The Art of Gifts: quality or quantity?
I remember reading an article on the psychology of buying presents and I wasn’t surprised to find that most of the author’s views aligned with my own experiences dealing with clients and friends. I always get a lot of questions about gift shopping - which has always seemed funny to me, given they know the recipient better than me. But then it struck me one day, people don’t approach gift buying that way. They often think of it from their own perspective of what they consider a great gift, or focus on how they can impress - this is definitely the wrong approach. When seeking to buy a gift for someone, the first thing to consider is the kind of person you are buying for. People typically fall in one of two categories - practical (those who prefer something they can use or fulfils a need) or sentimental (those who place a high value on the emotional meaning/value of a gift). Regardless of what category a recipient falls into, they will care about the amount of thought that has gone into the gift. The second thing is to think how will this person feel about this gift? The person’s experience should be the focus. There is no point getting the finest vintage bottle of wine for someone who doesn’t drink, as it will be absolutely useless to them! Now, when thought and personalisation are factored, it can take an awful amount of time, to come up with that perfect gift, and time is something most people just don’t have these days. While it’s very tempting to rely on apps and websites dedicated to finding the perfect gift, or sections of a store’s website titled ‘10 perfect gifts for her’ - there is one crucial thing missing ... the human factor. Without this, all one ends up with is a hypothetically great gift that should be loved, or at least, liked by the recipients. In reality, your present will get a few “aaaaaw that’s awesome, you shouldn’t have (literally!)” and is thrown in the back of a drawer, never to be resurrected, until the next spring clean! I can testify to this, as I have tons of gifts that I have ended up giving out. When it comes to buying gifts, quality and relevancy always trumps quantity. Our suggestion, don’t wait until the 11th hour to think of gifts for your loved ones. Throughout the year, be observant; to their lifestyle and what they say, do and use. This will guide you on the category they fall in and how to personalise your gift. If all else fails, just ask their best friend, and if you are their best friend, then shame on you! 😝