Holiday Gift Guide 2014

Even though holiday decorations have been gracing many stores since before Thanksgiving, it’s hard to believe that the holidays are upon us. If you’re like me, you’ve tuned out the sounds of Frosty the Snowman in a rush to complete Q4 projects and prepare for 2015. One thing that has especially been subjected to procrastination on my part, though, is making a plan for holiday gifts — an opportunity to thank clients and colleagues for their business and ongoing support.

This holiday gift guide will hopefully help my fellow procrastinators out there! We asked several clients to share their approach to holiday gift giving and some of the most memorable gifts they have received to build a bank of tried and true ideas for you. Below are recommendations based on those responses and examples from our own team.

Most memorable client gifts: • Donation to charity – Consider making a donation to a charity your client

supports, or giving them the opportunity to give back. For example, share a gift card to Kiva.org so your client can provide a microloan to a person or project across the globe.

• Personalized gifts – Life moments impact us all throughout the year. Are there any memorable life moments for your client that you can recognize with a holiday gift? For instance, one client fondly remembered the baby blanket they received after the birth of their child.

• Food – Have you thought about a gift that can be shared with the office? Our informal survey respondents favored chocolate, cheese & cracker assortments and flavored popcorn. I know we’re biased, but we love Garrett’s — a Chicago favorite!

• Flowers – Make your client’s day by delivering a bouquet of fresh flowers. Or – send something that’s more lasting like a plant to brighten up the office.

• Time – Sometimes your undivided attention is the most difficult to give during the holiday season, but it’s often the most appreciated. Ask your client to lunch, dinner or cocktail hour and spend one-on-one time together before the New Year.

Most memorable coworker gifts: • Donation to charity – Similar to the most memorable client gifts, donating to

charity was also mentioned as a memorable gift by coworkers. You can also use this as an opportunity to volunteer or donate together. For instance, see how the ClearEdge team gave back last holiday season. This year, we’re getting together

to make lunches for a local shelter before enjoying each other’s company at a holiday lunch of our own.

• Small keepsake – Provide something small but unique to your coworkers like an ornament or screenprint to hang in their offices or cubes. One client shared that their favorite gift was a painting from Haiti.

• Logoed gear – You can get very creative with branded items, but sometimes the most basic items are still the most used. Clients cited a blanket and fleece for the office as topping their list. There is opportunity to get creative here as well – someone recommended an electric blanket for those in freezing states like us!

• Something homemade – Similar to the suggestion of sharing your time, making something from scratch shows that you truly care. Our VP of solutions, Michelle Krier, is known for her cupcakes and our office always appreciates them on special occasions! Check these out, she’s talented!

Based on our quick pulse check, the majority of people we talked to are:

• Spending up to $25 per client on gifts

• Sending gifts to 1-25 clients (If you’re debating on who to send gifts to this year, check out our 2013holiday gift guide with criteria for building your list).

• Sending holiday cards to 51-150 contacts

What’s your most memorable gift? Share in the comments section below.

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!