Regardless of your age, education or even where you were raised, there’s one thing we all should have and that’s good manners.  It may be considered old fashion; however, it should be about being kind, respectful and professional to others.

A Simple “Ta”

We are (well I certainly was) taught as young children to say ‘ta’ after receiving a toy and I remember this was something I taught my Son when he was old enough to put out his hand to receive and it was always the sweetest word after “Mumma” I would hear him say “ta”.

I am often asked why I chose Gifting and to be honest it was direction (And,  who doesn’t like spending other people’s money buying gifts?)  After years in the Corporate sector and looking after clients, I wanted to connect with people as individuals not through their role in business.  Initially when I was investigating my options, I thought I might even consider selling cars.  Apart from buying a home, cars are a pretty big investment and the excitement of buying a new car and being a part of that experience was an exciting thought which I did consider…. for a split second.   My husband sold cars and the long hours, endless tyre kickers and his phone constantly ringing even on Sundays was enough to leave this thought behind as a lack of judgement.

So, I chose to go all out and open a Gift and Homewares store from the ground up.  With a twelve-month lease, I had a challenge ahead of me to establish myself in the community and to connect with people.  This period was my ‘probation period’ and by the tenth month, I had to appreciate that a Retail Store Front was not my strength and my business needed to diversify back towards a Corporate involvement to survive.

The most enjoyable component of the Retail experience was I certainly enjoyed the gifting experience and the impression a beautifully presented gift made so it was a ‘no brainer’ to move in the direction of Corporate Gifting.

Taking a brief from a client, I get to learn more about them, what they represent, their values and how they would like to convey their gratitude to their clients.  My clients are across the details and I can see they are passionate and value their relationships.  My role in this equation is to present my client’s gratitude, wrap it and then have it delivered to their client.  Every time I curate a package, I am thinking about my client’s business, their client and how the gift will be received.  A lot of love and gratitude goes into each gift before it is opened at its destination.

Which leads me to Old Fashion Etiquette.  Just like my Son when he was a baby, each gift (in my opinion) should be received with a “Ta” back to the initial Sender.  In all the gifts delivered, details of my client’s name and Company name are provided.  I know when they are delivered and if they are signed for and who by.  There is no confusion on who sent it so it is disappointing to hear that some clients don’t get acknowledgement for their gratitude.  Of course, my clients don’t send gifts with the expectation of a “Thank You”, but at what point did good old fashion manners slip through the cracks?

A simple “Thank You” email, phone call or even a text would show that

  1. You received your gift and
  2. You have manners.

Consider if you sent a gift to someone special to you, wouldn’t it be nice to receive a Thank You?