TIP 49
GIVE GREAT GIFTS
Why is it no one ever sent me yet
One perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Ah no, it’s always just my luck to get
One perfect rose.
Give special gifts spontaneously, for no reason whatsoever, as it occurs to you. While you are picking up new filler paper for your daily planner, pick some up for a friend who uses the same system. If you bake a batch of lasagna, make it a double batch and bring the other half over to a friend or neighbor who loves your cooking. When you subscribe to a magazine, order a subscription for your friend, too. If a client has just given you a big order, send a thank-you gift and note.
I tend to think that if I like something, then the receiver will like it too, but this isn’t always the case—you may have very different tastes. So think about what someone would love and get that, even if it isn’t your own style. The best gifts are those that you didn’t even know you wanted but are thrilled to receive. Giving spontaneously makes the whole year feel like a holiday and a cause for celebration. Keep a bottle of champagne in the fridge to crack open at a friend’s success—a job promotion, an engagement, or any possible excuse. Stock up on special gifts so that if you are invited to a last-minute birthday party, you won’t have to worry about shopping and can pull out and wrap a little treasure on the spot. Have fun and play Santa all year round.
Barbara, a regional marketing director, was trying to win over some new accounts. She had taken the chief financial officer out for lunch and submitted a proposal, but it wasn’t accepted. She reworked the proposal, and wanted to resubmit it, but wasn’t sure how to proceed. She wanted to give the chief financial officer a gift of some sort along with a personal note but was worried that it might appear that she was trying to buy him. I told her not to worry, that giving one small paperweight would be perfectly appropriate. Everybody likes to get a gift. We came up with the idea of sending the beautiful paperweight with a funny note underneath it reading, “I thoroughly enjoyed our last lunch and would love to take you out again as soon as your busy schedule permits. I figured I’d better send along this paperweight so that this note wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle! Looking forward to seeing you again!” This did the trick. He called her to thank her for the gift, they set up a lunch, and this time he accepted her proposal. She gave the gift with the hope that it would improve their relationship, but with no expectation. A true gift is given with no strings attached.
Let’s get this gift-giving thing down straight. The only reason to give a gift is because you get pleasure from giving it. So often people think that the recipient is the one who is getting all the fun, but the real pleasure is the joy of giving. Giving is actually a selfish act. If you aren’t giving gifts for the pure joy of it, then it probably isn’t much fun for the receiver either, so you might as well stop doing it. This week make a list of everyone in your life you would like to give a special gift to and start giving. Gifts can be big or small. A thoughtfully written card can mean more than an expensive gift. Give a gift to the supportive people in your mastermind group. Give a gift to a family member you’d like to acknowledge. Send a thank-you gift to a client for no particular reason, just to say thanks for being a client. The client will be surprised, and you will feel terrific.