Retail holiday sales are expected to increase by roughly 5.7% this year. So chances are good you’ll be one of those happy holiday consumers looking for just the right item. Here are some suggestions of classy gifts.
But if you’ve got a businessman in your life you might find the holidays a struggle when it comes to giving him a gift he’ll cherish and appreciate. Whether he’s your father, brother, spouse, son, or someone else you are really determined to make an impression on with your present, these trendy tips can turn the tide!
Say It With Sausage
It’s no secret that men crave meat, as the deliciously long list of companies that will send out a monthly package to your special carnivore can attest. So if your corporate tycoon craves a t-bone, give him a membership in one of these:
- Steaks Monthly
- Chicago Steak Company
- Carnivore Club
- Club Jerky
- or that old reliable, Hickory Farms
Pander to His Inner Haberdasher
First impressions are vital in a business and sales environment. But should you go out on a limb to buy your businessman a tie or shirt or shoes? Here’s comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s definite answer: “The only thing crazier than buying clothes for a man is buying them for a woman!”
The best idea, of course, is simply to get him a gift certificate to either an online men’s clothing store, or one from a reputable brick-and-mortar men’s clothiers. Needless to say, if you give him a gift certificate from Walmart or Salvation Army for clothing you’re sending a very different message – namely that you either think he’s a slob or not worth the effort.
Bon Appetite!
Stay away from gift certificates to McDonalds or KFC (see above note about Walmart gift certificates). Go for quality, and that means to also stay away from restaurant franchises like Red Lobster or Olive Garden. Your gift certificate should be unique, indicating you know his specific cuisine preferences, to show that you really do care. For instance, if your businessman is a sushi lover, find out who has the best sushi where he lives and then arrange to buy a gift certificate from that establishment.
“What this country needs is a really good five-cent cigar.”
This rather cryptic phrase was uttered by Woodrow Wilson’s vice president, Thomas R. Marshall. And while smoking cigars has fallen out of favor among many, it still carries a certain manly cache. As Arthur Zaretsky, the President of Famous Smoke, suggests, “Even a non-smoker can appreciate the craftsmanship and quality that goes into a good hand-rolled cigar. Giving your non-smoker permission to re-gift a fine humidor of cigars to an appreciative client is an elegant solution to the problem of what to give the man who has everything.”
For The Business Bookworm in Your Life
Again, don’t settle for the standard Barnes & Noble gift certificate. Instead, get a little daring by giving him a gift certificate from a local used book store. These establishments are an endangered species, and your financial support is very meaningful to them. Besides, if you’re in a romantic/married relationship with him, he’ll probably take you with him to the used book store after giving you dinner and drinks – so it’s a win-win game plan!
I Spy . . .
Combining the latest technology with a touch of covert operations, what man can resist the Parrot Mini Drone Jumping Sumo? To quote from their page on Amazon.com:
“Jumps over 2.5 feet high and always falls back on its wheels. Faultless directional stability with embedded technology that ensures perfectly straight paths and extreme turns. FreeFlight 3 app offers an intuitive control from your smartphone or tablet through Wi-Fi and is free. Swipe for perfect turns and hit predefined buttons for acrobatics like spins or jumps. Equipped with a wide angle camera that streams live immersive views on the piloting screen. Lithium-Polymer battery, rechargeable and removable, lasts up to 20 minutes and full recharge in 1 hour.”
Just remember, you can’t go wrong if you always buy for a man while keeping in mind the old adage: “He who dies with the most toys wins.”
