Guest post by Bob Bly

https://www.bly.com/newsite/Pages/PDFs/special-reports-bulova.pdf

In my research, I discovered that Christmas and Chanukah are NOT the best times to give gifts to your prospects and clients — for 3 reasons:

FIRST, the recipient is being bombarded with gifts from vendors, all arriving at around the same time.

So being one of a truckload of presents, yours has less impact. The prospect is inundated with business gifts, so yours gets lost in the shuffle.

SECOND, prospects expect that many vendors are going to give a gift, so it has no element of surprise — and surprise often triggers smiles, good feelings, even delight.

THIRD, give a prospect a Xmas gift once, and they will expect one every year.

So you feel obliged to do that. And if you miss a year, the prospect notices.

The Bulova gift-giving report said the best time to give a client or other valued associates a gift is other than Xmas, other holidays, and birthdays.

That way, your gift is the only one they probably get during that time of year. So it stands out and is appreciated more.

Also, I don’t plan my sporadic business gift-giving, nor do I deliberately go out and look for these gifts.

Instead, when I come across an item someone I know would like, I buy and send it to that particular client or prospect.

That makes it more personal. The recipient is impressed that you remember their interests. And they like the gift because it is something they are likely to enjoy more than a common item such as a gift basket of fruit and wine from a holiday gift catalog.

Sincerely,

Bob Bly

Copywriter / Consultant
31 Cheyenne Dr.
Montville, NJ 07045
Phone 973-263-0562
Fax 973-263-0613