Holiday Gifts: A Few of My Favorite Things

Have you given any thought to the office or client holiday gifts you intend to present this year?  Below is my 2015 handy dandy guide to some wonderful Networking-related gifts everyone will love!

Business Card Holder

Who couldn’t use a shiny new card carrying case?  Let's Do Lunch Kate SpadeI think this Kate Spade “Let’s Do Lunch” Business Card Holder is particularly adorable.

 

 

Pens

I love good writing instruments.  Ever since I can remember, my dad, Max, has carried around a Fisher Space Pen.  It’s a conversation piece that is also highly useful and small enough to tote around at all times – even when you’re in outer space!

 

Blank or Holiday Greeting Cards

Plaza LightsIt’s always great to have beautiful greeting cards on hand – use them to write thank you notes, send birthday greetings or wish someone well.  Art that Makes a Difference limited edition photo cards are beautiful, practical and benefit a great cause (Children’s Mercy Hospital). And, right now, you can get these special cards specifically for the holidays!

 

Personalized Name Tag

Name badges are great networking tools – they help to identify the wearer, promote his/her company and connect with others.  Consider giving every member of your team an engraved version.  They can be purchased at very reasonable prices from local trophy and award stores, printers and even office supply retailers.  Staples offers a wide variety through its online printing services.

 

Books

Every year, I love to highlight a few special books that a good and good for you!  Here are my picks for this holiday season (along with their descriptions from Amazon.com):

  • STUN! Selling by Paul Russell. Based on more than 30 years of sales experience, Paul Russell shares his approach to successfully closing customers through STUN! Selling.  By satisfying your customers’ unmet STUN Coverneeds and adopting STUN as your sales process, you’ll turn tough customers into easier customers, close faster, stop customer nibbling, overcome the price objection and much more. You – and your customers – will be STUNned!
  • Because You Believed In Me: Contemporary Mentoring Stories by Marcia McMullen.   What does an Academic Dean, the “Oracle of Omaha,” one of Forbes’ “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women,” a Grammy Award winning vocalist, a glass sculptor, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon and a National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee all have in common?—They all had mentors.
  • Lunchmeat and Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher’s Wisdom by Mary B. Lucas, B.D.  John Bichelmeyer dispensed much more than ground beef and bacon to his customers. A man with only an eighth-grade education and father of 10 children, he offered rare wisdom and compassion to his clientele, friends and family that came from the heart.  Now his daughter, Mary B. Lucas, B.D., tells the story of how she earned her B.D. (which stands for “butcher’s daughter”) by spending hours at the butcher-block table in the family kitchen, listening to her father’s stories about how he achieved success by making deep connections with the people around him. In turn, Mary used her father’s advice to find the passion and perseverance to rise to the top of the staffing industry.
  • Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton.  In the summer of 2010, photographer Brandon Stanton began an ambitious project -to single-handedly create a photographic census of New York City. The photos he took and the accompanying interviews became the blog Humans of New York. His audience steadily grew from a few hundred followers to, at present count, over fifteen million. Now, Brandon is back with his second book Humans of New York: Stories. Ever since Brandon began interviewing people on the streets of New York, the dialogue he’s had with them has increasingly become as in-depth, intriguing and moving as the photos themselves.
  • Coffee Lunch Coffee by Alana Muller. Back by popular demand, a little shameless self-promotion!  This, my first book, offers an accessible, relevant, immediately actionable approach to professional networking CLC_mini_book_coverfor anybody interested in connecting with others, getting involved in their community, seeking to advance their career or looking to build social relationships.  It will help you formulate a strategic mindset around networking while creating a game plan to get out there and connect.  BONUS:  Now through December 25, 2015, if you order directly from my website, I’ll personalize an inscription to your recipient and even offer you a free copy of my fun minibook, Coffee Lunch Coffee:  Five Tips for Making the Most of Networking Events.  No promo code necessary.

 

Coffee Mugs

I just love coffee mugs!  They are suitable not only for coffee, but also for tea, hot cocoa and pencils, too!  Plus, it’s fun to match designs to various personalities.  demi_golden_hearts_us_ca_koI’m just ga-ga for the Starbucks “Dot” Collection.  My favorite mug, however, is (of course) the official Coffee Lunch Coffee version!

Whatever you go with, your recipients are sure to be grateful.  Need more gift ideas?  My suggestions for last year may provide you with some additional items for consideration.  Eager to hear what you select.

One thought to “Holiday Gifts: A Few of My Favorite Things”

  1. We received a lovely note from our financial planner for the holidays. Instead of a gift, he is making a contribution to St. Jude’s in honor of each of his clients. I simply don’t need more stuff in my life and would much rather he appreciate our patronage as clients through generosity to a worthy cause than giving our cupboard one more personalized travel mug or water bottle.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *