Giftology – What it Is and What it Isn’t

Many business owners think they’re practicing Giftology when they order a thousand pens or key chains printed with their business logos and contact information. The hope is that if these trinkets are thrown about in great enough quantities, they will magically circulate their way into the hands of a person who needs their particular product or service.

To that, we must ask: Have you ever called a marketer, lawyer, dentist, plumber, realtor – or any business at all because you saw their name on a cheap piece of plastic? The answer is a resounding no.

All across the board. Because that’s not Giftology – that’s Swag – which stands for “Stuff We All Get” and represents money wasted on junk that’s headed for the landfill.

Giftology is the art and science of growing and sustaining your business by building good relationships upon foundations of good intentions. It’s a strategy that may cost more up front, but offers a better ROI.

John Ruhlin, author of “Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Client Retention,” says this:

“The gift should be all about the recipient, not about the brand and giver.”

While branded items certainly have their place in marketing, the practice of Giftology is something else altogether. It’s about building a genuine relationship that starts with getting to know another and greeting them with a memorable moment of joy that sets the tone for an authentic connection.

Check out John Ruhlin’s book or let us help you with a Giftology strategy that says, I have taken the time to know who you are, and I want to do business with YOU.