By Steve Ashkin

I think that most successful sales people will tell you that selling is about building relationships. And I for one believe it to be true. So with the Holidays just over a month away, it’s time to start thinking about your relationships and the gifts that you’ll be giving this Holiday season.

There are four steps in the gift giving process. Each step in the process makes gift giving more meaningful, enjoyable, and helps build and solidify your business and personal - relationships. The first step is to develop a budget. If you can only afford for example $100 for your entire Holiday gift giving, it somewhat narrows the direction you’ll go. In this case, you may want to focus on nice Holiday cards and put more emphasis on personalized handwritten notes (yes, this means you have to write more than just your name.)

While I think a picture of your spouse, kids and dog are cute, but a personalized handwritten note is better. Even store bought and computer generated cards with electronic signatures are better than nothing, but a sincere, personal note will go a lot further towards building that relationship. On the other hand, if your budget is larger, in addition to sending cards, you can also begin thinking about sending gifts.

The second step is to understand if your Holiday gift giving is restricted by your company. Some companies (your employer in this case) may have very strict rules as to this issue and you need to know this before you begin. To determine this, just call your manager or HR department.

In addition to your employer’s restrictions, your customer may also be subject to strict guidelines covering the receipt of gifts. One simple way of determining customer guidelines is to ask your customer or call your state’s purchasing department and ask them about their policy (if you feel awkward calling, you don’t even have to give your name.)
Typically, most states have limits of $25 or $50 and this can serve as a guideline even for your private company recipients. And again, keep in mind that even the strictest restrictions do not preclude sending cards, especially those with handwritten, heartfelt notes.

The third step is to begin building your list. We build our list by putting down every name we can possibly think of including important friends and clients, as well as those we have met over the year that we would like to nurture into a positive relationship. Oh, and don’t forget your supervisors and co-workers. They desire your benevolent wishes as well. If you have of a limited budget, you can make sure that everyone gets a card and your key friends, clients and prospects get appropriate gifts.

The final and fourth step is simply to get it done. My recommendation is to get the cards and gifts in the mail by early December. The longer you wait to get them out, the shorter the period by which your friends and clients will enjoy them and recognize your thoughtfulness. So if you are going to write 100 Holiday cards, each with a personalized note, then you better get going soon.

Buying and Sending Green Gifts
There are a few basic things to keep in mind concerning your card and gift giving. Look for green cards and gifts that are made from recycled materials. Almost everyone gets the recycling issue and if you forget it, they won’t.

Secondly, keep the packaging simple. Use care to minimize the box in a box in a box with lots of stuffing, wrapping, partitions, peanuts, bubble wrap, etc., etc., etc. Keep the packaging simple because your green recipient will expect you to minimize waste and that’s what all this extra packaging amounts to.

And finally, if you are giving food items, think organic. Fruit baskets, cheese, nuts, wine and even good old fashioned fruit cake can be had organic.

Some Easy Web Resources For Green Gifts And Ideas
Google offers links to over 50 sites which makes finding green gifts of all shapes, sizes and budgets easy: http://directory.google.com/Top/Shopping/Niche/Green_Living/

National Geographic Society offers some great tips on having a green Holiday Season (besides, I like National Geographic because they were the very first certified. LEED-EB building): http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1220_041220_green_christmas_2.html

The Ecology Action Center offers some great tips on Holiday gifts, plus has links to lots of products: http://ecologyaction.ca/Herald_Column/gifts.shtm

For your friends and coworkers who are sales people in the cleaning industry, consider giving them a subscription to DestinationGreen. Not only is it FREE, but it’s the gift that will keep on giving: http://www.ashkingroup.com/