Gag gift basket

An expert offers business gift-giving strategies guaranteed to bring positive results.

There was a time, not so long ago, when people did their holiday shopping for clients, colleagues, in one stop--at the liquor store. The boss' favorite scotch and that top client's choice of bubbly, well, into the basket they went. From there, bows--usually in Christmas colors--were slapped on bottles and boxes, and the packages were presented with great ceremony at the office.

Well, times and perceptions have changed in our society, and booze is not the best gift to give a business client or colleague, according to Bill Jones of US Motivation in Atlanta. "Booze used to be the thing. My dad sold industrial parts 30 to 40 years ago. When it was holiday time, whatever brand someone liked, that's what he bought," says Jones, president of the promotional services division of the marketing, communications, and promotions company. "That's wildly inappropriate now. You don't want to be associated with what some perceive to be a vice."

Likewise, nix the super-expensive gifts, Jones says. More than likely, the recipient will be embarrassed by such largesse and--even if he/she accepts the gift--will feel uncomfortable in future business dealings.

"That can backfire on you. There's a certain line to walk, a balance between saying, `I appreciate our business relationship' and `Here's a bribe,'" Jones says. "You want to give something of quality and something appropriate--but not something that screams out monetary value. Step away from the fast pace of business and do something more personal. Think of it not so much as a gift, but as a token of appreciation."

When done properly, this can break down walls in relationships that have stayed strictly business-like, he adds. And while it can't hurt your future business opportunities, Jones cautions against trying to buy business by "kissing up." (His personal advice regarding gifts for the boss? "I'd stay away from it.")

Having run his company before joining USMotivation, Jones has watched--and experienced--corporate gift giving at all levels. He offers the following timely dos and don'ts for expressing appreciation to clients and colleagues:

Jones Gives His Top 10

1 DON'T tie gift giving in business to any holiday or religious tradition.

That means no Christmas cards or wrapping paper. "Stay away from anything related to a holiday. Don't make assumptions about people's religious affiliations. It's better to either tie the gift to Thanksgiving, when you can say you're thankful for the business relationship, or to the New Year's tradition, saying, `We enjoyed working with you last year,'" Jones says.

2 DO give food gifts.

They're Jones' top recommendation. "Food baskets are either something that people take home, where they end up on a buffet table there, or they wind up in the break room where everybody gets to share. Either way, they encourage more partying."

3 DON'T single out any one person if you worked with a group of people.

"Everybody's going to see what each other gets, so you don't want to slight anyone," Jones cautions. "That's when it's great to bring over a big box of fruit, cookies, cake, or bagels." (If you worked with a single person, an individual gift is generally appropriate.)

4 DO be creative.

For example, tie the gift to a project on which you worked with the client. "If somebody launched a new division or product line for the company and you've played a part in that, this kind of gift reminds the client of your role in that success," Jones says. "This is less of a gift and more of a trophy or memento."

5 DON'T give a gag gift it's tied to a project.

And if your work on the project was less stellar, give perishables--they'll go away as quickly as you hope the client's memories of your flub-up will.

6 DO distribute gifts in a way that makes sense for your client's schedule and for your own.

"If this comes at a busy time of year, don't pretend you have time to hand-deliver gifts to clients," Jones says. "Don't put yourself in a bind, so that the business is suffering while you're out delivering cookies." Send the gifts out, or when the time is right, make a low-key, almost nonchalant presentation.

7 DON'T give a gift that is self-serving.

"It may be tempting to give a client a golf shirt with your company logo on it, but in this case, what you do with your logo should be subtle," he says. "If you give your client a nice pen--and, although overdone, that's appropriate--put your logo on the case. If you put it on the pen itself, you're saying, `Hey, advertise my company.' If you put the client's initials or logo on the pen, it becomes an item they keep."

8 Do be aware that some companies have rules about receiving gifts.

"In smaller companies, there may be no rules. In larger multinational companies, there usually are," Jones says. "One way to get around that is to tie a gift to a charity. For example, here in Atlanta, they just brought pandas to the zoo. So, you can send clients stuffed panda bears with ribbons around their necks and notes that say, `In honor of the past year and all you've done to help our business, we've made a donation of $5,000 to the Atlanta Zoo to help with the pandas.' We're seeing more of that kind of thing being done."

9 DON'T try to substitute holiday gifts for bonuses you couldn't afford to give employees during a tight year.

Give them what you can, and use it to say, "You are not forgotten," Jones says.

10 Do be low-key if you give gifts to coworkers.

A bucket of brownies can make a lot of people happy.