AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Archive for the ‘Corporate’ Category

January came in with a biting touch and a grey mantle that year. Nurse Jenny Drury thought as she huddled further down into her practical new winter coat and quickened her step back to the hospital.

The new coat was warm which the first consideration, but she wasn’t very happy about. Money wasn’t too plentiful, in Jenny’s case, for a warm and snappy wardrobe. Other nurses such as Angela and Pat spent all their money on clothes and make-up and visits to the hairdressers, and both of them could ask for help from home if they ran short... But Jenny couldn’t do that. There was a large family of young ones at home.

A large happy family, she added in her mind and swallowed hard and fought down the homesickness that threatened to much at this time a year.

Jenny wasn’t going home for Christmas.

She forgot for moment the pleasure of this coat and that had been bought to bolster op her ego. And make here look rather special so the next time she passed David Redmayne in the street, he wouldn’t just be casually friendly, but would stop and linger as if seeing her for the first time, and will be stunned by her appearance, and never look at another girl again.

The shop Jenny was passing had a mirror in the side of the window. She looked critically ay herself in it, and approached more slowly. It didn’t help. She saw a girl who looked exactly as her elder brother, Jim always saw her: a nice brown girl Brown because her hair and dark lashed eyes were that color, and her healthy-glowing skin had a very slight time, even after summer had gone, and brown because she couldn’t drop the habit of choosing new clothes in that shade., which was hardly the colour to attract that handsome young man, David Redmayne, who was R.S.O. at the Shaclestock’s hospital. A friendly and popular young man, the very dream of every young unattached nurse to the special girl in hi life..

Jenny left the mirrored shop window behind and battled against the knife-like wind that shot round the corner to met her and as she bent her head and half-closed her eyes against it, she thought despairingly that she should have settled for the warm red coat the assistant in the department store had tried to persuade you to buy. But it had made her look like a robin, Jenny thought, and not at all glamorous like the staff nurse on the cardiac word, who wore sky blue in all seasons and was really fabulous with her natural blonde hair and wide tip-tilted blue eyes. The red coat wouldn’t have let Jenny look glamorous like Angela, ether, who could wear white with cool success, and make all then whistle on her ward even when she appeared in ordinary old uniform on a sharp frosty morning.

Not glamorous like Pat, either, who favored green, all shades of green, because was auburn and played up to that color. Jenny sighed, pushed determinately the question of lack of cash and glamour firmly into the background and thought of the children on her ward, and of the things they could make with the crepe paper she had bought, and the foil she had begged, borrowed and saved throughout the past year.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she hardly noticed David Redmayne cross the road, waving to her as he sprinted among the traffic to reach her side.

“Jenny, you were daydreaming!” he told her with mock severity. Saw you while you were in the bookshop.”

“I was thinking of the children,” she admitted, but she wouldn’t let herself meet his eyes because it wouldn’t do to let him see how he affected her. Such wild excitement for meeting him, yet to him she was just another friendly nurse.

“Me too, he agreed, and plunged into the external discussion about the Christmas play. “We must somehow get a hold of a crook for the leading shepard.

Anderson’s too big and clumsy to make do with a cardboard crook. Besides, we must have the proper things. The kids love it. I wish we’d get more money to play around with.

“Money, yes,” she sighed. The hospital wasn’t too badly equipped, but at the same time it wasn’t a streamlined modern hospital. Neither the one thing, nor the other, and so it just missed qualifying for the extras that would have been nice but could have been done without. As for instance, proper things for the Christmas play.

The day-nurses had made crowns for the three kings in their off duty hours. They had used gold paper off chocolates, and scarlet and green tinsel shapes stuffed with cotton wool for the “jewels” and very effective too. The night nurses had sewn the djellabahs for the shepherd’s from deckchair striped cotton, and robes for the kings from cast-off curtains from home. But they still needed a convincing looking casket and goblet for the “gifts” and the crook.

“I asked how much one would cost,” David was saying “At a pinch, I could buy it myself, but it will be so super-looking and it will show up everything else. I don’t know”. “What do you think Jenny?”

“I was wondering if we could make a crook with a long cane and a wax modeling-clay head, that’s if Bobby Anderson doesn’t knock it out of shape at the crucial moment.”

“Medical students!” David said with resignation. “Still, it’s an idea.” And then the great bulk of the hospital building appeared, and that delectable conversation was over. David left her to go in the nurse’s entrance and didn’t suggest any further meetings either for discussions of for anything else. He just waved cheerily and said goodbye, as he would have to any other nurse…

She watched him go. His height dwarfed that of other men, and in her eyes he was perfect. She liked his voice best of all-deep, pleasant, well modulated. She had heard it said that he had a pleasant tenor voice and had sung in the choir at home. She collected and treasured those odd scraps of information about him, but he never told him any himself. They only met by accident in the street and walked together back to the hospital, and on those occasions they talked shop.

