AllBusiness.com
close up of Christmas gift boxes

When Handing Out Holiday Gifts, Don't Forget Yourself

Sales & MarketingLegacy

Is shopping madness part of your daily routine these days? Many of us make long lists of people we need to buy holiday gifts for. If you have such a list, scan it to see if you've forgotten to include anyone important.

Thanks is a one-size-fits-all gift.

It doesn't take long and you can make a huge difference in another person's life when you simply acknowledge their efforts. Who are the people that did a great job for you this year? Who was easy to work with? Who went above and beyond what you needed so that you looked even better with customers? These are the people you should thank personally.

Here’s what you should include in a handwritten note: write about what the person did for you that helped you. Your words of gratitude will give someone an emotional gift that will last long after your note is read.

Give yourself a gift.

Are you on your gift-giving list? You may be thinking, "I don't need a gift." But of course you do.

Sales is a tough job. You can lose a sale even when you've done all you can to earn the business. A buyer’s brother-in-law might become your competitor. Good luck with that one. A company can go belly up. What control do you have over the fiscal responsibility of another company? Not much. At this time of year, recognize that you survived another year and hopefully even thrived. You deserve a gift!

Give an unusual gift.

The gift of time might be the most precious gift of all. What would you do if you had one day free to do whatever you wanted to do? That could be your gift. What you do doesn’t have to be enriching or meet an objective; it can simply be something you want to do. In fact, the point is simply to give yourself the luxury of choice. You want to do nothing all day? Make that your gift to yourself and do it.

Make a joyful choice.

You might be thinking that you can catch up on some sales work in the time you allocate to yourself. Avoid making that choice! Schedule the time as a business activity if you need to do paperwork or organize your office at year-end. The purpose of a gift is to bring you joy. While you may feel relief after completing a task and meeting your deadlines, that feeling is no substitute for the joy you will get from receiving a gift.

Take time to give and receive gifts. There really is something about the joy you can get from making someone feel special—yourself included.

Profile: Maura Schreier-Fleming

Maura Schreier-Fleming is president of Best@Selling, a sales training and sales consulting company. She works with business and sales professionals to increase sales and earn larger profits. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results and Monday Morning Sales Tips. Maura focuses on sales strategies and tactics that lead to better sales results. Maura is a sales expert for WomenSalesPros. She is part of their group of top sales experts who inspire, educate, and develop salespeople and sales teams.She speaks internationally on influence, selling skills, and strategic selling at trade association and sales meetings, demonstrating how her principles can be applied to get results. She successfully worked for over 20 years in the male-dominated oil industry with two major corporations, beginning at Mobil Oil and ending at Chevron Corp. She was Mobil Oil’s first female lubrication engineer in the U.S. and was one of Chevron’s top five salespeople in the U.S. having sold over $9 million annually. Maura writes several columns to share her sales philosophies. She's been quoted in the New York Times, Selling Power, and Entrepreneur.