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So, the Holiday Season is upon us.  We start to think about all the people we need to get gifts for, kids, grand kids, aunts, uncles, parents, the list seems endless.

How do we determine what to get those people, especially when we may not see them too often and don’t really know their likes or dislikes?  For some of those people on your list you probably know enough about them that you have a pretty good idea of what they want or need.  For the others you could guess, but the best way is to ask.  Ask their parents or spouses or friends.

The most important thing is to put some thought into what you buy.  To just go out and grab something off the shelf because you need to get them something is a waist of your money and they won’t appreciate it.  I know I know, it’s the thought that counts, right?  Wrong!  The only thought that counts is if they think you actually cared about what you were getting them.

Here’s my thought.  Do a little home work and find out what your recipient wants or could use.  Giving something that they want but would never buy for themselves or something that they can use as a family is always a good route to take.  Take the time to know their tastes, decoration style and hobbies.

Let me tell you a story.  One year my wife and I were given an Asian style vase.  It was colorful and beautiful but it did not go with ANYTHING we had in our home.  I was ready to pack it in the back of a closet but my wife, bless her heart, chose to put it on a shelf next to some other nick nacks.  As you have probably guessed it came from someone on her side of the family.  I would have appreciated a simple card more than the vase because the card would have taken some though and consideration while the vase appeared to be something that was just grabbed at the last minute.

It is the thought that counts, the recipients thoughts.  Do they think you really cared or think you were just grabbing any old thing to give to them so you didn’t show up empty handed?

This year take time to put thought and consideration in the gifts you give, be it for family, friend or business.  Your thoughtfulness will be appreciated.

Have a Happy Holiday.
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About The Author:

	Mike Liddicoat is a Husband, Father, Speaker and the Sales & Marketing Director of AttaBoy! Solutions. His goal is to help businesses maintain relationships, ensure future business and acquire new referrals through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.
Contact Mike

Gift exchanges between co-workers can help  promote a relaxed work environment as well as add some fun and excitement into the workplace .

Gift giving  at work, like any other gift exchange,  can be fun and enjoyable . Here are some rules,  or guidelines as it were, to follow to  ensure that everyone has a good time and nobody gets their feeling hurt.

1. The reason that we have gift exchanges at work is to build relationships between co-workers there by creating a pleasant atmosphere to work in.  Gift giving in the office should not be considered  an opportunity to try and bribe your boss or anyone with expensive gifts. You can’t buy friendship, at least not the right kind of friendship.

2. Now this is very important.  If there is a dollar amount limit on the gifts to be purchased DO NOT EXCEED IT!  For some buying that one extra gift at the holidays can be financially stressful, also you don’t want to appear to be trying to buy your way into someones good graces by getting something expensive.

3. Spend some thought when buying gifts. Don’t rush into the store at the last minute to purchase gifts. Take some time to find something that the recipient would enjoy. Knowing something about the person for who you are buying a gift helps in selecting a gift that will indeed be appreciated.

4. Stay away from buying personal items such as lingerie when buying gifts for work. Perfume used by women is a personal use item. Unless you know the person well and what perfume they use don’t buy personal cosmetic items. You may love a certain perfume but others may not share your taste not to mention that giving personal gifts can often send the wrong message to not only the recipient but to others in the office or a spouse.

5. Do not leave your gift in the bag you bought it in. Gift wrapping gives a classy and elegant look to any gift when done right.  There are many simple and inexpensive ways to wrap a gift. Don’t forget to include a signed gift card when giving a gift. You will be surprised how many people include a gift card and forget to sign it.

Remember to stay within the agreed upon budget, avoid gifts that are too personal and keep in mind the tastes of the recipient not yours. Following these tips will ensure a fun and memorable time for all.

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About The Author:

	Mike Liddicoat is a Husband, Father, Speaker and the Sales & Marketing Director of AttaBoy! Solutions. His goal is to help businesses maintain relationships, ensure future business and acquire new referrals through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.
Contact Mike

It doesn’t have to be a special occasion to give a gift. Gifts can be used year round and given to clients, business partners or customers. They can be used to show appreciation to your clients and employees. The question is how do you choose a gift that is remembered and will strengthen the relationships?

1. Be sure it’s something they will use!
The gifts you give should be useful. Don’t just add to the pile of stress balls, pens and key chains that get lost in the back of their desk drawers. Instead, choose something that your clients will actually use … frequently.

2. How about something with some meaning behind it?
Give a gift that will appeal to some aspect of their life, one that you know about through your relationship with him or her. For example, if you know that they spend a lot of time with their family choose something they can all enjoy. When you pay special attention like this and give a gift with meaning it will go a lot further than a logo emblazoned keychain.

3. Perhaps a gift that is helpful!
Everyone loves to receive gifts, especially a gift they can use to make their lives a little easier. Why not give a business publication or subscription or specialty tool related to their business? If you give a gift that shows that you actually took a minute to put some thought toward it will go a very long way, and will be appreciated.

4. How about some non-business quality time with your client?
Sometimes a social gift is perfect for the occasion. If your client likes football, give him tickets to a Cardinals game. Maybe take them to dinner before the game, and while you will probably talk a little business, you will still be building relationships. Heck, you can even have them invite a spouse or friend so you can get to know the important people in their lives and create an even stronger relationship with them.

