Use Curiosity As Your Guide for Holiday Gift Giving at Work

Interview with Dr. Diane Hamilton on this topic

Dr. Diane Hamilton is a professor and a business leadership expert. She gives seminars, leads podcasts and shares blogs helping people to build better business strategies.  Curiosity is a key ingredient people may not think about.  Check out this holiday pitch.

As the season approaches, many of us struggle with what to give our employees, for holiday gifts.  It can seem even more stressful if they appear to have “everything”.  Having interviewed some of the best gift-giving experts, I have learned there is a secret to it.  It is all about developing your sense of curiosity to dig deeper and put more thought into what matters.  Here are the top secrets:

  1. Personalization – Gifts that have engraving or deep meaning can be priceless.  I have had a guest on my show tell me he keeps a set of steak knives that were engraved with the wording, “prepared especially for” his name on them.
  2. Give What They Want and Not What You Want – Gift cards can be very cold.  Sometimes a less expensive gift can be more appealing when it is personalized.  To determine what people really want, requires curiosity, asking questions, and digging into what we can learn from what they wear, what they showcase in their offices, etc. can open a world of ideas.
  3. Timing – Sometimes having the gift show up at an unusual or expected time can have more meaning.  I had a guest on my show who knew his potential client had an interest in Brooks Brothers clothing, so he filled his hotel room with the latest styles from that store to relieve him of having to go out shopping.  The man ended up paying for what he kept, and it cost my guest nothing and earned him a lifetime of respect.
  4. Consider their inner circle – Sometimes giving a gift that pleases the entire family or a significant other can be more effective than simply pleasing the person who receives the gift, especially if it means they can spend more time together.

Contact:
Jo Allison
Success In Media
jo@SuccessInMedia.com

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