The Difference A Great Gift Can Make

Nothing tells a story about a relationship like a personalized gift. Learn why it can make all the difference in the world.

No one likes a generic gift. It is a reminder of how little effort the giver put into it. The recipient generally doesn’t put a lot of thought into it either. They may just throw or give it away if they don’t want it to end up as clutter.

A carefully selected and personalized gift is what counts. Something that the recipient will remember forever. A generic gift is forgettable, perhaps even borderline insulting for some.

People often mistake expensive gifts for thoughtful ones, but that isn’t true at all. Conversely, the fact that a gift isn’t expensive doesn’t mean it doesn’t carry emotional value. Gifts are often testimonials to how well we know someone. 

One Woman’s Amazing Tribute to Her Grandmother

It doesn’t take too much personalization for a gift to carry a lot of emotion. Here’s a story about one woman’s incredibly emotional gift for her mother.

The back story: The recent death of her grandmother had been very hard on Olivia’s mother. It hadn’t been unexpected, but this didn’t make things any easier. 

Olivia could have bought her mother a generic necklace for her birthday. She could have gotten her mom some expensive dishware or a designer handbag. Instead, she chose to do something much deeper and more profound.

One day, as she was writing down her grocery list in a notebook she’d found in a kitchen drawer, Olivia saw a recipe written on one of the back pages. It was in her grandmother’s handwriting. As the owner of an engraving company, she thought, “Why not engrave Nana’s handwriting on a cutting board? Then Mom would always have Nana's love with her in the kitchen while she cooked.”

She decided to do just that, and the reaction was emotional and heartfelt. Her mother had never received such a personal and beautiful gift. Thus encouraged, Olivia knew that she had to add this option to her product collection. From then on, people would be able to order gifts in their loved ones’ handwriting.

That gift didn’t cost a lot of effort or money, but the outsized value in return was beyond expectations. This is a clear example of how a little effort can go a long way when you’re personalizing a gift.

The Benefits of Personalized Gifts

Olivia and her mother shared a profoundly emotional moment thanks to that gift. Such a moment can truly deepen a relationship, whether it’s between loved ones, employer and employees, or a company and its customers. There’s nothing quite like it.

Personalized gifts are powerful for a variety of reasons.

1. Makes the Gift Much More Memorable

Buy someone an expensive bottle of perfume or pair of shoes and they might forget – or intentionally neglect to mention – that someone else (you) bought it. Get them a mug that has a meaningful written message and they’re more likely to cherish it forever.

A personalized gift tells a story. Maybe it’s a story about an everlasting friendship. Maybe it’s about the unconditional love of blood relations. Perhaps it’s a reminder of something significant involving the two of you. In any event, it’s the story behind the gift that makes it amazing.

Sure, your friend or loved one would appreciate it if you bought them something they needed. Make an effort to personalize the gift, however, and you can take it to another level.

Of course, the point of gift-giving is to show appreciation…but it’s also to give them something to remember you by.

2. Ties the Gift to a Specific Person or Emotion

You don’t want to give someone a forgettable gift. Rather, you want them to look at it and smile at the memory of you. The idea here is that you’re giving them something more than a useful item. You want to evoke an irreplaceable emotion of love or friendship.

So, when you’re trying to come up with a personal gift for someone, think about what ties the two of you together. Maybe it’s the place you met, or the date of some shared triumph. You should know this better than anyone else.

Whatever you do, your goal is to tie the gift to an event or thing that evokes emotion.

3. Builds Stronger Connections

This is important, because a good personalized gift really helps build a rock-solid relationship. A gift should be a token of appreciation. Above and beyond that, it should be symbolic of your bond and connection. It should evoke emotion by referencing a person, emotion, or event that you share.

A personalized gift speaks directly to the soul of the person receiving it. You could pick up a cute stuffed toy at the store. You could buy them a Swiss knife you know they could use. However, the goal of gift-giving should be much more personal. It’s all about celebrating and building the connection you have with someone. Nothing reinforces bonds and promotes growth like a personalized gift.

4. Works for Any Occasion

You wouldn’t give someone a coffee mug as a wedding gift, or buy a washing machine to commemorate a friendiversary. What’s great about personalized gifts is that they’re suitable for any occasion.

Whether we’re talking about a graduation, wedding, promotion, or birthday bash, a personalized gift will work.

So, you don’t have to worry about overspending or going over the top. That’s because personal gifts carry non-monetary value – something that you can’t buy or pay for. The emotional value of a personalized gift tops whatever an expensive gift can bring to the table.

5. Shows that You Put Thought Into It

The point of a gift is to show someone that you truly care about them. What better way to celebrate this than by showing them you’ve put a lot of thought into what they'd like?

For instance, you could buy someone a book written by their favorite author. That will show them that you know their preferences. But you could also add a sentence or two on the book’s first page that expresses something personal.

Alternatively, you could take it a step further and get a personalized engraved gift. You can order one ready-made from a good source without it setting you back a lot. It’s totally worth it to get a gift that tells a beautiful story about your mutual connection.

6. Makes It Unique

With personalized gifts, you can be 100% certain that no one else has given the same thing. Once you think of something special you share with the recipient, you can rest easy that the gift will be as unique as your connection.

This is why personalized gifts are so special and irreplaceable.

Telling a Story with a Gift

Personalizing a gift has the power to make it much more memorable. It can tie you and the recipient to a particular person, place, or emotion. That’s how it can reinforce and encourage your bond with them.

A personalized gift is ideal for any occasion. It’s unique and an obvious testament to the amount of thought you put into it. Nothing says how much you appreciate a person as well as a personalized gift. It’s not about how expensive it is, but its uniqueness and thoughtfulness.