 Christmas season is just around the corner. Have you started thinking about your gifts for your clients? We're going to talk about some ideas that might spark your creativity today. Hey everyone, it's Leanne from leancolderwood.com and you've probably noticed the Christmas music now playing in every store and coffee shop that you walk into, which means we need to start thinking about ways of recognizing our clients at Christmas time. It's a huge, huge task. More so because of the volume. There's a ton of stuff going out at once and you want to recognize as many people as possible and make sure that you don't miss anyone. So I'm going to go through some things that might help you with your Christmas gift giving this here. And these are simple, inexpensive things that you can provide to clients to let them know that you're thinking about them during this holiday season so that when they're ready to start planning their programs again in the new year, you are top of mind. So here we go. Idea number one, the handwritten note card. I believe this is a lost art and I really wish it would come back. I know that I feel super special when I receive a handwritten card in the mail. And if I forget to say thank you for the thank you cards that come my way, I'm saying it now, thank you for the thank you cards. A handwritten card goes a long, long way. And it is one of the easier things to do at Christmas time because it's not that expensive, right? It's a simple card, but it's very personal. So you can put a note in there that's personal to the client or simply sign in your name at the bottom of the card is at least something you can do to let them know that you are thinking about them and you personally touched this card before it landed on their desk. So thank you card, this is still my all time favorite. Idea number two are physical gifts. Now I've done posts in the past about physical gifts. One of my latest posts is up here and you can click on that to view later. But physical gifts can take a lot of different forms. I think that the goal with a physical gift though is to make it as personal as possible. I know a lot of hotels do cookie drives and things like that, but in all honesty, with food allergies and food sensitivities, the cookie drive is really tough to pull off successfully because not all your clients are gonna be able to enjoy those cookies. So really looking at ways to make it personal to the client I think is key when you're looking at physical gifts. Another place where you can find some gifting ideas is on my Pinterest board. And so I'm gonna put the link to my Pinterest board below. You can link on to that Pinterest board and see a ton of small but simple client appreciation ideas that maybe you can work into your plan this year. Idea number three, if their program is around the holiday season, I'm thinking even October to December and a lot of programs are in October, November, December, a welcome amenity in their room when they arrive for their program with potentially a little Christmas gift card is a great idea. It then saves from you having to double up and give them something again in the Christmas season but letting them know that you're thinking about them and you wish them well in the program. It is almost like killing two birds with one stone but it is a very welcome sight when a meeting planner walks in the room and they see that they've been recognized for their hard work. And again, with a little Christmas card, it's perfect, it's idea number four, the one night stay gift certificate. Hotels love doing this and with great reason. A one night stay in the hands of a meeting planner is a great way for that planner to experience the property, experience the amenities, take a look at the meeting space, do all of these great things in your hotel and then take that great experience back to their delegation and to their decision makers. But here's my cautionary tale with the one night states is meeting planners often cannot capitalize on the one night stay. Number one, they might not be local. So getting from Toronto to Vancouver for one night, it's just not feasible. Number two, it's a time consuming task for them to do this. So I'm certainly not implying that you should be giving people flights to and from Toronto for a one night stay in your property but certainly look at some other creative ways to have people capitalize on that one night stay. So a couple ideas that may work is to offer the one night stay as a pre or post night on an event they're already doing in the city. Perhaps there's a meeting planning conference that is in your city or destination that they can come to beforehand and experience your property. Maybe they do business travel in your destination and they can use that as part of their business expenses and stay at your hotel for the night. Or perhaps it is something of a customized fam or at least maybe three or four room nights at different hotels in the destination to make someone coming from coast to coast a little bit more palatable so that they can enjoy an extended period of time and of course see your property at the same time. So those are a few quick ideas. The one night stay is certainly still a great idea and a great plan. Just make sure that it's flexible enough for the planner to use. Idea number five, a letter of commendation that's given to their boss. Now this one's a little bit out of the box, I get it but what an incredible gesture if you were to write a letter of reference or a letter of commendation and give it not only to the planner but make sure that their boss or supervisor receives a copy of that letter. Put it in the mail with a stamp and send it to their boss. It is an incredible way for that person to be recognized in their organization. And let's be honest, meeting planners work hard and there's a chance that they are not recognized for all of the hard work that they do. So this is one way that you can make sure that they are recognized in their organization and that could potentially further their career just from your one simple act and gesture of providing that letter of reference. So give it some thought. It doesn't have to be at Christmas but it certainly is something I think that all meeting planners would appreciate knowing has happened and when it comes from your hands again, that's gonna keep you top of mind. I hope these ideas have sparked some creativity in you this holiday gift giving season. And if you would like more tips on how to attract a meeting planner's attention please download my checklist over at leannculderwood.com. That checklist has everything from gift giving ideas but also on how to leave emails and voicemails that'll hopefully get meeting planners getting back to you more quickly. Thank you for watching this week's video. Have a great holiday season and we will see you next time. Bye for now.