“Thank you”. Such a simple yet underutilized phrase. Easy to say, yet at times, difficult to show. It tends to be more natural for us to express gratitude for our families, friends, health, or prosperity, but what about thanking the people who make your business possible: your clients and your team members. Providing a simple, yet genuine gesture that says, I see you. I appreciate you. I care about you.

Towards the end of each year, as the holidays are upon us, temperatures drop, people are busy, and companies are hustling trying to close out Q4, we can forget the importance of showing our gratitude. Something so simple as “thank you” can somehow get away from us during the hustle and bustle. It’s during these frantic stretches that taking the time to send your valued clients and team members a custom holiday gift can go a long way in an effort to say, “thanks, I appreciate you”, as part of your genuine efforts to foster authentic relationships while highlighting your company’s commitment to the importance of human connection. And considering the fragmented state we live in today, what better time to act with gratitude than now?

Gifting doesn’t have to be expensive, it doesn’t have to be fancy, and it doesn’t have to be wasteful, but it does have to have a personal touch to be considered sophisticated and unforgettable by the recipient – it has to be gifted with a purpose. Let’s say you decide to give your clients an engraved cutting board for a holiday gift as a way to say thank you for their business this year. That’s nice, and it will most likely be appreciated as a standalone item, but how can you take it from a printed product to a personal gift? How about including a personal recipe from a team member in your office along with the cutting board inclusive of a photo and note? If you have the resources, you can include the printed recipes of choice from each team member or simply include a printed recipe from a single team member and include a link and/or QR code to a special landing page where your client can download all of the team’s recipes to use for years to come. This process would further engage your clients with your brand, deepening the relationship and making it more personal – more human.

In the fast-moving digital age we live in today, a handwritten personal note is nothing short of a rare treasure that is sure to be remembered and will set you apart from the mass-printed cards that the sender probably never even sees themselves. When possible, take the extra time to include a handwritten note when sending custom holiday gifts, at the bare minimum, you and your team should personally sign the cards with your names with a mixture of blue and black ink, further exhibiting a time-invested personal touch.

Let’s be real, for most people this year has sucked. From a macro level to a micro level, the pandemic has ripped through our country with no remorse, negatively impacting people, communities, businesses, and our livelihood as the human race. And while providing a meaningful holiday gift will not solve the larger problem we’re all dealing with, it’s sure to put a small smile on someone’s face. And that small smile and sense of appreciation are likely to mean more today to the recipient than it ever has before, if even if it’s just for a brief moment in time that shifts their focus to something upbeat – you will be remembered and appreciated.

This year let’s put the “happy” back into happy holidays by giving custom gifts to your clients and team members. Make it personal, make it meaningful, make it the much-needed light people need right now.