“Come home this minute and clean your room!” my dad shouted from the back porch. I reluctantly left the playground at the park behind our house and stomped adolescently to my bedroom. There, amidst the rubble, was a brand new Santa Fe bicycle! Dad’s smile revealed his ruse, and I spent the next several summers speeding around town on that marvelous gift. Another time he gave me a simple piece of wood he had carved with my name. I’ve kept this treasured gift on my desk for over 15 years. You may have heard that “everyone is the friend of he who gives gifts.” We all love a nice present. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Was it the price that made it special, or the thoughtfulness behind it?

Was it the presentation or the price tag that you remember? Even small gifts are special. Just ask Ms. Jones. She loves getting a little unexpected gift as much as you do.

Do you offer any gifts to your customers? Not the kind that are secretly calculated into her purchase price (Buy One Get One Free!), but small tokens of your appreciation. What about your employees? Do you treat them to ice cream in the summer or ice skating in the winter? My parents once opened the window on Christmas morning and revealed to me a “new” car topped with a big red bow (and this was long before Lexus commercials!). Now, that’s a GIFT! How can you make every day like Christmas for Ms. Jones?