch to it by adding a ribbon or a bow to it. You can even add in a handwritten letter to show your appreciation for your recipient and thank them for being with you through this tough year.
By doing so, you’re not just making the experience richer but also adding in some customization for the gifts you are going to give. This would not only allow you to leave a good impression but also allow your recipients to enjoy getting such personalized gifts.
Giving blindly
Another mistake many people make is blindly giving gifts to their loved ones. The concept of exchanging gifts is for the surprise element, however not every gift has to be a surprise. There have been many times where people wanted to surprise their recipients however, it led to them blindly gifting them items that are completely of no use to them or just completely out of the context.
I understand that there is always that one person in the group who is well-known for being hard to shop for during a gift exchange. To prevent yourself from blindly getting a gift that may be of no use to them, asking a few questions before shopping for them would definitely help.
You can start by asking around and gathering information like the persons’ preference on gifts, do they prefer practical items or items that would be fun to have. Followed by a couple of general questions like their hobbies, favourite foods, music and even books.
From the information you have gathered you would have a better idea of knowing what to get for the said person and lowering the chances of you blinding giving them a gift. Let the surprise be the details of the gift, like the colour, uniqueness and features of the gift instead of the gift itself.
Giving promotional swag
Many business owners tend to think that it is a great idea by gifting their staff, friends and family items that feature their corporate logo. Sorry to say, those are not really gifts instead they are known as promotional swag. One important point business owners need to take note is that, most employees and clients do not want their corporate gifts to be covered in logos, the same goes to their loved ones.
So, instead of giving corporate gifts that are printed with logos owners can choose items that are appealing to their audience and that can be used throughout the year with no drawbacks like gift cards or personalized gift baskets which can be easily customized to fit the occasion. By doing so, it will not only show the amount of thought put into it but also allowing the owner to show appreciation and value to the recipients.
Regifting
Many people have been in this situation at least once, where you received a gift that is not to your liking and you simply have no use for it and one way for you to get rid of it is simply by regifting the said gift to someone else. This is big no no especially during this season of giving.
Many people think that it is a good idea to regift the gift to someone else who would have a better use of it however, by doing so they put themselves at risk of offending not just one but two people, the original gifter and the new receiver. Many employees would also just exchange the gift they have received with their fellow colleagues after the event, which would leave a bad impression among the group.
But if you really want to give the gift you received a new purpose, it would be best if you do it discreetly to prevent a fall out with the gifter. You can donate it or pass it to someone you know who would appreciate and use the said gift.
Giving novelty gifts
Novelty gifts are commonly given among guys, when men get gifts for their fellow buddies there is always that awkward emotional moment when picking a gift. Guys would normally gravitate to novelty gifts which would stir a good laugh instead of an awkward hug. And in a corporate setting it would be more awkward than normal if guys were to exchange sentimental gifts to one another.
Of course, there would be situations where the gift you have presented deserves a hug more than a laugh. So in such moments, we just need to remember that guys, it is okay to give a much more emotional gift over a funny one. Take the risk, hugs happen especially during this joyous season.
Gifting a surprise pet
The top few gifts everyone wishes for is to get a pet, however we got to remember even though being able to give our furry friends a forever home it is also important to note that choosing the right pet would be crucial if not, it is just a recipe for disaster.
Even though it is a well-intention of wanting to fulfil a wish list and helping the furry friends it would be best to get the recipient involved with the selection and adoption process when it comes to gifting a pet. This way there is a slimmer chance of the pet being surrendered and also allowing the recipient to be fully prepared for the 10-20 years commitment ahead of them.
All in all, when it comes to gift giving it is always important to understand the likes and dislikes of your receiver as well as their personality and character. This way you would find the appropriate gift and lower the chances of gifting the wrong type of item to them. You would also be saving yourself from awkward moments during this season.