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Client Feedback, Service & Teams
3 minute read | 1 month ago

What Every Firm Should Know About Holiday Gifts

Photo of Nathaniel Slavin By: Nathaniel Slavin

Wicker Park Group periodically revisits some of its most popular blog posts. This post has been updated from initial publication in 2019.

It’s that time of year when firms finalize (or start) their holiday gift-giving plans. Here are some ideas and best practices to consider when sending out holiday gifts.

  1. Know your clients’ gift policies. Many companies have very specific gift policies with dollar thresholds. Some have policies that explicitly prohibit gifts. If you’ve never asked or if it’s a new client, find out.
  2. Don’t assume anything. Be sensitive to religious beliefs and avoid sending overtly religious sentiments to large groups of clients without considering their faith.
  3. Be inclusive. One of my favorite examples of thoughtful gift-giving came out of a client feedback interview when the general counsel said, “I don’t need anything. I go to great restaurants, I have tickets to all of the events I want to go to and I have plenty of wine. But my team never gets recognized. It would be great if [a firm] sent them something by way of appreciation.” That’s a great message: Be inclusive when sending gifts (and consider the message when you are inadvertently exclusive).
  4. Don’t just send booze. It’s a default for many. But not everyone drinks, and some people who drink have specific tastes.
  5. Send booze. If you do send alcohol, make it personal and cater to their tastes (if known). Or consider an interesting local distiller/brewer.
  6. Be practical. The gifts I’ve seen being used regularly are often practical items like phone chargers, extra battery packs and other small things that can be used over and over again. Once branded, they stand out.
  7. Know your clients’ interests. If they like to travel, send a coffee table book of interesting destinations. If they like to cook, send a cookbook with local flair. If they have long commutes and like audiobooks, send them a membership to Audible or a similar service.
  8. Send something for the family, not just the client. Everyone is busy, and we all sometimes sacrifice family time for work. Sending a gift for the whole family demonstrates that you are thinking about them not just in their professional role but in their personal lives.
  9. Send something related to the business. We’ve seen some amazing gifts that are thoughtful reminders the firm is a partner in the business, not just the legal needs.
  10. Send something at some other time of the year. Rather than trying to get a gift out by the end of the year, recognize other important dates. Whether it’s a change of season, an anniversary of the working relationship or a non-December holiday like Thanksgiving (being grateful for the work) or even the New Year (instead of sending a rate increase letter), those holidays are times when you will stand out from the crowd.

So many firms struggle with gift giving, and so many just go through the motions. By thinking differently about the client relationship and being thoughtful in acknowledging that relationship, your gift will show how much you care.