Most leaders suck at showing gratitude and that their relationships matter. Why is gifting a new category of management practice? What are the biggest mistakes brands make when it comes to the gifts they give? Why is gift gifting a relationship accelerator? On this episode, we are joined by giftology guru John Ruhlin who shares why gifting is the secret weapon of relationship building.

Gifting has always mattered, if you go back 5000 years ago, Old Testament kings would give other kings gifts based upon the value of the relationship to deepen the partnership. -John Ruhlin

Takeaways

• Personalize the gift, give it at an unexpected time, and don’t be cheap. Don’t spend money to have a negative impact.

At the start of the show, we talked about the Defy Prison Program and why it’s such a powerful cause, next we talked about cars and hip hop music, and John learned what the LL in LL Cool J stands for. John then talked about why gifting is such a big thing right now, and why most leaders suck at giving gifts. We discussed why gifting should be a cherry on top, not a way to make up for bad business or service. Towards the end we talked about how much you should invest in your relationships and why gifts are emblems of relationship.

We also spoke about:

• Why relationships are the most important asset

There’s a reason why giftology goes back to kings and prominent men in the Old Testament. It is a powerful way to show people that they matter to you. Most people have their gift giving strategy all wrong, they don’t personalize their gifts and they try to do it to get an instant referral. If you give a gift just because, you’ll inspire a referral you won’t even have to ask for. View relationships as assets, approach gifting like a 5 year marathon and be willing to invest in people. When you give someone a gift, it becomes an emblem of your relationship. A great gift is a silent trigger that will make an impact everytime they see it.    

Guest Bio

John is the founder of The Ruhlin Group, a gift strategy and logistics company. They help their clients send world class gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention with their most important clients, employees, and prospects. Go to http://ruhlingroup.com/ for more information.