Is anyone else out there bored with cans of holiday popcorn sent as “customer appreciation gifts”? This week I was in an office that had received FOUR cans of popcorn from various vendors! How much popcorn is enough? Some offices start looking like snack buffets!

Don’t peg me as a “Scrooge”, however. Treats in the office are a wonderful holiday tradition. I am not suggesting you abandon these traditional office gifts, but look for a way to personalize your holiday gifts for your customers and clients, and maybe do a little something extra for your key decision-makers.

If your client has children or grandchildren, a book of movie passes can be a wonderful touch. Many families make a point of going to the movies this time of year. I had a client in North Dakota whose wife worked as his partner in the office. She mentioned that they never went to the movies anymore. I dropped off four movie passes with a gift certificate for concessions on my next visit. She LOVED it, and her husband laughed his head off! This $25 gift was memorable and appreciated.

The ultimate gift for a customer is one that helps them grow their business. If your client likes to read, or listen to CD’s on business development, consider a gift of knowledge. As Michael Gerber said in The E-Myth, we spend time working IN our businesses, but little time working ON our businesses. A book with great business-building ideas can be the differentiator between you and your competitors.

Go to the “Links” page at www.michaelroby.com. You will find reviews on books I have read that have been valuable to me and my clients in building our businesses. To make it easy for you, you can even order through Amazon by clicking on the link for the book or CD, or search for other related titles as well. The book reviews change monthly, so check in often.

Thanks for taking a time to read this post today. Have another cup of cocoa and a bowl of popcorn… and a wonderful Holiday Season!

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 17th, 2006 at 3:24 pm and is filed under Marketing Ideas. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.