Book Gift Cards

Don’t just hand over another gift card. Make an effort to find out something new about your desired recipient, and choose a book based on the knowledge, or choose a book that could connect with many people. There are endless possibilities to customize your choice of book to suit an environment or a client.

• Expand on an expressed interest that you learned from a recipient’s feedback. (“I loved the article on paper airplanes!” Follow up by giving them a book on the topic.)
• Start a book club with a select group of clients, using this gift card to purchase the first book for the club to read and discuss.  More than networking, a book club helps you forge a bond with a group of people, connect to their values, and allows you to be introduced to new contacts and connect with old ones on a consistent basis.
• Donate books to a local coffee shop. Write a note on the first flap with your thoughts on the book, and encourage others to share feedback—don’t forget to paste in a business card.

 Bed and Breakfast

Your lucky recipient has the opportunity to choose any bed and breakfast across the country. Whether your recipient chooses a staycation or a vacation, the gift of a getaway is always memorable.

• Make your own referral contest via social media. Social media contests create buzz, increase customer interaction, and elevate your social media presence. This will kick-start your social media so you’ll be “blowing up.”
• Send to a family as a “home anniversary” gift. This rekindles the relationship and gives you a reason to reach out.
• Give it to a family who is undergoing home renovations. It will be a thoughtful gift that is timely and personal to their situation.

Josh Rosen’s Airplants

Unique, eye-catching, attention-grabbing—all words that describe airplants. Choose an environment well-suited for conversation and questions, and give the airplant to someone in that environment who will maximize your results.

• Give it to a COI when they start a new career as a congratulations/good luck gift for their office. Airplants are unique, thus a conversation starter for your recipient as they begin their new pursuit, and your name will likely be brought up during many of those conversations.
• Visiting clients or prospects will be sure to notice this conversation piece—leading back to the magazine and your unique way of connecting with your clients.
• Donate the airplant to a new business where an airplant would be fitting, lika a yoga studio, spa, or hair salon. Find an environment for an airplant where it will be noticed and lead to conversations. What do women at salons do? Talk. About what? Anything.

Discount code: 10% off with code ALMten, good through the rest of the year.

Leonid Afremov’s Painting

The gift of art is timeless, and has an unlimited shelf life. You’re not just giving or donating the painting to an individual, but to an environment. Choose the environment or the event with high traffic and where you have the most desire to be noticed.

• Donate the painting to a library, hospital, school, or other local community building. These places typically place plaques underneath donated pieces, and often donations are leaked to local newspapers. This generates recognition with endless shelf life.
• Hang it in the lobby of your building with copies of ALM. This will connect back to the magazine and encourage conversations about ALM and you!
• Donate the painting to a charity auction. Generous donations at charity events are recognized by the organization hosting the event and the recipient.

ShelterPups

Animal lovers are a united subculture. Tapping into this community’s core values leads to endless opportunities for referrals and repeat transactions, and has the power to create local advocates for your business.

• Review your top clients, and choose the most avid dog lover amongst your connectors. Send them a custom ShelterPup as a thinking-of-you gift. This will connect you with the core values of the recipient and is a personal touch and gesture that they’ll never forget.
• Host a “Like My Page on Facebook” contest in a vet’s office. Anyone who likes your page will be entered into a contest to win a custom ShelterPup. This connects you with every person who walks into that vet’s office, including the staff and doctors.
• Give the ShelterPup to a local shelter as a thank you. Partner with the shelter as a sponsor, use the ShelterPup as a mascot, and promote their dogs in need of foster/forever homes. Partnering with another local business like a shelter and promoting their cause is a great way to increase followers and connects you to an entire community of people.

Spoonful of Comfort

Spoonful of Comfort has mastered the art of the care package by offering countless ways to connect and be present in every life event.

• Send as a perfect gift for expecting parents or empty nesters. Having a presence in life events of expecting parents and empty nesters can lead to repeat business opportunities (upsizing or downsizing), referrals, and new business (generational opportunities).
• Send to a family who just moved, and is likely still unpacking. Timeliness is key. Remembering a client or COI during the chaotic moving process is a gesture that’s sure to be remembered.
• Send to a business professional and partner during their busy season (like your preferred accountant during tax season). This strengthens your relationship with the local business community and shows that you care in a personal way.

Discount code: 20% off with code amlife, good through the rest of this year.