I know what you’re thinking. You’re probably wondering why the heck you’re getting yet another newsletter you didn’t ask for. Let’s address that elephant in the room now.

If you’re like me, you’ve been added to someone’s newsletter after meeting them for the very first time. Annoying, right?

But the main reason you likely despised those newsletters is simple.

They didn’t help you achieve your goals.

In a word? It was all about THEM.

F— that.

This gem-of-a-newsletter is different. It’s about you. Your needs.

Solutions to your problems.

Think of it like Dear Abby… except for your sales issues. 

We publish your burning questions about improving sales so YOU benefit.

Now, let’s dive into a question from my DMs last week

❓️Your question…

🎁 My company just blew a stupid amount of money buying clients and prospects Harry & David's gift baskets. Knowing that the personal touch matters, I signed each card myself and included a tidbit or inside joke no ChatGPT could ever duplicate.

And then? Crickets... I never even got a thank you from these people.

What can I do to make holiday gift giving pay off better as a business development tool?

-Suzanne R., VP of Sales from Traverse City, MI at a mid-sized sales consulting firm

👇️And away we go

To find out why your gift didn’t land, let’s turn to an unlikely source of wisdom…

Madonna. 🪩

The Material Girl’s Advice 💃 

The controversial star would make a great sales pro. She built an enduring career by personally connecting with millions. Unfortunately, she’d also probably upset HR over her outfits, but no one’s perfect, right?

When it comes to your gift giving, consider her advice in the song “Express Yourself.”

What on earth does this have to do with Suzanne’s query? It’s the same situation! Madonna desires suitors who stand out from the pack, just as your valued clients and prospects desire partners who rise above the noise.

Personal Touch Needed ✨

Turns out, the gift baskets were the problem. No offense to Harry & David! They make a great product. But Suzanne, your gift baskets probably sat next to four or five others in recipients’ offices. If you’re lucky, yours got shared by staff members who mentally thanked you. Most likely, though, it was regifted to Aunt Edna at the family Christmas party.

Either way, your gift made zero impact on the recipient. Worse, not only did the gift not stand out, but it was also delivered at the same time as everyone else’s.

This created a losing scenario.

Your gift and–more importantly–your personalized message, is lost in a sea of noise.

Now… “The Madonna Approach”

Let’s consider how a Harry & David’s basket might actually help you. Imagine if instead of sending a fruit gift basket during the holidays—at the same time as your competitors—you did nothing.

Or more accurately, you waited.

Instead of being like everyone else, you choose the middle of February to send your token of appreciation. That’s not all. Your note stands out. It reads: “Hopefully your New Year’s resolution to be healthy is going strong. To keep it up, enjoy some delicious fruit from your friends at Suzanne’s company.”

The upshot? That same gift that bombed in December now sets you apart months later.

Even better, you’re more likely to get the recipient’s attention and build on the relationship you’re working so hard to cultivate.

One More Take On This Idea 🌶️ 

We once heard of a sports team that sent gifts to prospective partners. Like Suzanne, they weren’t getting the response they desired. Why not? They were sending their highest value prospects game tickets. That overture makes sense, but they were getting the same response as Suzanne—crickets.

The problem? 🤔

All those tickets did their partners little good. Many already had access to luxury skybox seating.

Then the team dreamt up a new a plan to personalize gifts: why not make recipients feel like part of the team?

They sent bobbleheads of their partners in the team’s uniform listing them as “MVPs.”

Prospects and clients called to rave about their gift. It became the gift that kept on giving—all throughout the year, translating into a sky-high ROI.

The point is, even if your company isn’t as sexy as a pro sports team, you can still be creative with your gift giving and your generosity’s timing to stand out from the crowd.

And it will pay off for you.

Big time.

Before you go

Speaking of the holidays, we hope this insight gave you comfort and joy. Our goal is to help you increase sales. Also, unlike faceless corporate newsletters that puke up platitudes, we want to deliver you personalized value.

That’s why we teamed up as a dynamic duo for our newsletter.

Continuing in the holiday spirit, if you have a burning sales question, reply to this email or send Ryan a direct note here.

Who knows? Maybe your question is the next feature.

And maybe with another pop cultural reference. There has to be some way to bring up Taylor Swift or Beyonce in our next installment.

Until next time! 🖖

Elana and Ryan