Many cultures have elevated gift-giving (and the presentation business cards) to an art form. Our American business culture isn’t one of them.
Our European partners taught me the power of small personal gifts. They not only brought presents for us, but for our families, and our administrative staff (who excitedly became their staff too). For years, I reserved a beautiful pen for notable signings, proudly sharing the story of how my French partner presented it to me when first visiting us in the U.S.
That partner was a genius at making business relationships feel personal. Not only was his suitcase packed with the gifts mentioned above, but he seemed to have an unlimited stock of perfume bottles in his briefcase. He was deft in charming secretaries to arrange the meeting that was “impossible” to schedule or similar tasks. In those settings, he was so playful about it all that his French accent was probably more persuasive than the perfume bottle left on the desk.
Alas, I have no French accent or similar charm. Still, I came to enjoy the tradition of selecting and presenting gifts on my travels to our foreign partners, their spouses and children, and their staff (who, yes, became our staff too).
We were with our German partners at the beer hall/bar in our German inn. As we all loosened up, I went to my room to retrieve the University of Louisville sweatshirts that were gifts. Our German partners had come to understand how big a deal UL basketball was at the time. They took off their suit jackets, put on their sweatshirts, stood up to model, and announced to the crowd that they were, “University of Louisville Cardinals!” to sustained (and drunken?) applause. We all recalled those gifts and that evening for a long time.
I was on a trip to Russia during the era when Michael Jordan, the NBA phenom, was in his glory days. I gave a red, #23, Chicago Bulls jersey with Jordan printed on it to my partner’s son. I wondered if that adolescent would know who Jordan was. He knew. Word spread about the jersey. I was repeatedly asked if I knew Michael Jordan! A gift well received – even if I didn’t know Michael…
How many times has a business visitor brought you a gift? Infrequent at best, I suspect. But if you have received one, like a rare hand-written thank you note, you probably remember it (and saved it). These gifts won’t make a deal happen, but they quickly break the ice and warm up the relationship. Beyond being some manipulative gesture, it feels lovely or at least notable to receive and give such gifts.
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I’m always hopeful there can be a genuine blend of the business and the personal. A thoughtful gift, under appropriate circumstances, makes for a nice start.
