Alright, well, welcome to the holiday season! I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as it could be despite it probably being very different than it has in years past. But now that most of your leftovers have probably been gobbled up, and you’re officially in your holiday eating pants, your mind has probably already shifted to the largest looming task for this time of year, gifts.
Gifts for your kids, gifts for your spouse, gifts for your friends, gifts for everyone. And while it’s loads of fun to give a gift when you know the recipient will love it, what feels like nails on a chalkboard is looking for a million different gifts that you’re pretty sure no one will even care about. Then add on top of that trying to find gifts for clients, and now there’s really beads of nervous sweat running down your neck. But have no fear, your client gift guide is here!
Gift for Passion & Purpose Not One Size Fits All/No One
Now I’m not usually a fan of gift guides as they’re often full of well, a bunch of random stuff that no one will use. And it’s often very expensive. There’s no guidance on who to give this to, or why it should be chosen for a certain type of person. It’s usually just divided up by gender, and sometimes, age. But that’s usually it. There’s no consideration to how people are actually categorized, by their interests.
And that’s what I recommend you do, all of the time, when gifting to clients, well anyone actually, to divide them up into categories of interest. That way you don’t end up sending out one generic gift to everyone you’ve ever worked with. Nope, that’s not good for you, or the client. It’s a waste of money and can sometimes even be seen as insulting as the client thinks, “Why did she just give me a cheeseboard? I never entertain as I travel so often for my job. Doesn’t she know that? She definitely does. I guess I’ll just have to stuff this in a closet somewhere or gift it to someone else.” You however, just spent $50 on it, and were trying to be nice. Talk about a disappointment.
Focus On Gifts to Be Appreciated/Used at Home This Year
So, to avoid that, you really need to think about who your clients are, what they like, what they do, how they spend their time. And this year is probably going to look a little different than previous years. Providing luxe travel accessories to your world traveling clients is obviously not a win for this year. But then again, neither is a subscription to online master cooking classes as most people are sick and tired of so much Zoom/screen time. They really, really don’t want or need anymore. So what do you do instead?
Well, instead you very purposefully gift in categories that you can still fully appreciate, no matter whether clients are under quarantine or not. Things they can do at home, with their pet, with their family, or by themselves.
So that’s what I’ve gone ahead and put together for you, a gift guide that’s based on passions rather than age or gender, and only with gifts that are able to be enjoyed at home. Plus, most are under $50, all but 2 are from small businesses, and most I’ve either bought for myself, or gifted to other people with rave reviews. So, without further ado, let’s get to it!
Your 2020 Holiday Gift Guide
FAMILY FOCUSED
First up, family focused! Now these gifts are for those people who have kids in the home and may need something fun to do over winter break that they don’t have to come up with themselves. So that means paint by number kits that are painted on an actual canvas and are totally frame worthy once they’re finished. Or a cookie decorating kit where the cookies are already baked and the icing is already made so you’re not putting pressure on your clients to do more work.
Or, the fantastically hilarious “Hearing Things” game (I just played it for the first time and it was loads of fun even for four year old Weston). You could even bundle it with another game and a bag of high quality popcorn, and make it a whole family game night gift, or just give it alone. Either way, it’s a win! Oh, and remember to provide the batteries as well as you really don’t want to get your clients all geared up for a night of fun, and then realize that their night is over before it’s even begun because they don’t have any batteries. When you give a present, always try to give everything that’s needed to be able to utilize it.
FOODIES
Alright now gifts for those foodie clients of yours! I mean chocolate wine sauce, black lava sea salt, and whipped honey?! How could you go wrong? Well, you can’t as all are easy to use and extremely versatile. It won’t be like finding that one occasion where you feel like using that extremely specific vinegar that someone gave you long ago. No, these items can easily be used daily or at least weekly until they’re gone.
Now you could give these on their own, or pair them with something else if you’re feeling really generous, like maybe pair the chocolate wine sauce with a gourmet hot chocolate mix, or something fresh from your favorite bakery. And the Hawaiian black lava sea salt, well you could mix that with jars of other gourmet salts like fleur de sel and Himalayan pink salt (I would avoid giving “infused” salts like “lemon salt” as again, how often will you really need that?), or you could even gift a cookbook on salt. And as for the whipped honey, well what about pairing it with a nice tea or coffee gift that the honeys could be mixed in with? Certainly sounds good to me!
READERS
Now onto the readers! Now this is perfect for those who most likely don’t have small children in the house as well, who with small children has loads of time to read on their hands? Probably very few, if any. But those who you know have time to read, and are avid readers, are often looking for that great next read.
So how about a subscription that takes away the “what should I read next?” task and gives them exactly what they’re looking for, whether it’s business focused with the “Harvard Business Review,” leadership focused with “Leader Books” or more general interest with the “Book of the Month.” All are sure to please. Just make sure you match up what your client likes to read, with what subscription you gift them with, and they’ll be sure to thank you for taking that laborious book curating task off their hands!
DECOR DEVOTEES
Ok, now, decor devotees! So for those people in your life who just can’t get enough of design and decor, these gifts are for them. Now these gifts cover both those who are sophisticated in their design tastes, and those who are a bit quirky, and those who are a bit of both. Personally, I’m a mix of both. I love a sophisticated piece, but I also love things a bit strange and quirky, and when you put them together? Well, that’s just next level.
So whether you stick with a high end monogrammed Italian cotton throw, or the incredibly sophisticated quirky art of Janet Hill, or fun pieces like a monkey candlestick holder, you’re sure to continually impress clients with your ability to come up with pieces that just can’t be found anywhere else.
And while you’re at it, make sure to make the gift a complete one. If you buy a Janet Hill print, make sure to have it framed in a similar style to the art they already have in their home. Or if you provide them with the candlestick holders, make sure to provide the candlesticks as well.
PET LOVERS
Alright now last but not least, pet lovers! Now these gifts are going to require a bit of incognito detective work as they’re specific to the animal, but, if your clients are huge animal fans, these gifts are pretty much to die for. So whether it’s conspiring with your assistant to distract the client while you take a picture of the pet or quickly measure the animal’s neck with a fabric tape measure, it’s worth it to put in the extra effort. They’ll no doubt be shocked and awed by your incredible thoughtfulness.
Personalized, Passion Filled Presents
Ok, so, there we have it, 15 gifts for clients (or anyone else in your life, really) based on actual interests and passions, rather than simply by age, occasion, or gender because well, those things only affect gift giving so much. What does affect giving greatly though is knowing, understanding, and appreciating who your clients are, and then giving them a gift that beautifully pairs with it.
And remember, you don’t have to give each client their own specific gift. Just categorize and group them. That way it’s personal, without it being crazy out of control complicated and time consuming.
Oh and two quick side notes before I go. One, order ASAP as just like everything else this year, shipping times are long, and items are selling out fast. And two, remember to wrap the gifts (or bag if you don’t have the time or talent) very beautifully as well!
Here’s to happy shopping and happy clients!
Ashley
Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favorite gift that you’ve ever given to clients? I’d love to know!
And if you’re for looking for more ways to serve your clients exceptionally well, then take a look at what we’ve got for you here!
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