7. Live plants. These can be a great gift. They instantly become part of your client’s holiday decorations. It’s an ideal house present, delivered in person. Ideas include small potted trees, Christmas cactus, Amaryllis or daffodil bulbs that are already growing in pots.
Connection: They can enjoy them throughout the holiday season. They can replant the tree outside and think of you when they look at it.
8. Make a charitable contribution. Some clients have everything they need. You might send a check off to their favorite charity as a gift in their name. It doesn’t need to be that big.
Connection: The charity will logically notify them that you have made a donation in their name.
9. Advent calendar. One of the traditions of Christmas is a card or box with 24 little doors. You open one each day from December 1 through December 24. There’s often a small gift behind the door. You can find ones with chocolates, cheeses, jams and even hot sauce. We bought some specifically for cats.
Connection: Your client gets a treat not once, but 24 times!
10. Christmas crackers. It’s a British thing. They are brightly colored paper tubes, pulled apart by two people. It makes a “crack” sound, hence the name. They usually each include a small toy, a paper hat and a riddle. People use them at their holiday dinner.
Connection: They are a novelty. You should be the only once who thought of it.
11. Candles. These are always useful around the holidays. They add atmosphere. You can buy traditional wax ones or flameless candles. Some wax ones are scented.
Connection: It’s a holiday decorating staple. If they save it year after year, they will recall who gave it to them.
12. Ornament for the tree. Many people are sentimental. They build a collection of ornaments recalling different vacations, the birth of a child or places where they have lived. Some get passed down through generations.
Connection: Unlike chocolates, ornaments have staying power. The can recall memories decades later.
If you choose to give holiday gifts to clients, you have plenty of options.
Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book Captivating the Wealthy Investor is available on Amazon.