Can you remember a time when someone gave you something that particularly thrilled you? Do you remember why that was? Chances are you were excited about the corporate gifts because it was something that you probably would not have bought for yourself. I don't mean in the sense that it was something that wasn't welcome- quite the opposite. It was something that seemed like a bit of a splurge, something special. That exceptional feeling that you had no doubt also came from the fact that whoever gave it had actually put some time and effort into its selection and purchase.



There have actually been studies done that show that when a client or employee receives some form of corporate gifts from their service provider or boss, it is most appreciated when it shows an effort has been made to learn something about the person outside of their office life. It is fairly easy to gift someone with a desk set or pen set when you know they spend a large amount of their time slaving away at the office. What really speaks volumes to them about how hard you searched for just the right gift is when it applies to their person life away from work. That is not to say that employees don't appreciate improvement articles that will make their office life easier such as a more user-friendly workspace, but when the gift reaches outside the office, it shows that you went the extra mile to please them.

This same study showed that women had had specific preferences when it came to receiving gifts from their employers. Some of these items included money, plants and flowers, or special food/candy as having a high pleasing quotient. Men also appreciated money, travel items and specialized computer software as among their top choices. Although an employer is not likely to dole out cash as a gift to his/her employees, a great substitute for this is the ubiquitous gift card or certificate. These cards have become a mainstay of the gift giving market. One of the main reasons is that if you do know of a particular interest of the person to receive the card, it makes sense to let them choose the purchase item. If you happen to know that one of your clients is a rabid fan of the local sports scene, tickets to a sporting event makes a great personal choice item to give. OR how about the opera buff out there? Tickets to an upcoming production would delight someone for whom that is a treat.

One of the latest ideas to come around for gift giving in the workplace is to gather a number of gift catalogs and let the workers choose their own present. This is a great idea when there is a large workforce and the age spread is broad. The catalog choices could range from a home accessories type, hunting-fishing-sportsperson kind, book catalogs or jewelry selections. Whichever kind you would choose, remember two important things: be sure and put a price ?limit? on the expected gift and also just be sure to start the choosing soon enough so that everyone has a chance to decide on their gift before a given deadline and that this date is soon enough to give an ample lead time for the expected delivery and exchange.