Oh, Now It's Personal!

As you move your way to the top of the corporate ladder, did you pause to make personal connections with your employees, coworkers, and clients? Hopefully, you did, because sending a gift basket with a personalized touch is a good way to build workplace rapport.

If not, take time  to do some investigative work while you make small talk. Find out your recipient's favorite hobbies (golf), foods (chocolate , or beverages (coffee), then choose a gift basket accordingly. If you're out of time to snoop, go with an assortment gift basket; you're sure to hit the mark with at least one item, and basically  it's the thought that counts.

One more  thing to consider is that even if you give the perfect gift basket one year, try not to keep sending the same gift basket every time. The repetition can get boring, and your recipient may take the gift for granted- or worse, feel taken for granted!

However, it may not be practical to make each gift basket unique to the individual recipient if you work in a large corporation or have had limited contact with your overseas client, so just consider the company's culture to choose a theme. A candy gift basket is great for a vendor of kids' toys but not for a conservative law firm, where a  wine country gift basket or a gourmet food basket may be more appropriate.