Are you minding your gift-giving manners?
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Monday Business Manners
Gift Giving in Business
Gifts are most always appreciated in our culture and others. There are companies that have gift giving policies and can not accept a gift of more than a certain dollar amount, so be sure you’re in accordance with their policies so as not to offend or break their gift-giving rules. If you can take the time over conversations to know more about who your clients are as people and individuals, what their interests are, etc., it is easy to recognize appropriate and less costly gifts as you see things that would be appropriate and show your thoughtfulness to them.
Over giving can be perceived to be an attempt to “buy” their loyalty, which is never a good thing. Ideally, there should be a balance of what you give them and how frequently so gifts aren’t construed as being anything more than a thoughtful gesture that acknowledges them personally. To learn about the best deals this holiday season (and we think always), check out last week’s post “The Top 6 sites to get the best deals”.
Further, I always teach my clients to send gifts to TV and radio producers — but NOT print journalists as they have ehtical guidelines that prevent them for taking gifts. Consider it this way, broadcast producers are focused on “entertaining their audience” competing with sitcoms and the like. They are much more “show” oriented while newspaper writers want the “big story” and they want to educate their readers. So, when thanking the media, ask yourself are they educating or entertaining? Broadcast entertaining (send a gift) … journalistic educating (just send a card). Happy gifting! – Michelle