Not a lot on which to base the whole of one’s love, devotion, and loyalty, she told herself scathingly. He wasn’t even aware of her as a person. Just a pair of ears to listen willingly when he wanted to discuss the social activities of the hospital, and the children in Jenny’s ward [on whom he doubted] when there wasn’t another willing pair of ears handy, she told herself.

Jenny pulled a face. And that wasn’t often, in all conscience. If the blue-eyed staff-nurse on Cardiac wasn’t laying in wait to claim his attention, then Hilary Sadler-the youngish and very well-groomed Almoner-would be about and make a beeline for him. David appeared to like them both-all the younger women in the hospital. Jennifer brightened as she recalled that he didn’t appear to show any preference for any particular one of them, there might just be hope that one day he would notice her…

A quick look in a dictionary will see the word ‘gift’ defined as something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance. But there is so much more. Present and gift are both used to describe something given as an expression of affection, friendship, interest, or respect. Present is the more formal; gift is generally used to describe something conferred on an individual, a group, or an institution. Something special is presented like a birthday present; a less formal example might be a gift to a bride. A donation applies to an important gift, most often of money and usually of considerable size. A bonus applies to something, again usually money, given in addition to what is due, to employees who have worked for a long time or particularly well.

When a special occasion happens a special gift is given and ‘presented’ to the recipient at that occasion. This may be a birthday, a wedding, or the birth of a child. The very act defines to the recipient that we have a kind regard for that person. It may mean that the giver loves the recipient. It may even mean more.

Once our physiological needs have been met, once we have enough to eat, drink, clothing and shelter, then we start to think of security. Adults have little awareness of their security needs except in times of emergency such as widespread rioting. Children often display the signs of insecurity and the need to be safe. I often will ask the question: "Have you ever played chess?" Have you ever won on the first move?" The reason I ask this is because chess takes a little while for the game to be decided. So does life and relationships. Sometimes a gift is just a gift but a present may be the first move in much longer and more complicated series of events. It may be that we feel the need for long term companionship as a step towards more security in life.

Some of us do not feel the immediate need for safety and for physiological well-being. Anybody who watches the news regularly will certainly have some concerns. Fortunately all of us at some time or another will feel the need for love, affection and belongingness.

Years ago, before the age of modern communications like radio, movies, television, and the Internet, we visited friends and met at the town square or village plaza. But although times change, people still seek to overcome feelings of loneliness and alienation. This involves both giving and receiving love, affection and the sense of belonging.

This is where the act of not merely giving a gift but presenting a present and making it an occasion and really memorable helps to build your sense of connection to the recipient. It’s easy to do. To make the presentation an occasion decide who really needs a break, Have the kids been exceptionally good, dad got a promotion, or the family has been stuck in the house for days?

Now what to do? For kids you could try outdoor activities such as scooters, bike riding, skate boarding, or playing in the park. For adults you could try a walk without interruptions from cell phones, dance to your favorite songs, play golf, or try yard sales or antique hunting. At some point in the activity, the time will feel right to make a present of the gift and make a connection that could last a lifetime.

If the present or gift is for the family, the key to success is to stay active so you can get the gang to try bowling, hiking, swimming, badminton, or flag football. Leave options such as movies and dinner as a last resort.

So gift giving does not have to revolve around a national festival or holiday, it will be doubly appreciated. Just remember this saying:

"The present should look like an accident to the recipient." Make it look like something that just ‘happened’ along the way. It will be even more memorable to the recipient.

Later in this series we will chat about gift giving on special holidays and occasions.

It is good luck for a squirrel to cross one's path. It is good luck to see a red bird fly up.

It is good luck to spill wine on the tablecloth. It is good luck to dream of silver money.

Wednesday is the luckiest day in the week for a wedding.

It is good luck to get white flowers for a birthday gift.

If one eats peas on New Year's Day, he will have good luck all the year.

A cricket on the hearth will bring good luck.

It is good luck to look at the new moon over your left shoulder.

A windy day for a wedding is a sign of good luck.

It is a sign of good luck to find a pin with the point turned toward you.

When starting on a journey, throw a teaspoon of salt over the right shoulder to insure safety.

To catch a falling leaf means that you will have twelve months of continued happiness.

To find a rusty nail is good luck. The nail should not be picked up, but the ends should be reversed so the luck will come your way.

If two or more people go fishing together, they must all cross the fences at the same time if they are to have good luck at catching fish.

