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Give people what they want
Not what you want them to want
Most of us have been in the uncomfortable position of giving someone a gift they do not seem to like.
We eagerly watch them tear off the wrapping paper, open the box, and then hold up the gift with a half-smile and a puzzled look.
We try to explain what it is and why we bought it for them. They look at the gift, then at us, then back at the gift again. Then comes the awkward thank you. They tried to come across as sincere, but we know they were faking it.
“Why don’t they like it?” we ask ourselves. “I spent hours on-line and at ten different stores trying to find the perfect gift I thought they would love. I don’t get it.”
If you really don’t get it, ask yourself a simple question: Did you get them a gift they really wanted or needed? Or, did you get them a gift that you wanted them to want?
There is a huge difference.
It is Marketing 101: Find out what the customer wants and then give it to them. Companies that succeed get this concept. That is why billions of dollars a year are spent on marketing research and advertising.
The same rule applies in gift-giving. For those we love, we don’t have to share the same interests or tastes. All we have to do is know what makes…
