The Perfect Gift

We’ve all been there—that name on your Christmas list you can’t figure out what to get. What should you give that hard-to-shop-for person?

Gift Givers’ Motives

There’s plenty of research on gift-giving. You don’t have to be a researcher, though, to know not all gifts are created equal. Fun fact: many givers buy a gift because they think it will wow the recipient rather than because they think the recipient will enjoy it long-term.

Yep, you read right. People give for reasons they get more out of—a reaction. So, what do people really want?

Why Gift-Giving Can Be Tricky

Gifts are not my love language. At all. There are several reasons most gifts don’t excite me, and they make me an excellent case study for the science behind gift giving.

My reasons:

1. Few people understand my tastes. Example: I love coffee, but I’m picky. I would rather get a Starbucks gift card than a box of flavored coffee, which I’m not a fan of.
2. I struggle with decluttering, so more stuff equals stress for me. The few gifts I’ve appreciated were:
   1.  specific things people heard me say I needed/wanted,
   1. gift cards, and
   1. money.

In short, they were practical.

• I value relationships and experiences over things. Research backs me up: recipients get more enjoyment from experiences than from things, especially experiences that allow for social interaction—a murder mystery dinner with friends, e.g.

Final Word

I may be different from you—maybe you love getting gifts! Still, the reason gifts are my lowest love language back up the research on what makes the best gifts: gifts that:

1. Are practical rather than splashy, and
2. Provide experiences,
3. Especially social experiences.

What gifts will you give for Christmas?

Guest writer:
Judy Lane-Boyer
Audience Granted Ghostwriters
www.audiencegranted.com

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