How to be well prepared for a gifting occasion?

Everything you need to do before you go buying presents

We've all been there. You had a big project at work or had your hands full dealing with the kids, overconsumed with personal issues to notice the date on the calendar... and it's someone's birthday! Christmas is around the corner! Your wedding anniversary for God's sake!

So, what do you do when you need to come up with a last minute gift? You run to the mall after a long day at the office in hope that something will pop up that will scream "this is the perfect gift" and you'll get back home in time for dinner. However, more often than not, your hunger overtakes your decision making process and you end up walking away with a big box of the most expensive purchase in your life, trying to compensate for the guilt you are feeling for not having the time to have a proper thought about all this. True story. This is how I got a Christmas gift that is rivaled only by my engagement ring!(Bless him) :))

Now, let's dig in and find out how you can be properly prepared and avoid panic buying presents.

1. Be a good listener and take notes! If the lucky person that receives your gifts mentions that they like something in particular, be it an item, a colour, an experience they had and liked very much, take a moment to make a record of it. Quick note on your phone or your notebook will be of great help down the road. You'll be surprised of how many good ideas you can get when you look back at that list.

2. Take screenshots! Anything from the actual item you have in mind for them, to a mood board, colour tones or a new interesting item that popped up on your social media feed. This will help to visualize the perfect present idea for when the time is right or help your personal shopping assistant find it for you.

3. Do a little background research - If the gift is for someone you don't know that well, make the most of the information you do have on them. Knowing their cultural background will help you avoid stepping onto cultural differences that may come across as offensive. For example, if you are invited to visit an Emirati home, don't show up with an artsy plate that depicts nudity, even vaguely. If you need a gift for a colleague who's hosting a party, think about parts of their lives they most talk about during your coffee breaks. Is it their family, pet or gym session? All of this can help you come up with a more thoughtful gift.

4. Email Inspirology for help! If you have done the homework but you still feel overwhelmed to make the decision or don't have the time to find the actual gift, hire a retail expert to do it for you. This is more of a personalized shopping run for you. Your present will be picked with the utmost care, wrapped and delivered to you.

If you are not that well prepared and you need a more tailored experience, our retail expert will propose the perfect present based on your answers to our gift guide questionnaire.

In case you are dealing with a corporate gifting situation, the best way is to get professional help as you will not only get the most appropriate presents but you may get yourself a nice saving in your budget!

Inspirology

In any case, try to plan ahead at least a week, ideally a month before the gifting occasion. Special presents take special preparations. If you have reoccurring gifting occasions you can even arrange for a pre booked service, to always have them sorted in good time for you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Love,

Inspirology