How to Take the Stress out of Corporate Gift-Giving
Nearly everybody eventually finds him/herself in the frightening position of gift-giving. Some people are professionals at knowing what type of present will pull at a friend’s heartstrings and make him/her say, “It’s exactly what I wanted–how did you know?” Others, however, may find themselves mentally scratching out idea after underwhelming idea during the seemingly futile process of trying to think of the perfect surprise.
The first step of gift-giving–which is to say, actually deciding on a gift–is by far the most stressful and challenging part of the process for many people. This step proves to be even more taxing when the gift in question is for coworkers/employees. However, giving corporate gifts shouldn’t be so anxiety-inducing; it should be fun and leave the giver with a Santa Claus style feeling of satisfaction. Giving a memorable and high-quality corporate gift should be nothing to fear, so here are a few ideas to help any gift-givers out there feel a little less overwhelmed by the whole process.
- Again, the most difficult part of gift-giving for many people is trying to decide where to begin. There are so many possibilities out there, from teddy bears to coffee makers to argyle socks! While many of the readers of this article probably made a sour face at the sight of the words “argyle socks,” there were probably also a few readers who thought, “I really should incorporate some more of those into my daily wear.” The point is, every single person is different. During corporate gift-giving, this is important to keep in mind. The workplace is full of a wide variety of different people with different tastes; it will be difficult to find a gift that appeals to everyone. This being said, there are also things that just about everybody has in common. For example, everybody eats, gets dressed for work, etc., so things like to-go cups, T-shirts, hoodies, and gym bags are some examples of useful items that nearly anybody will find useful on a daily basis.
- While T-shirts and cups aren’t groundbreaking new ideas, they don’t need to be. As impressive as it may be to give each employee a voice-activated lawnmower that doubles as a dishwasher, or something along those lines, big fancy toys can be impractical for the common person (not to mention probably out of the budget). Presents that are practical and good for daily use will go far more appreciated than something “neat” that the gift-receiver doesn’t need or have a use for.
- Lastly, on the topic of the lackluster quality of the above-mentioned example gift ideas: while T-shirts and mugs definitely have the potential to be boring as gifts, they also hold the potential to truly “wow” a gift-receiver. All it takes is a little bit of personalization and a splash of thought, consideration, and care. Maybe print the gift-receiver’s name on the cup, or put an inside joke from the workplace on the shirt (make sure to get this approved by Human Resources beforehand, though!). Or, if merchandise displaying the company logo is a more viable option, it’s crucial to not drown the gifts in company-advertisement. For example, it’s okay to print the company design on apparel or a blanket, but the gift would seem more appealing if just a small logo excluding the company name was displayed.
To summarize, giving corporate gifts is nothing to be scared of; just remember that the best gifts are practical, useful, and personalized in some way that the receiver feels something more than, “Oh, another company T-shirt,” when he/she receives it.