5. Have some fun!
On occasion it’s ok to give a plain old fun gift, just keep it tasteful.  They say laughter is the best medicine; it’s also a great way to build relationships. Everyone likes to have some fun, and if it can be incorporated into work, even better. Sharing a laugh is one of the strongest relationship building tools I have found.

Regardless of what kind of gifts you give to build relationships and show appreciation, the whole point is to keep good employees with you and to keep your clients from moving on to the competition as well as to refer business to you.

Remember the gift that helps you further your relationship is a powerful gift.

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About The Author:

	Mike Liddicoat is a Husband, Father, Speaker and the Sales & Marketing Director of AttaBoy! Solutions. His goal is to help businesses maintain relationships, ensure future business and acquire new referrals through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.
Contact Mike

Can you believe it’s been a year?

Anniversaries are very important milestones. Whether it’s a wedding anniversary or a business anniversary, neither should be overlooked. Both are meant to be celebrated!

Recognizing a wedding anniversary can be tricky business. In the personal realm, generally you are in fairly good contact with friends and/or family and know what’s happening in their personal life. This makes it much easier when sending a card or gift. However, since business may be a little more removed, you should be much more cautious if you plan to acknowledge wedding anniversaries. It wouldn’t look too good to send an anniversary card only to discover later that the marriage had ended.

For businesses, it is much safer to celebrate anniversaries related to the customer or employee relationships. Recognize customers for one or more years of doing business with your company. Or acknowledge the number of years an employee has been with you.

When choosing a gift to send, it’s okay to give something a little more personal for a wedding anniversary. Just be sure to give something that both the husband and wife would appreciate. For a business anniversary, you are better off to have a planned out award program based on years of service -especially for your employees. This will avoid any problems of one employee receiving something the perceive as less than what someone else received in the past. On the other hand, you have more flexibility with your customers. Gifts can be based on the volume of business a customer does with your company or any number of other factors.

Taking the time to take notice and make a big deal of both personal and business anniversaries will mean alot to both your customers and your employees… and will go a long way towards earning their appreciation and continued loyalty.
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About The Author:

Sally Liddicoat is a Wife, Mother, Speaker and the Founder & CEO of AttaBoy! Solutions. Her goal is to help businesses increase sales, generate ongoing referrals, strengthen relationships and create loyal customers and employees through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.

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Oh no, it’s happened again, you have been invited to another wedding. The first thing that goes through my mind is “What the heck am I going to get them?” It’s true that a lot of couples do a gift registry at local high dollar stores, but this doesn’t mean that you have to shop only at those locations or stick to the list they have created. On the contrary, while it might be nice to help them complete that china set that will never be used or adorn their counter with that 27 slice toaster, that list is not a rule it’s more of a guideline.

Some of the best gifts that I have received or given were ones that came from the heart. Gifts that showed that some thought was behind it, that you found something unique that showed you were wishing them a happy life together.

Now don’t think you have to spend every waking hour and several weeks, disrupting your whole life just to find the perfect gift. Just the opposite, with the ease and convenience of on-line shopping you can order, have it sent to you or the couple and in some cases even have it gift wrapped for you all while sitting in your office having coffee.

Remember, you should bring the gift to the wedding or reception. If you are not able to attend the wedding it is still a good idea to send a gift.
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About The Author:

	Mike Liddicoat is a Husband, Father, Speaker and the Sales & Marketing Director of AttaBoy! Solutions. His goal is to help businesses maintain relationships, ensure future business and acquire new referrals through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.
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As your appreciation grows for those you do business with, you are probably thinking, “I do a lot of business with whom ever. “What should I get them to show my appreciation?”

Your first thought is probably to get him or her something expensive and flamboyant, to make sure they know how much you appreciate them. Get that thought out of your head.  You should never give an expensive gift just to try to win points.  If you had a sale or wrote a contract for several  thousand or millions of dollars, sure an expensive gift would be great but that’s the only time.

Here are a couple great rules you can gift by:

• Check the policy of the company. For some companies it is totally a no-no to give their employees gifts. If that’s the case, respect their company’s rules. Send them a card or hand written thank you, it will mean a lot to them.

• Even if the company allows gifts, don’t go crazy. Expensive gifts make company representatives nervous. Many think that accepting a high-priced gift obligates them to continue doing business with you. There are many inexpensive yet very nice gifts that say “Thank You” without making them nervous.
• DO NOT send gifts with corporate logos (pens, coffee mugs, Post-It notes). They will remember who the gift is from without your company name screaming at them.

The best thing you can do is put some thought behind what you give. Give something you wouldn’t mind getting your self.  Don’t just grab any old thing and though you don’t want to spend a fortune, don’t be cheap either.  The quality of the gift you give says a lot about you and your company.  A good quality gift that you put thought into will say “We appreciate your business”.  Also, be sure you attach a nice card with it.
Following some simple, common sense guidelines for gift giving will take you a long way in both business and personal situations that call for gifts.
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About The Author:

	Mike Liddicoat is a Husband, Father, Speaker and the Sales & Marketing Director of AttaBoy! Solutions. His goal is to help businesses maintain relationships, ensure future business and acquire new referrals through appreciation marketing. Throughout this blog you can sign up for updates, news, special offers, discounts and more. So take a look around, leave a comment or two and enjoy.
Contact Mike