It is bad luck to drop a book and not step on it. It is bad luck to bring a hoe into the house.

It is bad luck to sweep the floor before the sun rises. It is bad luck to count the stars.

If one dreams about rats fighting, he will have bad luck. It is bad luck for one to comb his hair after dark.

It is bad luck to rock an empty chair.

It is bad luck to burn apple trees for firewood.

It is bad luck to wash a garment before it is worn. It is bad luck to burn the cob when popping com. It is bad luck to burn salt.

It is bad luck to count graves.

If one sees a red bird and it flies down, he is sure to have bad luck.

It is bad luck to take the ashes out when there is sickness in the family.

It is bad luck to make a new opening in an old house. It is bad luck to look at the moon through brush.

It is bad luck to meet a left-handed person on Tuesday. It is bad luck for sweet potatoes to bloom.

It is bad luck to watch a person out of sight.

It is bad luck for a black hen to come into the house. It is bad luck to milk a cow on the ground.

It is bad luck to sell a crowing hen.

It is bad luck to break a bird egg.

It is bad luck to spin a chair around on one leg. It is bad luck to dream of eating cabbage.

It is bad luck to see a pin and not pick it up.

It is bad luck to open an umbrella in the house. It is bad luck to sit on a pair of scissors.

If you find a cat sitting with her tail to the fire, expect bad luck.

Sunning of bed clothes on Friday will bring bad luck. Sitting on a trunk invites bad luck.

It is unlucky for a girl to be in church when she is asked to marry.

III fortune is created by bringing eggs into the house after sunset.

It is bad luck for a sick person to cut his fingernails while sick.

Operating your business goes beyond a firm handshake and following up on phone calls. You need to build a business relationship and build trust. At some point you will need to purchase a gift. This, in itself, is a challenge. What exactly is an appropriate gift? What are the rules of corporate gift giving? What kind of message do you want to convey? Corporate gift giving is serious business. It needs to be done properly, politely and be politically correct.

Proper gift giving can strengthen your relationship, build trust, increase loyalty and stimulate referrals. You can enhance your image with an impressive gift and set yourself apart from the crowd.

When gift giving is done incorrectly, it can deteriorate the rapport you once had, enrage an already upset client, jeopardize any future business or referrals and worse, create a lack of respect among your colleagues.

Gift giving etiquette should be understood or serious consequences will result. These etiquette guidelines will ensure you become a successful corporate gift giver.

• Do not give a gift that touches your skin: Perfume, jewelry, clothing. The message may be conveyed as inappropriate and unintended.
• Gifts from males to females should not be personal at all...Again, nothing should touch the skin.
• Gifts from females to males should avoid any unintended messages. A bouquet of mixed flowers is acceptable, however, roses are not.
• Giving alcohol or wine sends an inappropriate message.
• Do not give your boss a gift of any kind. This may only be done as a group. Gifts from individuals may be seen as soliciting for a raise.
• Gifts only for fellow employees or colleagues that are at your level are acceptable. Gifts for upper management should be presented as a group.
• A company logo should be subtle and not seem like blatant advertising.
• Gifts should reflect the occasion it is intended for, (no logo mugs in a Birthday gift).
• When giving gifts to a department, give the same gift to each individual or a large gift for the entire office to share.
• The gift should have the recipient's personality in mind, not yours.
• If possible, hand write a card instead of a "computerized" version. This conveys sincerity.

With all the challenges facing us on a daily basis, we can't afford to destroy a business relationship due to lack of basic gift giving etiquette. These simple guidelines will build your business relationships and strengthen your employee loyalty.

Corporate gift giving offers a unique opportunity to build or strengthen business relationships. That lasting gift impression allows your company to flourish in an ever increasingly competitive market. Adding that personal touch to your gift sets you apart from the rest. The days of the key chain logo or coffee mug have given way to creative ideas such as gift baskets that leave lasting impressions.

Say thank you to the people that help your business succeed on a daily basis. If they feel important to your operation the incentive to make your business succeed continues to grow. Motivate employees by offering them appreciation on a yearly basis or for accomplishing a large project. Treat them to gourmet cookies, cheesecake, or chocolates to add that special touch to a company outing.

Celebrate with affiliates and employees on their special occasions. Many gift baskets come in keepsake containers so your thoughtfulness continues to be remembered long after the gift has been received. Welcome baby, send your sympathy, or offer congratulations on a new home.

The bottom line is to make people feel important with that personal touch. Gift baskets allow you to send a unique gift that is not "run of the mill." Make that extra effort to leave that lasting impression so that your business continues to grow - think outside the box.